ck0001683471-20260430
Roundhill Sports Betting
& iGaming ETF
(BETZ)
Roundhill Ball Metaverse
ETF (METV)
Principal
U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
Roundhill Video Games
ETF
(NERD)
Roundhill Cannabis
ETF (WEED)
Roundhill Magnificent Seven
ETF (MAGS)
Principal
U.S. Listing Exchange: Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
April 30,
2026
These
securities have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
(the “CFTC”), nor have the SEC or CFTC passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of
this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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ROUNDHILL
VIDEO GAMES ETF - FUND SUMMARY |
Investment
Objective
The
Roundhill Video Games ETF (“Video Games ETF” or the “Fund”) seeks total
return.
Fees and Expenses of the
Fund
This
table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and
sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You
may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial
intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example
below.
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Shareholder
Fees
(fees
paid directly from your investment) |
None |
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Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
| Management
Fee |
0.50% |
| Distribution
and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
| Other
Expenses |
0.00% |
| Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.50% |
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Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing
in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem
all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that
your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses
remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions
that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher
or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
be:
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| 1
Year: |
$51 |
3
Years: |
$160 |
5
Years: |
$280 |
10
Years: |
$628 |
Portfolio
Turnover
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are
held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover
rate was 64% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment
Strategies
The
Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to achieve
its investment objective by investing in the equity securities of Video Game
Companies.
The Fund
invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus
borrowings for investment purposes) in Video Game Companies. For
purposes of the foregoing policy, Video Game Companies are companies that are
economically tied to the Video Games industry, and generally include publishers,
developers and distributors of interactive gaming software for console, PC,
mobile and cloud platforms, as well as providers of related online gaming
services and esports. In determining whether a company is economically tied to
the Video Games industry, the Fund primarily relies on Bloomberg Industry
Classification System (“BICS”) classifications, which utilizes a company’s
primary source of revenue as an input when determining a company’s
classification. Many Video Game Companies currently are categorized in the
Entertainment Industry, a separate industry within the Communication Services
Sector. As such, the Fund expects to concentrate in the Entertainment Industry
and have significant exposure to the Communication Services Sector, though this
exposure may vary over time. Under BICS, the Entertainment Industry includes
companies that create, produce or distribute content and/or experiences
providing amusement or engagement to consumers designed to elicit an emotional
response, and the Communication Services Sector, of which the Entertainment
Industry is a segment, more broadly includes technology, telecommunications
media and other related companies that facilitate communication, information
sharing and the entertainment.
In
seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund’s adviser,
Roundhill Financial, Inc. (the “Adviser”), will construct the portfolio pursuant
to its proprietary security selection methodology. Portfolio weights are
primarily determined based on each security’s market capitalization, with the
Adviser employing an actively managed market capitalization adjustment process
designed to limit the overweighting of any single security. Generally, companies
in the Fund’s portfolio have a market capitalization of at least $500 million.
From this eligible universe, the Adviser applies a proprietary, rules-based
security selection methodology that evaluates companies based on factors such as
liquidity, relevance to the video game industry, and overall investability
characteristics. The Fund is expected to have approximately 25 to 75 issuers
comprise its portfolio.
The
Adviser generally expects to rebalance the weighting of the companies comprising
the Fund’s portfolio on at least a quarterly basis. As a result, certain of the
companies held by the Fund may have market capitalizations of less than $500
million in between rebalances, but must be at least $250 million at the time of
rebalance.
The
Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities, including the securities of companies
organized in emerging and developing market countries. The Fund generally
considers “emerging and developing market” countries to be those countries that
have one or more of the following characteristics relative to more developed
countries: (i) economies in the process of rapid growth or industrialization,
(ii) lower income levels, (iii) underdeveloped but maturing infrastructures, and
(iv) functioning but still developing financial systems or markets.
Additionally, the Fund may purchase American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or
Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). As of March 31, 2026, the Fund had
significant exposure to companies in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and
China.
The
Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”).
Principal
Investment Risks
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The
principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding
particular risks and comparing them with the risks of other funds. Each risk
summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund,
regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment,
there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the
Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to
meet its investment objective. The following risks could affect the value
of your investment in the Fund:
•Associated
Risks of Video Game Companies.
Video game companies face intense competition, both domestically and
internationally, may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources,
or personnel, may have products that face rapid obsolescence, and are heavily
dependent on the protection of patent and intellectual property rights. Such
factors may adversely affect the profitability and value of video game
companies. These companies also may be subject to increasing regulatory
constraints, particularly with respect to cybersecurity and privacy. In addition
to the costs of complying with such constraints, the unintended disclosure of
confidential information, whether because of an error or a cybersecurity event,
could adversely affect the reputation, profitability and value of these
companies.
•Cash
Transaction Risk. The
Fund expects to effect certain of its creations and redemptions for cash, rather
than in-kind securities. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio
investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This
may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized
if it had made a redemption in kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher
annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was
used. The use of cash creations and redemptions may also cause the Fund’s shares
to trade in the market at wider bid-ask spreads or greater premiums or discounts
to the Fund’s NAV. Further, effecting purchases and redemptions primarily in
cash may cause the Fund to incur certain costs, such as portfolio transaction
costs. These costs can decrease the Fund’s NAV if not offset by an authorized
participant transaction fee.
•Concentration
Risk.
The Fund expects to concentrate (i.e., invest more than 25% of its net assets)
in the Entertainment Industry. As a result, the Fund is more vulnerable to
adverse market, economic, regulatory, political or other developments affecting
the industry than a fund that invests its assets in a more diversified
manner.
◦Entertainment
Industry Risk.
The Entertainment Industry is highly competitive and relies on consumer spending
and the availability of disposable income for success. The prices of the
securities of companies in the Entertainment Industry may fluctuate widely due
to competitive pressures, heavy expenses incurred for research and development
of products, problems related to bringing products to market, consumer
preferences and rapid obsolescence of products. Legislative or regulatory
changes and increased government supervision also may affect companies in the
Entertainment Industry. The Entertainment Industry is a separate industry within
the Communication Services
Sector.
•Currency
Exchange Rate Risk. The
Fund may invest in investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in
securities that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency
exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the
value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Shares. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without
warning and you may lose money.
•Cybersecurity
Risk.
Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund
assets or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser (defined
below), the Sub-Adviser and/or other service providers (including custodians and
financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption.
Additionally, cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of
the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Fund’s other service providers,
market makers, Authorized Participants (“APs”), the Fund’s primary listing
exchange, or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the
ability to disrupt and negatively affect the Fund’s business operations,
including the ability to purchase and sell Shares, potentially resulting in
financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders.
•Depositary
Receipt Risk.
Depositary receipts, including ADRs, EDRs and GDRs, involve risks similar to
those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in
political or economic conditions of other countries and changes in the exchange
rates of foreign currencies. Depositary receipts listed on U.S. exchanges are
issued by banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and
capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares (“Underlying
Shares”). GDRs and EDRs are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates
evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer; however, GDRs and EDRs may
be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies and are generally
designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S.
When the Fund invests in depositary receipts as a substitute for an investment
directly in the Underlying Shares, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the
depositary receipts may not provide a return that corresponds precisely with
that of the Underlying Shares. Because the Underlying Shares trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open,
the Fund may experience premiums and discounts greater than those of funds
without exposure to such Underlying Shares.
•Emerging
and Developing Markets Risk. The
Fund may invest in companies organized in emerging and developing market
nations. Investments in securities and instruments traded in developing or
emerging markets, or that provide exposure to such securities or markets, can
involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory
conditions not associated with investments in U.S. securities and instruments or
investments in more developed international markets. Such conditions may impact
the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely
affect the trading market and price for Fund shares and cause the Fund to
decline in value.
•Equity
Securities Risk. The
equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden,
unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur
because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting
specific issuers, industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests.
Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to
volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and
perceptions of their issuers change. Preferred stocks are subject to the risk
that the dividend on the stock may be changed or omitted by the issuer, and that
participation in the growth of an issuer may be
limited.
•ETF
Risks.
The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) and, as a result of its structure,
it is exposed to the following
risks:
◦Authorized
Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration
Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may
act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or
liquidity providers in the marketplace. Shares may trade at a material discount
to NAV and possibly face delisting if either: (i) APs exit the business or
otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no
other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers
and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their
business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their
functions.
◦Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares Risk.
Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions
imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may
significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be
advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small
investments.
◦Shares
May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk. As
with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market
prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate
the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than
the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to
supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is
heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and
periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary
market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because
securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when
the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience
premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in and hold only
securities and other investments that are listed and trade in the
U.S.
◦Trading
Risk. Although
Shares are listed for trading on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”)
and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no
assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock
exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to
mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be
significantly less liquid than the
Shares.
•Foreign
Securities Risk. Investments
in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with
investments in U.S. securities. These include risks of adverse changes in
foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, or changes in
currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations
on currency movements and exchanges). The securities of some foreign companies
may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable
U.S. companies. There may be less information publicly available about a
non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different
accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than
U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to
withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement,
custodial, and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is
the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization
of assets. Because legal systems differ, there also is the possibility that it
will be difficult to obtain
or
enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be
open on days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the
securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not
be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares. Conversely, Shares may trade on
days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make
investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other
types of investments.
•Geographic
Investment Risk.
To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the
securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be
impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region.
◦Risks
Relating to Investing in Asia. Although
many Asian economies have experienced growth and development in recent years,
there is no assurance that this growth will continue. Other Asian economies,
however, have been and continue to be subject, to some extent, to over-extension
of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, high unemployment, high
inflation, decreased exports and economic recessions. Economic events in any one
country can have a significant economic effect on the entire Asian region as
well as on major trading partners outside Asia. Many Asian countries are subject
to political risk, including corruption and conflict with neighboring Asian and
non-Asian countries. For instance, the historical tensions between North Korea
and South Korea, each of which has substantial military capabilities, present
the risk of war and any outbreak of hostility between the two countries could
adversely affect Asia as a whole. In addition, in recent years, certain Asian
nations have developed strained relations with the United States and, if these
relations worsen, they could affect international trade. In addition, many Asian
countries are prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, and
the Fund’s investments in Asian issuers may be more likely to be affected by
such events than its investments in other geographic regions. Any changes or
trends in these economic, political and social factors could have a significant
impact on Asian economies overall and may negatively affect the Fund’s
investments. Moreover, the Fund may be more volatile than a geographically
diversified equity fund.
◦Risks
Related to Investing in China.
The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be
significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China
and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies
represent a large portion of China’s total market and thus may be more sensitive
to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. The economy
of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as
structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution,
rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital
reinvestment, among others. Under China’s political and economic system, the
central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually
every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or
state ownership. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization,
confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other
developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the
Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. Additionally, from time to time,
China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses, including the COVID-19
pandemic, and the country may be subject to other public health threats,
diseases or similar issues in the future. The Fund may invest in shares of
Chinese companies traded on stock markets in Mainland China or Hong Kong. These
stock markets have experienced high levels of volatility, which may continue in
the future. The Hong Kong stock market may behave differently from the Mainland
China stock market and there may be little to no correlation between the
performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the Mainland China stock
market.
◦Risks
Related to Investing in Hong Kong.
Investments in Hong Kong issuers will subject the Fund to legal, regulatory,
political, currency, security, and economic risk specific to Hong Kong. China is
Hong Kong’s largest trading partner, both in terms of exports and imports. Any
changes in the Chinese economy, trade regulations or currency exchange rates, or
a tightening of China’s control over Hong Kong, may have an adverse impact on
Hong Kong’s economy. Additionally, Hong Kong is a small island state with few
raw material resources and limited land area and is reliant on imports for its
commodity needs. Any fluctuations or shortages in the commodity markets could
have a negative impact on the Hong Kong economy.
◦Risks
Related to Investing in Japan.
The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic,
political and social instability, which could have a negative impact on Japanese
securities. Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low for an
extended period of time and it may remain low in the future. In addition, Japan
is subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes,
typhoons and tsunamis. Additionally, decreasing U.S. imports, new trade
regulations, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rates, a recession in the
United States or continued increases in foreclosure rates may have an adverse
impact on the economy of Japan. Japan also has few natural resources, and any
fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on
Japanese securities.
◦Risks
of Investing in South Korea.
Investments in South Korean issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory,
political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to South
Korea. In addition, economic and political developments of South Korea’s
neighbors may have an adverse effect on the South Korean
economy.
•Illiquidity
Risk.
Illiquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or
sell, possibly preventing the Fund from selling these illiquid investments at an
advantageous price or at the time desired. A lack of liquidity may also cause
the value of investments to decline. Illiquid investments may also be difficult
to value.
•Management
Risk. The
Fund is actively managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the
Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s success or failure to implement investment
strategies for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser’s evaluations and assumptions regarding
issuers, securities, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund’s
investment objective given actual market conditions.
•Market
Capitalization Risk.
◦Large-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature
compared to smaller companies and, therefore, subject to slower growth during
times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies also may be unable
to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology
and consumer tastes.
◦Mid-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse
issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies
generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more
unpredictable price changes than large-capitalization stocks or the stock market
as a whole.
◦Small-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to
adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large- or mid-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization
companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more
unpredictable price changes than large- or mid-capitalization stocks or the
stock market as a whole. There is typically less publicly available information
concerning smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established
companies.
•Market
Risk. The
trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a
variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or
specific market segments, such as political, market and economic developments,
as well as events that impact specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price,
like security and commodity prices generally, may fluctuate significantly in
response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money
over short or long periods of time. In addition, government actions or
interventions (including, but not limited, to the threat or imposition of
tariffs, trade restrictions, currency restrictions or similar actions) as well
as developments related to economic, political (including geopolitical), social,
public health, market, extreme weather, natural or man-made disasters, or other
conditions or events have in the past and may in the future result in volatility
in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit, and/or debt
markets, which could adversely impact the Fund and its investments and their
value and performance. These developments as well as other events could result
in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the
liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities
exchanges and other markets.
•Non-Diversification
Risk. Because
the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets
in the securities of a single issuer or a lesser number of issuers than if it
was a diversified fund. As a result, a decline in the value of an investment in
a single issuer or a lesser number of issuers could cause the Fund’s overall
value to decline to a greater degree than if the Fund held a more diversified
portfolio. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and have a greater impact on
the Fund’s performance.
•Sector
Risk. To
the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy,
its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly
affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in
the following sector and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be
negatively impacted by events affecting this
sector.
◦Communication
Services Sector Risk.
The Fund’s assets will have significant exposure to the Communication Services
Sector, which means the Fund will be more affected by the performance of the
Communication Services Sector than a fund that is more diversified. Market or
economic factors impacting companies in the Communication Services Sector that
rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of
the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of communication services companies
and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to
research and development costs, substantial capital requirements, product and
services obsolescence, government regulation, and domestic and international
competition, including competition from foreign competitors with lower
production costs. Stocks of communication services companies and companies that
rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned
companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Additionally,
companies in the Communication Services Sector may face dramatic and often
unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of
qualified personnel. While all companies may be susceptible to network security
breaches, certain companies in the Communication Services Sector may be
particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer
information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse
effect on their businesses.
•Securities
Lending Risk.
To the extent the Fund engages
in
securities lending, there are certain risks associated with securities lending,
including the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities on a
timely basis or even the loss of rights in the collateral deposited by the
borrower, if the borrower should fail financially. The Fund could also lose
money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned
securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash
collateral. As a result, the Fund may lose money.
Performance
The performance
information presented below provides some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund by showing the extent to which the Fund’s performance can change
from year to year and over time. The bar chart below shows the
Fund’s performance for the most recent calendar years ended December 31.
The table illustrates how the Fund’s
average annual returns for the 1-year, 5-year, and since inception periods
compare with those of the Solactive GBS Global Markets All Cap USD Index TR, a
broad-based securities market index intended to represent the overall global
equity market. The table also shows how the Fund’s performance compares to the
Roundhill Video Games Blended Index, which represents the underlying indexes
tracked by the Fund from inception until September 30, 2025. The
Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies changed on
September 30, 2025, when the Fund converted from a passively-managed index fund
into an actively managed fund. Prior to that date and beginning September 26,
2022, the Fund sought to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the
Nasdaq CTA Global Video Games Software Index™. Prior to September 26, 2022, the
Fund sought to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of
the Roundhill BITKRAFT Esports Index. Therefore, the performance and average
annual total returns shown for periods prior to September 30, 2025 may have
differed had the Fund’s current investment objective and principal investment
strategies been in effect during those periods. The Fund’s past
performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will
perform in the future. Updated performance information is
available on the Fund’s website at www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/NERD.
Calendar Year Total
Returns
The
calendar year-to-date total return of
the Fund as of March 31, 2026 was
-15.05%.
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the highest quarterly
return was 48.75% for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, and the
lowest quarterly return
was -23.79% for the quarter ended June 30,
2022.
Average
Annual Total Returns
(for
periods ended December 31, 2025)
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Roundhill
Video Games ETF |
1
Year |
5
Years |
Since
Inception
(6/3/2019) |
| Return
Before Taxes |
22.47% |
-3.43% |
8.63% |
| Return After
Taxes on Distributions |
22.39% |
-3.53% |
8.49% |
| Return After
Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares |
13.53% |
-2.52% |
6.95% |
|
Solactive
GBS Global Markets All Cap USD Index TR
(reflects
no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) |
22.52% |
11.01% |
13.41% |
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Roundhill
Video Games Blended Index*
(reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses, or taxes) |
22.37% |
-3.01% |
9.24% |
*The
Roundhill Video Games Blended Index represents the linked performance of two
different performance benchmarks – for periods prior to September 26, 2022, the
Roundhill BITKRAFT Esports Index and for periods thereafter, the Nasdaq CTA
Global Video Games Software IndexTM,
the Fund’s index until September 30,
2025.
After-tax returns are
calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax
rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact
of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an
investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are
not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred
arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other
tax-advantaged accounts. In certain
cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of
Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A
higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and
provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the
investor.
Portfolio
Management
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| Adviser |
Roundhill
Financial Inc. (the “Adviser”) |
| Sub-Adviser |
Exchange
Traded Concepts, LLC |
| Portfolio
Managers |
William
Hershey, Timothy Maloney and David Mazza, each a portfolio manager for the
Adviser, have been portfolio managers of the Fund since March 2025. Andrew
Serowik, Todd Alberico, Gabriel Tan, and Brian Cooper are each portfolio
managers for the Sub-Adviser. Mr. Serowik has been a portfolio manager of
the Fund since its inception in June 2019, Mr. Alberico and Mr. Tan have
been portfolio managers of the Fund since July 2021, and Mr. Cooper has
been a portfolio manager for the Fund since November
2021. |
Purchase
and Sale of Shares
The
Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation
Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The
Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of
securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Shares
are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in
the secondary market through a broker or dealer at market prices, rather than
NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at
a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
An
investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (the “bid” price) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (the “ask” price) when
buying or selling Shares in the secondary market. The difference in the bid and
ask prices is referred to as the “bid-ask spread.”
Recent
information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, how often Shares traded on
the Exchange at a premium or discount, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the
Fund’s website at www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/NERD.
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified
dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is
held in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments
made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of
assets from those accounts.
Financial
Intermediary Compensation
If
you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary
(such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay
Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including
participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more
knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the Fund, or for other
activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related
to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of
interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the
Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased
Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more
information.
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ROUNDHILL
SPORTS BETTING & IGAMING ETF – FUND
SUMMARY |
Investment
Objective
The
Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF (“Sports Betting ETF” or the “Fund”)
seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the
Morningstar® Sports Betting & iGaming Select Index (the
“Index”).
Fees and Expenses of the
Fund
This
table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and
sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You
may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial
intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example
below.
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Shareholder
Fees
(fees
paid directly from your investment) |
None |
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Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
| Management
Fee |
0.75% |
| Distribution
and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
| Other
Expenses |
0.00% |
| Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.75% |
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Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing
in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem
all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that
your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses
remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions
that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher
or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
be:
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| 1
Year: |
$77 |
3
Years: |
$240 |
5
Years: |
$417 |
10
Years: |
$930 |
Portfolio
Turnover
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are
held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover
rate was 26% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment
Strategies
The
Fund seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of
the Index.
Morningstar®
Sports Betting & iGaming Select Index
The
Index was developed by Morningstar, Inc. (the “Index Provider”) and is designed
to provide pure exposure to sports and online betting themes. In order to
achieve such exposure, the Index is comprised of common stock (or corresponding
American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”)) of
domestic and foreign sports and online betting (a/k/a iGaming) companies. The
Index Provider defines sports betting and iGaming companies as follows (although
the definitions may change over time):
◦Sports
Betting Companies
– companies engaged, directly or indirectly, in analyzing sports events and
wagering on the outcome, such as online bookmaking.
◦iGaming
Companies
– companies engaged, directly or indirectly, in betting online in games of
chance, such as poker, slots, blackjack, or the lottery.
The
composition of the Index is based on the following rules:
Stocks
included in the Index must (i) receive a score 1 or higher from the Index
Provider on either a Sports Betting or iGaming theme, (ii) have a free-float
market capitalization of at least $100 million (USD), and (iii) have a minimum
three-month average daily traded value of $250,000 (USD). The Index Provider
will assign a score of 1 or higher to a company that the Index Provider has
determined (a) is a producer of related goods or services or a supplier of those
producers, and (b) is highly likely to enjoy a material net profit increase from
its exposure to such Sports Betting or iGaming theme over the next five years.
The Index Provider estimates the percent revenue a company will derive from its
exposure to each theme at a point in time five years forward, which translates
to the following scores: 0 = less than 10% revenue; 1 = 10% - 25% of revenue for
a producer or supplier; 2 = 25% - 50% of revenue for a producer or
supplier;
3 = greater than 50% of revenue for a supplier; 4 = greater than 50% revenue for
a producer. Scores are reviewed by the Index Provider’s steering committee for
quality control and to ensure consistency.
Index
components are weighted in proportion to both their combined theme score and
their free-float market capitalization, subject to capping constraints.
Companies with higher combined theme scores are allocated a greater weight in
the Index. Index components are capped to ensure that no Index component has a
weight greater than 10% and the sum of components with weights greater than or
equal to 5% cannot exceed 40%.
The
Index is reconstituted and rebalanced annually on the Monday following the third
Friday in December. The number of stocks included in the Index may vary and is
subject to the selection and eligibility criteria at the time of reconstitution.
As of March 31, 2026, the Index had 28 components.
The
Fund’s Investment Strategy
The
Fund will generally invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the
component securities of the Index, but also may invest in investments that
provide comparable exposure, including but not limited to depositary receipts
representing Index components and investments in other exchange-traded funds
(“ETFs”). Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets
(plus borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in securities issued
by Sports Betting and iGaming Companies. Sports Betting and iGaming Companies
are companies that the Index Provider determines provide exposure to the sports
and online betting and iGaming themes and which satisfy the Index Provider’s
Index security selection criteria, as such criteria may be modified from time to
time. Sports Betting Companies generally are engaged, directly or indirectly, in
analyzing sports events and wagering on the outcome. Sports Betting Companies
may include companies engaged in: online bookmaking; media production connected
to sports betting activities, such as the producers of podcasts, videos and
blogs; developing and/or providing technology solutions and services for other
Sports Betting Companies; providing marketing solutions and services for other
Sports Betting Companies; and investing in Sports Betting Companies, such as
owners of investment portfolios comprising companies exposed to sports betting
activities or the underlying assets of such companies. Generally, iGaming
Companies are engaged, directly or indirectly, in betting online in games of
chance, such as poker, slots, blackjack, or the lottery. iGaming Companies may
include companies engaged in: online bookmaking; media production connected to
sports betting activities, such as the producers of podcasts, videos and blogs;
developing and/or providing technology solutions and services for other iGaming
Companies; providing marketing solutions and services for other iGaming
Companies; investing in iGaming Companies, such as owners of investment
portfolios comprising companies exposed to iGaming activities or the underlying
assets of such companies; and developing and/or providing games, such as casino
developers and bingo and lottery game developers.
The
Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment
objective, meaning the Fund generally will invest in all of the component
securities of the Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Index.
However, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may
invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return, and other
characteristics closely resemble the risk, return, and other characteristics of
the Index as a whole, when Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”),
the Fund’s sub-adviser, believes it is in the best interests of the Fund
(e.g.,
when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs,
an Index component becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable, or less liquid, or
as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not
to the Index).
The
Fund also may invest in securities or other investments not included in the
Index, but which the Sub-Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index.
For example, the Fund may invest in securities that are not components of the
Index to reflect various corporate actions and other changes to the Index (such
as reconstitutions, additions, and deletions).
To
the extent the Index concentrates (i.e.,
holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular
industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its
investments to approximately the same extent as the Index. As of March 31, 2026,
the Index was concentrated in the Casinos and Gaming Sub-Industry, a separate
industry within the Consumer Discretionary
Sector.
The
Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”).
Principal
Investment Risks
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The
principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding
particular risks and comparing them with the risks of other funds. Each risk
summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund,
regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment,
there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the
Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s
net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to
meet its investment objective. The following risks could affect the value
of your investment in the Fund:
•Associated
Risks of iGaming and Sports Betting Companies. The
iGaming and sports betting industry is characterized by an increasingly high
degree of competition among a large number of participants including from
participants performing illegal activities or unregulated companies. Expansion
of iGaming and sports betting in other jurisdictions (both regulated and
unregulated) could increase competition with traditional betting companies,
which could have an adverse impact on their financial
condition, operations and cash flows. In a broader sense, iGaming and
sports betting companies face competition from all manner of leisure and
entertainment activities, including shopping, athletic events, television and
movies, concerts and travel. In addition, established jurisdictions could award
additional licenses or permit the expansion or relocation of existing sports
betting companies. These companies also may be subject to increasing regulatory
constraints, particularly with respect to cybersecurity and privacy. In addition
to the costs of complying with such constraints, the unintended disclosure of
confidential information, whether because of an error or a cybersecurity event,
could adversely affect the reputation, profitability and value of these
companies.
•Concentration
Risk.
Because the Fund’s assets will be concentrated in an industry or group of
industries to the extent the Index concentrates in a particular industry or
group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that
may affect that industry or group of industries.
◦Casinos
& Gaming Industry.
The Casinos & Gaming Industry includes owners and operators of casinos and
gaming facilities, and companies providing lottery and betting services. The
Casinos & Gaming Industry is highly competitive and companies operating in
the Casinos & Gaming Industry rely heavily on consumer spending and the
availability of disposable income for success. In addition, the Casinos &
Gaming Industry may be negatively affected by changes in economic conditions,
consumer tastes and discretionary income levels, technological developments,
limited financial resources, competition from competing entertainment options,
and competition for key personnel. Casinos are closely tied to the travel and
tourism industry and are particularly sensitive to economic shutdowns and
mitigation strategies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Casinos &
Gaming Industry companies are highly regulated, and state and federal
legislative or regulatory changes and licensing issues (as well as the laws of
other countries) can significantly impact their ability to operate in certain
jurisdictions. The Casinos & Gaming Industry is a sub-industry of the
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry within the Consumer Discretionary
Sector.
•Currency
Exchange Rate Risk. The
Fund may invest in investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in
securities that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency
exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the
value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Shares. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without
warning and you may lose money.
•Cybersecurity
Risk. Cybersecurity
incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets or
proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser (defined below), the
Sub-Adviser and/or other service providers (including custodians and financial
intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption. Additionally,
cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Fund’s other service providers, market makers,
Authorized Participants (“APs”), the Fund’s primary listing exchange, or the
issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to disrupt and
negatively affect the Fund’s business operations, including the ability to
purchase and sell Shares, potentially resulting in financial losses to the Fund
and its shareholders.
•Depositary
Receipt Risk.
Depositary receipts, including ADRs and GDRs, involve risks similar to those
associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political
or economic conditions of other countries and changes in the exchange rates of
foreign currencies. Depositary receipts listed on U.S. exchanges are issued by
banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital
gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares (“Underlying Shares”).
GDRs are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of
shares of a foreign issuer; however, GDRs may be issued in bearer form and
denominated in other currencies and are generally designed for use in specific
or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. When the Fund invests in
depositary receipts as a substitute for an investment directly in the Underlying
Shares, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the depositary receipts may not
provide a return that corresponds precisely with that of the Underlying
Shares.
•Equity
Securities Risk. The
equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden,
unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur
because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting
specific issuers, industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests.
Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to
volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and
perceptions of their issuers change. Preferred stocks are subject to the risk
that the dividend on the stock may be changed or omitted by the issuer, and that
participation in the growth of an issuer may be
limited.
•ETF
Risks.
The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of its structure, it is exposed to the
following risks:
◦Authorized
Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration
Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that
may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers
and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. Shares may trade at a material
discount to NAV and possibly face delisting if either: (i) APs exit the
business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders
and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market
makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce
their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their
functions.
◦Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares Risk.
Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions
imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may
significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be
advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small
investments.
◦Shares
May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk. As
with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market
prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate
the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than
the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to
supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is
heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and
periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary
market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because
securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when
the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience
premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in and hold only
securities and other investments that are listed and trade in the
U.S.
◦Trading
Risk. Although
Shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be
traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that
Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed
market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of
the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid
than the Shares.
•Foreign
Securities Risk. Investments
in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with
investments in U.S. securities. These include risks of adverse changes in
foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, or changes in
currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations
on currency movements and exchanges). The securities of some foreign companies
may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable
U.S. companies. There may be less information publicly available about a
non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different
accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than
U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to
withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement,
custodial, and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is
the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization
of assets. Because legal systems differ, there also is the possibility that it
will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries.
Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its
shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days
when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.
Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of
these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially
less liquid than other types of investments.
•Geographic
Investment Risk.
To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the
securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be
impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or
region.
•Illiquidity
Risk.
Illiquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or
sell, possibly preventing the Fund from selling these illiquid investments at an
advantageous price or at the time desired. A lack of liquidity may also cause
the value of investments to decline. Illiquid investments may also be difficult
to value.
•Index
Provider Risk.
There is no assurance that the Index Provider, or any agents that act on its
behalf, will compile the Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined,
constructed, reconstituted, rebalanced, composed, calculated or disseminated
accurately. The Adviser relies upon the Index Provider and its agents to
compile, determine, construct, reconstitute, rebalance, compose, calculate (or
arrange for an agent to calculate), and disseminate the Index accurately. Any
losses or costs associated with errors made by the Index Provider or its agents
generally will be borne by the Fund and its
shareholders.
•Market
Capitalization Risk.
◦Large-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature
compared to smaller companies and, therefore, subject to slower growth during
times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies also may be unable
to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology
and consumer tastes.
◦Mid-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse
issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies
generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more
unpredictable price changes than large-capitalization stocks or the stock market
as a whole.
◦Small-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to
adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large- or mid-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization
companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more
unpredictable price changes than large- or mid-capitalization stocks or the
stock market as a whole. There is typically less publicly available information
concerning smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established
companies.
•Market
Risk. The
trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a
variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or
specific market segments, such as political, market and economic developments,
as well as events that impact specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price,
like security and commodity prices generally, may fluctuate significantly in
response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money
over short or long periods of time. In addition, government actions or
interventions (including, but not limited, to the threat or imposition of
tariffs, trade restrictions, currency restrictions or similar actions) as well
as developments related to economic, political (including geopolitical), social,
public health, market, extreme weather, natural or man-made disasters, or other
conditions or events have in the past and may in the future result in volatility
in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit, and/or debt
markets, which could adversely impact the Fund and its investments and their
value and performance. These developments as well as other events could result
in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the
liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities
exchanges and other markets.
•Non-Diversification
Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater
percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a lesser number
of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more
exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual
issuer or a lesser number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This
may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively
small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s
performance.
•Passive
Investment Risk.
The Fund is not actively managed and its Sub-Adviser would not sell an
investment designed to provide exposure to the Index or a constituent holding of
the Index due to current or projected underperformance of a security industry or
sector unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares
of that security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index as
addressed in the Index methodology.
•Sector
Risk. To
the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy,
its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly
affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in
the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be
negatively impacted by events affecting each of these
sectors.
◦Consumer
Discretionary Sector Risk.
Consumer discretionary companies are companies that provide non-essential goods
and services, such as retailers, media companies and consumer services. These
companies manufacture products and provide discretionary services directly to
the consumer, and the success of these companies tied closely to the performance
of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition
and consumer confidence.
•Securities
Lending Risk.
To the extent the Fund engages
in
securities lending, there are certain risks associated with securities lending,
including the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities on a
timely basis or even the loss of rights in the collateral deposited by the
borrower, if the borrower should fail financially. The Fund could also lose
money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned
securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash
collateral. As a result, the Fund may lose money.
•Tracking
Error Risk. As
with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and its Index may differ from
each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating
expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition,
the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times
or may hold securities not included in the Index.
Performance
The performance
information presented below provides some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund by showing the extent to which the Fund’s performance can change
from year to year and over time. The bar chart below shows the
Fund’s performance for the most recent calendar years ended December 31.
The table illustrates how the Fund’s
average annual returns for the 1-year, 5-year, and since inception periods
compare with those of the Index and the Solactive GBS Global Markets All Cap USD
Index TR, a broad-based securities market index intended to represent the
overall global equity market. The Fund’s past
performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will
perform in the future. The Fund’s investment objective and
principal investment strategies changed on October 2, 2023 to track the Index.
Prior to October 2, 2023, the Fund sought to track the total return performance,
before fees and expenses, of the Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming Index.
Therefore, the performance and average annual total returns shown for periods
prior to October 2, 2023 may have differed had the Fund’s current investment
objective and principal investment strategies been in effect during those
periods. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at
www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/BETZ.
Calendar Year Total
Returns
The
calendar year-to-date total return of
the Fund as of March 31, 2026 was
-15.83%.
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the highest quarterly
return was 26.03% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, and the
lowest quarterly return
was -28.63% for the quarter ended June 30,
2022.
Average
Annual Total Returns
(for
periods ended December 31, 2025)
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Roundhill
Sports Betting & iGaming ETF |
1
Year |
5
Years |
Since
Inception
(6/3/2020) |
| Return
Before Taxes |
16.02% |
-2.84% |
6.99% |
| Return
After Taxes on Distributions |
14.42% |
-3.12% |
6.69% |
| Return
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares |
9.93% |
-2.17% |
5.47% |
|
Solactive
GBS Global Markets All Cap USD Index TR
(reflects
no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) |
22.52% |
11.01% |
14.22% |
|
Roundhill
Sports Betting & iGaming Blended Index*
(reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses, or taxes) |
16.90% |
-2.33% |
11.74% |
*The
Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming Blended Index represents the linked
performance of two different performance benchmarks – for periods prior to
October 2, 2023, the Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming Index, the Fund’s
prior index, and for periods thereafter, the Morningstar®
Sports Betting & iGaming Select Index, the Fund’s current
index.
After-tax returns are
calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax
rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact
of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an
investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are
not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred
arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other
tax-advantaged accounts. In certain
cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of
Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A
higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and
provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the
investor.
Portfolio
Management
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Adviser |
Roundhill
Financial Inc. (the “Adviser”) |
| Sub-Adviser |
Exchange
Traded Concepts, LLC |
| Portfolio
Managers |
William
Hershey, Timothy Maloney and David Mazza, each a portfolio manager for the
Adviser, have been portfolio managers of the Fund since March 2025. Andrew
Serowik, Todd Alberico, Gabriel Tan, and Brian Cooper are each portfolio
managers for the Sub-Adviser. Mr. Serowik has been a portfolio manager of
the Fund since its inception in June 2020, Mr. Alberico and Mr. Tan have
been portfolio managers of the Fund since July 2021, and Mr. Cooper has
been a portfolio manager for the Fund since November
2021. |
Purchase
and Sale of Shares
The
Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation
Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The
Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of
securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Shares
are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in
the secondary market through a broker or dealer at market prices, rather than
NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at
a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
An
investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (the “bid” price) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (the “ask” price) when
buying or selling Shares in the secondary market. The difference in the bid and
ask prices is referred to as the “bid-ask spread.”
Recent
information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, how often Shares traded on
the Exchange at a premium or discount, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the
Fund’s website at www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/BETZ.
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified
dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is
held in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments
made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of
assets from those accounts.
Financial
Intermediary Compensation
If
you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary
(such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay
Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including
participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more
knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the Fund, or for other
activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related
to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of
interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the
Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased
Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more
information.
|
|
| |
|
ROUNDHILL
BALL METAVERSE ETF – FUND SUMMARY |
Investment
Objective
The
Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF (“Ball Metaverse ETF” or the “Fund”) seeks to track
the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Ball Metaverse Index (the
“Index”).
Fees and Expenses of the
Fund
This
table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and
sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You
may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial
intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example
below.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Shareholder
Fees
(fees
paid directly from your investment) |
None |
|
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
| Management
Fee |
0.59% |
| Distribution
and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
| Other
Expenses |
0.00% |
|
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1) |
0.59% |
|
| |
|
| |
|
(1)The Total Annual
Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s
Financial Highlights and financial statements because the Financial Highlights
and financial statements reflect the Fund’s receipt of a rebate on certain of
its investments that had the effect of reducing the Fund’s Total Annual Fund
Operating Expenses to 0.58%. There is no guarantee that such
rebate will be paid to the Fund in the future. The Adviser and the sponsor of
certain of the funds in which the Fund invests have established an arrangement
whereby the Fund is eligible to receive fee rebates equivalent to a portion of
the fees paid on its investments in those funds. In accordance with this
arrangement, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, the Fund received a
rebate amounting to 0.01% of the Fund’s net assets.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing
in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem
all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that
your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses
remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions
that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher
or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year: |
$59 |
3
Years: |
$188 |
5
Years: |
$328 |
10
Years: |
$737 |
Portfolio
Turnover
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are
held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover
rate was 55% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment
Strategies
The
Fund seeks to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index. The
Index seeks to track the performance of equity securities of foreign and
domestic issuers that engage in activities or provide products, services,
technologies, or technological capabilities to enable the Metaverse, and benefit
from its generated revenues (“Metaverse Companies”). “Metaverse” is a term used
to refer to a future iteration of the Internet. Users will primarily engage with
the Metaverse through persistent, simultaneous, and shared three-dimensional
virtual simulations and spaces. The Metaverse will also connect to physical
spaces, two-dimensional Internet experiences (e.g.,
standard apps, webpages), and finite simulations (e.g.,
a game). The Metaverse will be supported by a wide range of technologies, tools,
and standards that enable high volumes of concurrent users, a rich virtual-only
economy of labor, goods, and services, and wide ranging interoperability of
data, digital assets, and content. The Index was developed and is owned by Ball
Metaverse Research Partners LLC (the “Index Provider”).
Ball
Metaverse Index
To
be eligible for inclusion in the Index, issuers generally must have a market
capitalization or assets under management (“AUM”), as appropriate, of at least
$250 million USD (and thereafter maintain a market capitalization or AUM of $200
million USD) and average daily trading volume (“ADV”) of at least $2 million
over a trailing 6-month period (or if unavailable, since the issuer’s listing
date). Such issuers include foreign exchange-traded funds, and, in the future,
may include domestic exchange-traded products, that primarily hold
cryptocurrencies (each, a “Cryptocurrency ETF”) to the extent consistent with
U.S. federal securities laws and related guidance
applicable
to the Fund. In addition, Cryptocurrency ETFs may invest in bitcoin, ether,
tokens related to the Solana Network (“SOL”), XRP, and any other cryptocurrency
eligible to be held by U.S. registered investment companies, and seek to
generate income and capital appreciation through staking the underlying
cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency ETFs eligible for inclusion in the Index include
both investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940
(“1940 Act”) and exchange-traded products that are not registered under the 1940
Act. Exchange-traded products that are not registered under the 1940 Act do not
afford investors, including the Fund, the investor protections available under
the 1940 Act. The Index Provider may determine, in its discretion, to retain a
Cryptocurrency ETF in the Index should its AUM and/or ADV decline below the
referenced thresholds. A committee comprised of representatives from Ball
Metaverse Research Partners LLC and external subject matter experts (the “Index
Committee”) analyzes issuers for their current and future potential to
experience profits or earn revenue from their activities or provision of
products, services, technologies, or technological capabilities to enable the
Metaverse, and benefit from its generated revenues. The Metaverse Companies
selected for inclusion in the Index are engaged in activities that fall into one
or more of the categories described below. The categories, which may change over
time as technology and consumer behavior evolve, are determined by the Index
Committee through its analyses of a variety of information, including
information derived from corporate announcements and filings, patent filings,
third-party industry assessments, third-party usage data and metrics, scientific
and technology updates, executive presentations, and consumer interviews.
Currently, the seven categories and their descriptions are as
follows:
•Hardware
–
The
sale and support of physical technologies and devices used to access, interact
with or develop the Metaverse. This includes, but is not limited to,
consumer-facing hardware, such as virtual reality headsets, mobile phones, and
haptic gloves, as well as enterprise hardware such as those used to operate or
create virtual or augmented reality-based environments, such as industrial
cameras, projection and tracking systems, and scanning sensors. This category
does not include compute-specific hardware, such as graphic processing unit
chips and servers, or networking-specific hardware, such as fiber optic cabling
or wireless chipsets.
•Compute
–
The
enablement and supply of computing power to support the Metaverse, supporting
such diverse and demanding functions as physics calculation, rendering, data
reconciliation and synchronization, artificial intelligence, projection, motion
capture and translation. This category may include blockchain-based technologies
for the management of marketplaces and networks for decentralized computing
capacity.
•Networking
–
The
provision of persistent, real-time connections, high bandwidth, and
decentralized data transmission by backbone providers (i.e.,
companies that provide access to high-speed data transmission networks), the
networks, exchange centers, and services that route amongst them, as well as
those managing “last mile” (i.e.,
the function of connecting telecommunication services directly to end-users,
both businesses and residential customers, usually in a dense area) data to
consumers.
•Virtual
Platforms –
The
development and operation of immersive digital and often three-dimensional
simulations, environments and worlds wherein users and businesses can explore,
create, socialize and participate in a wide variety of experiences (e.g.,
race a car, paint a painting, attend a class, listen to music), and engage in
economic activity. These businesses are differentiated from traditional online
experiences and multiplayer video games by the existence of a large ecosystem of
developers and content creators which generate the majority of content on and/or
collect the majority of revenues built on top of the underlying
platform.
•Interchange
Standards –
The
tools, protocols, formats, services, and engines which serve as actual or de
facto standards for interoperability, and enable the creation, operation and
ongoing improvements to the Metaverse. These standards support activities such
as rendering, physics and artificial intelligence, as well as asset formats and
their import/export from experience to experience, forward compatibility
management and updating, tooling and authoring activities, and information
management.
•Payments
–
The
support of digital payment processes, platforms, and operations, which includes
cryptocurrencies, the companies that are fiat on-ramps to those
cryptocurrencies, companies that provide or service the infrastructure and
technologies to “mint” cryptocurrencies, and companies that provide the
financial services necessary to trade and manage cryptocurrencies, as well as
issuers of financial products that provide a means of obtaining exposure to
cryptocurrencies.
•Content,
Assets and Identity Services –
The
design/creation, sale, re-sale, storage, secure protection and financial
management of digital assets, such as virtual goods, as connected to user data
and identity. This contains all business and services “built on top of” and/or
which “service” the Metaverse, but which are not vertically integrated into a
virtual platform by the platform owner, including content which is built
specifically for the Metaverse. This category may include blockchain-based
technologies for the decentralized creation and trading of digital
assets.
Once
identified and allocated to one or more categories, Metaverse Companies are
further ranked within the categories as follows:
•“Pure-Play”
Companies
– Issuers whose primary business models and/or growth prospects are directly
linked to the Metaverse. For these issuers, continued growth in the Metaverse is
expected to be critical to their economic success going forward.
•“Core”
Companies
– Issuers with substantial operations and/or growth prospects linked to the
Metaverse. These issuers have other business units driving their economics, and
thus are less affected by the growth of Metaverse than “pure-play” companies. In
time, growth in the industry and/or investments in their Metaverse-specific
units may lead these issuers to become “pure-play” companies if their Metaverse
operations become a primary driver of economic performance. In most cases, the
Metaverse-specific offerings of these issuers are core components of the
Metaverse.
•“Non-Core”
Companies
– Issuers with operations and/or growth prospects linked to the Metaverse. These
issuers derive the majority of their revenue from business lines not directly
related to the Metaverse. In time, growth in the industry and/or investments in
their Metaverse-specific units may lead these issuers to become “core” companies
if their Metaverse operations become a relevant driver of economic performance.
It is unlikely, based on current information, that the Metaverse-specific
offerings of “non-core” companies would become the primary driver of such
economic performance going forward.
Metaverse
Companies are weighted on a tiered basis whereby “pure-play” companies receive
two and a half times the initial weighting of “core” companies and five times
the initial weighting of “non-core” companies, while “core” companies” receive
two times the initial weighting of “non-core” companies. These initial weights
are calculated based on the number of issuers in each category in the Index upon
rebalancing to ensure the aggregate combined weight of each category equals
100%.
A
category may have any number of “pure-play,” “core” or “non-core” companies, or
none. In the event no issuers are identified for a particular category, the
weight for that category will be allocated across the other categories on a pro
rata basis. The weight of any category is capped at 25% of the total Index
weight upon rebalance.
The
weight of any issuer in the Index is capped at 8%. Any issuer weight in excess
of 8% will be pro-rated across the remaining Index components, subject to the
25% category cap.
Index
component changes resulting from reconstitutions are made after the market close
on the third Friday in March, June, September and December and become effective
at the market opening on the next trading day. Depending on the number of
issuers that qualify as Metaverse Companies, the number of Index components, and
therefore the anticipated number of Fund holdings, may range from 25 to
100.
The
Fund’s Investment Strategy
Under
normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus any borrowings
for investment purposes) will be invested in Metaverse Companies, which may
include investments in American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”). For purposes of
this policy, the Fund defines Metaverse Companies as foreign and domestic
issuers that engage in activities or provide products, services, technologies,
or technological capabilities to enable the Metaverse, and benefit from its
generated revenues. Like the Index, the Fund may have indirect exposure to
cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin and ether, through investments in one or more
Cryptocurrency ETFs, as well as through publicly traded securities of companies
engaged in cryptocurrency-related businesses and activities. The Fund will not
invest directly in cryptocurrencies.
The
Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment
objective, meaning it generally will invest in all of the component securities
of the Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Index. However, the
Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a
sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return and other
characteristics closely resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of
the Index as a whole, when Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”),
the Fund’s sub-adviser, believes it is in the best interests of the Fund
(e.g.,
when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs,
an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable, or less liquid,
or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but
not to the Index).
The
Fund also may invest in securities or other investments not included in the
Index, but which the Sub-Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index.
For example, the Fund may invest in securities that are not components of the
Index to reflect various corporate actions and other changes to the Index (such
as reconstitutions, additions, and deletions).
To
the extent the Index concentrates (i.e.,
holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular
industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its
investments to approximately the same extent as the Index. As of March 31, 2026,
the Index was concentrated in the Entertainment industry within the
Communication Services Sector.
The
Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”).
Principal
Investment Risks
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The
principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding
particular risks and comparing them with the risks of other funds. Each risk
summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund,
regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any
investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your
investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely
affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading
price,
yield, total return and/or ability to meet its investment objective. The
following risks could affect the value of your investment in the
Fund:
•Bitcoin
Risk.
Bitcoin is a relatively new innovation and the market for bitcoin is subject to
rapid price swings, changes and uncertainty. The value of bitcoin has been and
may continue to be substantially dependent on speculation. The further
development of the Bitcoin Network and the acceptance and use of bitcoin are
subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. The slowing,
stopping or reversing of the development of the Bitcoin Network or the
acceptance of bitcoin may adversely affect the price of bitcoin. Bitcoin is
subject to the risk of fraud, theft, manipulation or security failures,
operational or other problems that impact bitcoin trading venues. Additionally,
if one or a coordinated group of miners were to gain control of 51% of the
Bitcoin Network, they would have the ability to manipulate transactions, halt
payments and fraudulently obtain bitcoin. A significant portion of bitcoin is
held by a small number of holders sometimes referred to as “whales.” These
holders have the ability to manipulate the price of bitcoin. Unlike the
exchanges for more traditional assets, such as equity securities and futures
contracts, bitcoin and bitcoin trading venues are largely unregulated. As a
result of the lack of regulation, individuals or groups may engage in fraud or
market manipulation (including using social media to promote bitcoin in a way
that artificially increases the price of bitcoin). Investors may be more exposed
to the risk of theft, fraud and market manipulation than when investing in more
traditional asset classes. Over the past several years, a number of bitcoin
trading venues have been closed due to fraud, failure or security breaches.
Investors in bitcoin may have little or no recourse should such theft, fraud or
manipulation occur and could suffer significant losses. Legal or regulatory
changes may negatively impact the operation of the Bitcoin Network. The
realization of any of these risks could result in a decline in the acceptance of
bitcoin and consequently a reduction in the value of bitcoin, bitcoin futures,
and the Fund. In addition, bitcoin is a bearer asset that can be irrevocably
lost or stolen to the extent that private keys are lost or
stolen.
The
slowness of transaction processing and finality, the variability of transaction
fees, and volatility of bitcoin’s price could disadvantage or impede the
adoption of the Bitcoin Blockchain as a payment network. The further development
and use of the Bitcoin Blockchain for its intended purpose and other allowable
applications are, and may continue to be, substantially dependent upon “Layer-2”
solutions operating on top of the Bitcoin Blockchain, such as the Lightning
Network, which is intended to expand the scale and speed of payments across the
underlying Bitcoin Blockchain through the use of channels and payment networks
outside of the Bitcoin Blockchain. To the extent these Layer-2 solutions have
not been developed or have not been fully developed in a way that is adequate to
improve scalability, transactions speed or efficiency, the use and/or value of
the Bitcoin Blockchain may be limited, which could adversely affect the Fund.
Further, the industry is actively researching, investing in and in some cases
creating alternative blockchains that are able to support more advanced
applications, such as the Ethereum Blockchain. The emergence of other public
blockchains and related technologies may compete with bitcoin and result in a
reduction in the use of bitcoin, which could reduce its value or increase the
volatility of the price of bitcoin due to changes in the supply and demand of
bitcoin relative to alternatives, thus negatively impacting investment in the
Fund. The Bitcoin Blockchain may also be vulnerable to attacks to the extent a
miner or group of miners possess more than 50% of its hashing power and the
Bitcoin Blockchain’s protocol may contain flaws that can be exploited by
attackers.
The
Bitcoin Network operates using open-source protocols, meaning that any user can
download the software, modify it and then propose that the users and validators
adopt the modification. When a modification is introduced and a substantial
majority of users and validators consent to the modification, the change is
implemented and the network remains uninterrupted. However, if less than a
substantial majority of users and validators consent to the proposed
modification, and the modification is not compatible with the software prior to
its modification, the consequence would be what is known as a “fork,” with one
group running the pre-modified software and the other running the modified
software. The effect of such a fork would be the existence of two,
non-interchangeable versions of the Bitcoin Network running in parallel with
different native crypto assets and sets of participants. For example, in August
2017, bitcoin “forked” into Bitcoin and a new digital asset, Bitcoin Cash, as a
result of a several-year dispute over how to increase the rate of transactions
that the Bitcoin Network can process. The creation of a fork or a substantial
giveaway of bitcoin (sometimes referred to as an “air drop”) may result in
significant and unexpected declines in the value of bitcoin, bitcoin futures,
and the Fund.
•Concentration
Risk.
Because the Fund’s assets will be concentrated in an industry or group of
industries to the extent the Index concentrates in a particular industry or
group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that
may affect that industry or group of industries.
◦Entertainment
Industry Risk.
The Entertainment Industry is highly competitive and relies on consumer spending
and the availability of disposable income for success. The prices of the
securities of companies in the Entertainment Industry may fluctuate widely due
to competitive pressures, heavy expenses incurred for research and development
of products, problems related to bringing products to market, consumer
preferences and rapid obsolescence of products. Legislative or regulatory
changes and increased government supervision also may affect companies in the
Entertainment Industry. The Entertainment Industry is a separate industry within
the Communication Services Sector.
•Cryptocurrency
Risk.
While the Fund will not invest directly in cryptocurrencies, certain of the
Fund’s investments in Cryptocurrency ETFs and in publicly traded securities of
companies engaged in cryptocurrency-related businesses and activities
are
subject to fluctuations in the value of the cryptocurrencies in which they
invest or to which they have exposure, and the value of such cryptocurrencies
may be highly volatile. Cryptocurrencies (also referred to as “virtual
currencies” and “digital currencies”) are digital assets designed to act as a
medium of exchange. The value of cryptocurrencies is determined by supply and
demand in the global cryptocurrency markets, which consist primarily of
transactions of the respective cryptocurrencies on electronic exchanges or
trading venues. Cryptocurrencies are relatively new, and their value is
influenced by a wide variety of factors that are uncertain and difficult to
evaluate, such as the infancy of their development, regulatory changes, a crisis
of confidence, their dependence on technologies such as cryptographic protocols,
their dependence on the role played by miners and developers and the potential
for malicious activity (e.g.,
theft). Cryptocurrency generally operates without central authority (such as a
bank) and is not backed by any government. Cryptocurrency is not legal tender.
Currently, there is relatively limited use of cryptocurrency in the retail and
commercial marketplaces, which contributes to price volatility. Federal, state
and/or foreign governments may restrict the use and exchange of cryptocurrency,
and regulation in the U.S. is still developing. The market price of
cryptocurrencies has been subject to extreme fluctuations. If cryptocurrency
markets continue to be subject to sharp fluctuations, investors may experience
losses. Similar to fiat currencies (i.e.,
a currency that is backed by a central bank or a national, supranational or
quasi-national organization), cryptocurrencies are susceptible to theft, loss,
and destruction. Cryptocurrency exchanges and other trading venues on which
cryptocurrencies trade are relatively new and, in most cases, largely
unregulated and may therefore be more exposed to market manipulation, fraud and
failure than established, regulated exchanges for securities, derivatives and
other currencies. Investors in cryptocurrency may have little or no recourse
should such theft, fraud or manipulation occur and could suffer significant
losses. Additionally, holders of cryptocurrency may not be able to access their
wallets due to the loss, theft, compromise or destruction of the private keys
associated with the public addresses that hold the cryptocurrency. The Fund’s
indirect investment in cryptocurrency subjects it to volatility experienced by
the cryptocurrency exchanges and other cryptocurrency trading venues, which may
adversely affect the value of the Fund. Cryptocurrency exchanges may stop
operating or permanently shut down due to fraud, technical glitches, hackers or
malware, which may also affect the price of cryptocurrencies and thus the Fund’s
investments in cryptocurrency-related instruments or in publicly traded
securities of companies engaged in cryptocurrency-related businesses and
activities.
The
value of one or more cryptocurrencies may be adversely impacted if their
respective networks do not develop at the pace of demand; if network
participants acquire a significant share that would allow them to have
unintended capabilities; and if “forks,” as discussed later in this prospectus,
or similar events occur.
•Cryptocurrency
ETF Risk.
The Fund may invest in or have exposure to one or more Cryptocurrency ETFs to
the extent consistent with U.S. federal securities laws and related guidance
applicable to the Fund. Cryptocurrency ETFs are relatively new investment
products, with the first domestic cryptocurrency ETFs having commenced trading
in January 2024. As a result, the Cryptocurrency ETFs in which the Fund may
invest may have limited financial and operating histories. To the extent the
Fund invests directly in shares of a Cryptocurrency ETF, the Fund will hold
shares representing a fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets
of the Cryptocurrency ETF and bear its ratable share of the Cryptocurrency ETF’s
expenses. As a result, Fund shareholders will indirectly pay the fees of any
Cryptocurrency ETF to which the Fund has investment exposure in addition to the
Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses. The Fund’s investment exposure to
Cryptocurrency ETFs subjects the Fund to many of the same risks as an investment
in the reference cryptocurrency itself, including those described elsewhere in
this Prospectus. The value of interests in Cryptocurrency ETFs and their
reference cryptocurrency is subject to a number of factors, including the
capabilities and development of blockchain technologies, cryptocurrencies’
dependence on the internet, other technologies, and the role played by key
service providers, users, developers and other facilitators (e.g.,
miners) and the potential for malicious activity at various stages in the
cryptocurrency investment cycle. The Fund expects to purchase shares of any
Cryptocurrency ETF in the secondary market at its market price, which may be
highly volatile and may not closely correspond to either the NAV per share of
the Cryptocurrency ETF or the price of the reference cryptocurrency. Shares of
Cryptocurrency ETFs may trade at premiums (i.e.,
the market price of the shares is more than the NAV) or discounts (i.e.,
the market price of the shares is less than the NAV), which may be significant.
The risk that share prices differ from a Cryptocurrency ETF’s NAV and/or the
price of the Cryptocurrency ETF’s reference cryptocurrency is likely to increase
during times of market volatility or stressed market conditions. Under such
conditions, the market for shares of Cryptocurrency ETFs may become less liquid
making it difficult for the Fund to either increase or decrease its investment
exposure to Cryptocurrency ETFs. Extreme volatility affecting cryptocurrencies
may persist for extended periods and the value of the Fund’s investment in a
Cryptocurrency ETF may decline significantly without recovery. The shares of
certain Cryptocurrency ETFs in which the Fund may invest or to which the Fund
may have investment exposure are not registered under the 1940 Act, and
therefore, do not afford the Fund the investor protections provided by the 1940
Act.
In
addition, Cryptocurrency ETFs may have a limited number of financial
institutions that may act as authorized participants (“APs”) and which serve as
market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent that
(i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or
redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or
(ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly
reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform
such functions, shares may trade at a material discount to net asset value and
could face trading halts and/or delisting.
Certain
of the Cryptocurrency ETFs in which the Fund invests may engage in staking.
Staking refers to the process where the holder of a particular cryptocurrency
will agree to lock up the cryptocurrency for it to be used in the relevant
network’s proof-of-stake validation process. In return, the holder will receive
staking rewards in the form of the cryptocurrency, which represent portions of
the cryptocurrency network’s transaction fees. Staking is only available to
cryptocurrencies that utilize the proof-of-stake validation
process.
When
a Cryptocurrency ETF stakes its underlying cryptocurrency, the cryptocurrency is
subject to the risks attendant to staking generally, such as illiquidity,
reliance on third-party service providers, slashing, missed rewards, and
validator problems and errors. Staking requires that the Cryptocurrency ETF lock
up the staked cryptocurrency and become subject to an unbonding period to
unstake the cryptocurrency, meaning that the Cryptocurrency ETF cannot sell or
transfer the staked cryptocurrency during the time that it is staked and during
which it is being unbonded. The unbonding period may be longer than anticipated
based on network activity. In addition, during the unbonding period, the
Cryptocurrency ETF is subject to the market price volatility of the
cryptocurrency, and it may miss opportunities to sell the staked cryptocurrency
during opportune times. Staking a cryptocurrency may involve the risk of
slashing and concentration risk. Slashing is a penalty imposed on network
validators for actions that threaten the blockchain’s integrity. Slashing serves
as an enforcement mechanism to ensure network resilience, but correlated
slashing events can be catastrophic. Concentration risks associated with staking
include staking activities occurring through a concentrated group of software
providers and cloud infrastructure providers. There are a limited number of
staking software providers, and over-allocating to validators using the same
software increases the risk of a single issue impacting a large amount of staked
assets.
•Currency
Exchange Rate Risk. The
Fund may invest in investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in
securities that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency
exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the
value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Shares. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without
warning and you may lose money.
•Cybersecurity
Risk.
Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund
assets or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser (defined
below), the Sub-Adviser and/or other service providers (including custodians and
financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption.
Additionally, cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of
the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Fund’s other service providers,
market makers, APs, the Fund’s primary listing exchange, or the issuers of
securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to disrupt and negatively
affect the Fund’s business operations, including the ability to purchase and
sell Shares, potentially resulting in financial losses to the Fund and its
shareholders.
•Depositary
Receipt Risk.
Depositary receipts, including ADRs, involve risks similar to those associated
with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic
conditions of other countries and changes in the exchange rates of foreign
currencies. Depositary receipts listed on U.S. exchanges are issued by banks or
trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that
are paid out on the underlying foreign shares (“Underlying Shares”). When the
Fund invests in depositary receipts as a substitute for an investment directly
in the Underlying Shares, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the depositary
receipts may not provide a return that corresponds precisely with that of the
Underlying Shares. Because the Underlying Shares trade on foreign exchanges that
may be closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund may
experience premiums and discounts greater than those of funds without exposure
to such Underlying Shares.
•Equity
Securities Risk. The
equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden,
unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur
because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting
specific issuers, industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests.
Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to
volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and
perceptions of their issuers change. Preferred stocks are subject to the risk
that the dividend on the stock may be changed or omitted by the issuer, and that
participation in the growth of an issuer may be
limited.
•ETF
Risks.
The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) and, as a result of its structure,
it is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized
Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration
Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that
may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers
and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. Shares may trade at a material
discount to NAV and possibly face delisting if either: (i) APs exit the
business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders
and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market
makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce
their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their
functions.
◦Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares Risk.
Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions
imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may
significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be
advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small
investments.
◦Shares
May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk. As
with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market
prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate
the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than
the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to
supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is
heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and
periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary
market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because
securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when
the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience
premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in and hold only
securities and other investments that are listed and trade in the
U.S.
◦Trading
Risk. Although
Shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be
traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that
Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed
market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of
the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid
than the Shares.
•Ether
Risk. Ether
is a relatively new innovation, and the ether market is subject to rapid price
swings, changes and uncertainty and is a largely unregulated marketplace, which
may be attributable to a possible lack of regulatory compliance. The value of
ether has been and may continue to be, substantially dependent on speculation,
such that trading and investing ether generally may not be based on fundamental
analysis. The further development of the Ethereum Network and the acceptance and
use of ether are subject to various factors that are difficult to evaluate. The
slowing, stopping, or reversing of the development of the Ethereum Network or
the acceptance of ether may adversely affect the price of ether. Ether is
subject to the risk of fraud, theft, manipulation or security failures,
operational, or other problems that impact ether trading venues. Unlike the
exchanges for more traditional assets, such as equity securities and futures
contracts, ether and ether trading platforms are largely unregulated. As a
result of the lack of regulation, individuals or groups may engage in fraud or
market manipulation, and investors may be more exposed to the risk of theft,
fraud, and market manipulation than when investing in more traditional asset
classes. Legal or regulatory changes may negatively impact the operation of the
Ethereum Network or restrict the use of ether. Realizing any of these risks
could result in a decline in the acceptance of ether and, consequently, a
reduction in the value of ether, ether futures, and the
Fund.
Investors
should also know that the Ethereum blockchain faces increased vulnerability to
attacks if ownership or staking of ether becomes concentrated in one
participant. Like the Bitcoin blockchain, the Ethereum blockchain may be at risk
of attacks if there is a high concentration of ether ownership or staking. If an
entity controls 33% or more of staked ether, it could execute attacks, with
greater risks, including transaction censorship and block reordering, occurring
if more than 50% is controlled. Such attacks could negatively impact ether
futures and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s investments. The risk of such
attacks increases as the concentration of staked ether grows. Whales could
manipulate transactions, halt payments and fraudulently obtain
ether.
Although
the price movements of ether and bitcoin have generally been correlated, with
both assets experiencing similar trends, ether has historically been more
volatile. This means that it tends to rise more than bitcoin during market
upswings and fall more sharply during downturns. The differences in the design
and use cases of the bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains contribute to these
distinct risk profiles. Bitcoin is more established as a store of value and
crypto assets, while ether’s value is closely tied to its broader use in
powering decentralized applications and smart
contracts.
•Foreign
Securities Risk. Investments
in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with
investments in U.S. securities. These include risks of adverse changes in
foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, or changes in
currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations
on currency movements and exchanges). The securities of some foreign companies
may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable
U.S. companies. There may be less information publicly available about a
non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different
accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than
U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to
withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement,
custodial, and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is
the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization
of assets. Because legal systems differ, there also is the possibility that it
will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries.
Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its
shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days
when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.
Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of
these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially
less liquid than other types of investments.
•Index
Provider Risk. There
is no assurance that the Index Provider, or any agents that act on its behalf,
will compile the Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined,
constructed, reconstituted, rebalanced, composed, calculated or disseminated
accurately. The Adviser relies upon the Index Provider and its agents to
compile, determine, construct, reconstitute, rebalance, compose, calculate, and
disseminate the Index accurately. Any losses or costs associated with errors
made by the Index Provider or its agents generally will be borne by the Fund and
its shareholders.
•Market
Capitalization Risk.
◦Large-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature
compared to smaller companies and, therefore, subject to slower growth during
times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies also may be unable
to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology
and consumer tastes.
◦Mid-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse
issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies
generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more
unpredictable price changes than large-capitalization stocks or the stock market
as a whole.
◦Small-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to
adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large- or mid-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization
companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more
unpredictable price changes than large- or mid-capitalization stocks or the
stock market as a whole. There is typically less publicly available information
concerning smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established
companies.
•Market
Risk. The
trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a
variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or
specific market segments, such as political, market and economic developments,
as well as events that impact specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price,
like security and commodity prices generally, may fluctuate significantly in
response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money
over short or long periods of time. In addition, government actions or
interventions (including, but not limited, to the threat or imposition of
tariffs, trade restrictions, currency restrictions or similar actions) as well
as developments related to economic, political (including geopolitical), social,
public health, market, extreme weather, natural or man-made disasters, or other
conditions or events have in the past and may in the future result in volatility
in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit, and/or debt
markets, which could adversely impact the Fund and its investments and their
value and performance. These developments as well as other events could result
in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the
liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities
exchanges and other markets.
•Models
and Data Risk. The composition of the Index is heavily dependent on the use of
proprietary quantitative models as well as information and data supplied by
third parties (“Models and Data”). When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or
incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon may lead to the inclusion or
exclusion of securities from the Index universe that would have been excluded or
included had the Models and Data been correct and complete. If the composition
of the Index reflects such errors, the Fund’s portfolio can be expected to also
reflect the errors.
•Non-Diversification
Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater
percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a lesser number
of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more
exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual
issuer or a lesser number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This
may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively
small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s
performance.
•Passive
Investment Risk.
The Fund is not actively managed and its Sub-Adviser would not sell an
investment designed to provide exposure to the Index or a constituent holding of
the Index due to current or projected underperformance of a security industry or
sector unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares
of that security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index as
addressed in the Index methodology.
•Risks
Related to Investing in Canada.
The Canadian and U.S. economies are closely integrated. The United States is
Canada's largest trading partner and foreign investor and the Canadian economy
is significantly affected by developments in the U.S. economy. Canada is a major
producer of forest products, metals, agricultural products, and energy-related
products, such as oil, gas, and hydroelectricity. As a result, the Canadian
economy is very dependent on the demand for, and supply and price of, natural
resources, and the Canadian market is relatively concentrated in issuers
involved in the production and distribution of natural resources. Canada's
economic growth may be significantly affected by disruptions in its relationship
with major trading partners, fluctuations in currency, and global demand for
commodities.
•Sector
Risk. To
the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy,
its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly
affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in
the following sector and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be
negatively impacted by events affecting this
sector.
◦Communication
Services Sector Risk.
The Fund’s assets will have significant exposure to the Communication Services
Sector, which means the Fund will be more affected by the performance of the
Communication Services Sector than a fund that is more diversified. Market or
economic factors impacting companies in the Communication Services Sector that
rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of
the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of communication services companies
and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to
research and
development
costs, substantial capital requirements, product and services obsolescence,
government regulation, and domestic and international competition, including
competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of
communication services companies and companies that rely heavily on technology,
especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile
than the overall market. Additionally, companies in the Communication Services
Sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and
competition for the services of qualified personnel. While all companies may be
susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the Communication
Services Sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of
proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have
a material adverse effect on their
businesses.
•Securities
Lending Risk.
To the extent the Fund engages
in
securities lending, there are certain risks associated with securities lending,
including the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities on a
timely basis or even the loss of rights in the collateral deposited by the
borrower, if the borrower should fail financially. The Fund could also lose
money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned
securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash
collateral. As a result, the Fund may lose money.
•Solana
Risk.
Similar to bitcoin and ether, SOL and its supporting Solana Network are
relatively new innovations. The Solana Network and SOL publicly launched in
2020. SOL has increased in popularity and market value since its inception,
however it is not as established or widely accepted as bitcoin or ether. Like
other cryptocurrencies, SOL is subject to rapid price swings, uncertainty
related to demand, and a largely unregulated but rapidly evolving ecosystem. SOL
is also subject to the risks of access loss as it is dependent on the use of
private keys and theft. While the Fund will seek to invest in Cryptocurrency
ETFs that have adopted security procedures intended to protect its assets, there
can be no assurance that those procedures will be successful in preventing such
loss, theft or restriction on access. Security breaches, cyber-attacks, computer
malware and computer hacking attacks have also been a prevalent concern for
digital asset trading platforms on which SOL trades. The further development and
acceptance of Solana is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to
evaluate, and the delayed development or a cessation of the development of the
Solana Network and SOL may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments
and its performance. A contraction in the use of SOL or its blockchain may
result in increased volatility or a reduction in the price of SOL which could
have a material adverse effect on the value of a Cryptocurrency ETF held by the
Fund.
In
addition to utilizing the proof-of-stake mechanism, the Solana Network is unique
in that it also uses proof-of-history (“PoH”), which is a new timekeeping
blockchain technology created to address scalability limitations associated with
certain other cryptocurrency networks. PoH is not widely used, and as such may
be more susceptible to undiscovered flaws than more broadly adopted
technologies. In the future, there may be network-scale attacks against the
Solana Network protocol, which could result in a loss of some or all of the SOL
held by a Cryptocurrency ETF in which the Fund may invest.
As
a result of the lack of regulation, individuals or groups may engage in fraud or
market manipulation, and investors, including the Fund, may be more exposed to
the risk of theft, fraud, and market manipulation than when investing in more
traditional asset classes. Legal or regulatory changes also may negatively
affect the operation of the Solana Network and/or restrict the use and trading
of SOL. The realization of any of these risks could result in a decline in the
acceptance of SOL and, consequently, a reduction in the value of the Fund’s
indirect investments in SOL and the value of the
Fund.
•Tax
Risk.
The Fund may invest in certain non-U.S. entities that own cryptocurrency. Direct
and indirect Investments in cryptocurrencies introduce complexities beyond
typical equity investments and may subject the Fund to certain tax risks. In
particular, the Fund’s exposure to cryptocurrencies is expected to be obtained
primarily through its investment in non-U.S. ETFs treated as “passive foreign
investment companies” (“PFICs”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the “Code”), thereby subjecting the Fund to special tax rules
applicable to PFIC holdings. If the Fund holds an equity investment in an entity
treated as a PFIC, such as investments in certain non-U.S. ETFs that own
cryptocurrency, the Fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion
of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of shares in the PFIC
even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its
shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the
Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains
unless the Fund makes certain elections.
•Tracking
Error Risk. As
with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and its Index may differ from
each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating
expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition,
the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times
or may hold securities not included in the Index.
•XRP
Risk.
XRP is a cryptocurrency and, like other cryptocurrencies, operates without
central authority or banks and is not backed by any government. XRP can be
highly volatile compared to investments in traditional securities and the
markets for XRP and XRP-related investments may become illiquid. XRP is a
relatively new technological innovation with a limited operating history. There
is a limited established performance record for the price of XRP and, in turn, a
limited basis for evaluating an investment in
XRP.
Unlike
other digital assets such as bitcoin or ether, XRP is not and was not mined
gradually over time. Instead, all 100 billion XRP tokens were created at the
time of the XRP Ledger’s launch in 2012. This means that every XRP token that
exists today, or will ever exist, was generated from the outset of the XRP
Ledger. As a result, there is no ability for the supply of XRP to be
adjusted
in response to economic conditions. For instance, there is no ability for the
supply of XRP to be increased to meet rising demand, which could lead to price
volatility. In addition, unlike blockchains that utilize “proof-of-work” or
“proof-of-stake” where miners or stakers are rewarded with newly minted coins or
tokens, XRP validators are not incentivized by block rewards since there is no
new issuance of XRP. Additionally, the fixed supply of XRP, combined with the
burning of XRP (permanently destroyed) as transaction fees, could create
deflationary pressure over time. A small amount of XRP is burned with every
transaction to prevent spam on the network. While the amount of XRP burned per
transaction is minuscule, over time, the total supply of XRP will slowly
decrease. This could lead to a deflationary environment where the decreasing
supply drives up the price of XRP, making it less practical as a medium of
exchange. Additionally, as the total supply of XRP slowly shrinks due to
burning, liquidity could become an issue in the distant future, potentially
making it harder for businesses and users to access sufficient XRP for their
transactions.
The
fixed supply of XRP could also contribute to price volatility, especially if
demand fluctuates significantly. Since the supply of XRP is fixed, any
significant surge in demand can result in large price spikes. Digital assets
with a flexible supply, such as stablecoins, can adjust to maintain a stable
value. XRP, however, could experience price swings that make it less attractive
for everyday transactions or long-term financial planning. The fixed supply of
XRP may also not scale well with rapidly expanding use cases. To the extent more
businesses, financial institutions, and payment providers adopt XRP for
cross-border transactions and other use cases, there is a risk that the fixed
supply may not meet such growing demand, leading to supply shortages and further
price volatility. In the case of massive adoption, the scarcity of XRP could
raise its value too much, making it less appealing for day-to-day transactions
or use as a liquidity bridge in cross-border payments, as businesses might
prefer a more stable and widely available currency.
The
continued adoption of XRP will require growth in its usage as a means of
exchange and payment. Even if growth in XRP adoption continues in the near or
medium-term, there is no assurance that XRP usage will continue to grow over the
long-term. A contraction in the use of XRP may result in a lack of liquidity,
increased volatility in and a reduction to the price of
XRP.
Performance
The performance
information presented below provides some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund by showing the extent to which the Fund’s performance can change
from year to year and over time. The bar chart below shows the
Fund’s performance for the most recent calendar years ended December 31.
The table illustrates how the Fund’s
average annual returns for the 1-year and since inception periods compare with
those of the Index and the Solactive GBS Global Markets All Cap USD Index TR, a
broad-based securities market index intended to represent the overall global
equity market. The Fund’s past performance,
before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the
future. Updated performance information is available on the
Fund’s website at www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/METV.
Effective June 14, 2024, the Ball Metaverse Index implemented a change to its
index methodology to include, as potentially eligible Index components, equity
securities of foreign and domestic exchange-traded funds that primarily hold
bitcoin or ether. Performance following June 14, 2024 reflects this change to
the Index methodology.
Calendar Year Total
Return
The
calendar year-to-date total return of
the Fund as of March 31, 2026 was
-15.68%.
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the highest quarterly
return was 30.38% for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, and the
lowest quarterly return
was -32.88% for the quarter ended June 30,
2022.
Average
Annual Total Returns
(for
periods ended December 31, 2025)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Roundhill
Ball Metaverse ETF |
1
Year |
Since
Inception
(6/29/21) |
| Return
Before Taxes |
30.69% |
5.16% |
| Return
After Taxes on Distributions |
30.64% |
5.13% |
| Return
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares |
18.21% |
4.00% |
|
Solactive
GBS Global Markets All Cap USD Index TR
(reflects
no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) |
22.52% |
9.25% |
|
Ball
Metaverse Index
(reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses, or taxes) |
31.69% |
5.77% |
After-tax returns are
calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax
rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact
of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an
investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are
not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred
arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other
tax-advantaged accounts. In certain
cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of
Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A
higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and
provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the
investor.
Portfolio
Management
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Adviser |
Roundhill
Financial Inc. (the “Adviser”) |
|
Sub-Adviser |
Exchange
Traded Concepts, LLC |
|
Portfolio
Managers |
William
Hershey, Timothy Maloney and David Mazza, each a portfolio manager for the
Adviser, have been portfolio managers of the Fund since March 2025. Andrew
Serowik, Todd Albrecio, and Gabriel Tan, each a portfolio manager for the
Sub-Adviser, have been portfolio managers of the Fund since its inception
in June 2021. Brian Cooper, also a portfolio manager for the Sub-Adviser,
has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since November
2021. |
Purchase
and Sale of Shares
The
Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation
Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The
Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of
securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Shares
are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in
the secondary market through a broker or dealer at market prices, rather than
NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at
a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
An
investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (the “bid” price) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (the “ask” price) when
buying or selling Shares in the secondary market. The difference in the bid and
ask prices is referred to as the “bid-ask spread.”
Recent
information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, how often Shares traded on
the Exchange at a premium or discount, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the
Fund’s website at www.roundhillinvestments.com.
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified
dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is
held in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments
made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of
assets from those accounts.
Financial
Intermediary Compensation
If
you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary
(such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay
Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including
participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more
knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the Fund, or for other
activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related
to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of
interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the
Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased
Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more
information.
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ROUNDHILL
CANNABIS ETF – FUND SUMMARY |
Investment
Objective
The
Roundhill Cannabis ETF (“Cannabis ETF” or the “Fund”) seeks capital
growth.
Fees and Expenses of the
Fund
This
table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and
sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You
may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial
intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example
below.
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Shareholder
Fees
(fees
paid directly from your investment) |
None |
|
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
| Management
Fee |
0.39% |
| Distribution
and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
| Other
Expenses |
0.00% |
| Acquired
Fund Fees and Expenses |
0.02% |
|
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1) |
0.41% |
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(1)Total Annual Fund
Operating Expenses do not correlate to the expense ratios in the Fund’s
Financial Highlights and financial statements because the Financial Highlights
and financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by
the Fund and exclude Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which are the indirect
costs of investing in other investment
companies.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing
in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem
all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that
your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses
remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions
that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher
or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
be:
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| 1
Year: |
$40 |
3
Years: |
$130 |
5
Years: |
$228 |
10
Years: |
$516 |
Portfolio
Turnover
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are
held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover
rate was 23% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment
Strategy
The
Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to achieve
its investment objective by investing primarily in exchange-listed equity
securities and total return swaps intended to provide exposure to the cannabis
and hemp ecosystem. The cannabis and hemp ecosystem encompasses businesses
involved in the production, distribution and marketing of cannabis and hemp and
products derived therefrom. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the
Fund’s net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested
in equity securities, including common stock and depositary receipts, of
companies and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) that derive at least 50%
of their net revenue from, or invest a majority of their assets in, the cannabis
and hemp ecosystem (“Cannabis Companies”) and in derivatives that have economic
characteristics similar to such securities.
The
cannabis and hemp ecosystem spans a wide variety of sectors and industries
including the agriculture, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, real estate, retail,
and finance sectors and industries. Cannabis Companies may be categorized within
any of these sectors and industries and engage in the cannabis and hemp
ecosystem in several ways, including the following:
•Production
and/or distribution of cannabis-related and/or hemp-related products, including
those for medical (including research and development) and therapeutic
uses;
•Business
to business providers for the cannabis and hemp ecosystem, including technology,
agricultural technology, real estate, financing, and commercial services
companies; and/or
•Business
to consumer providers for the cannabis industry, including technology and media,
consumption devices/mechanisms, and retailing companies.
Generally,
the terms “marijuana” and “cannabis” are used interchangeably and refer to
products derived from the cannabis plant, including cannabinoids. Cannabinoids
are the chemical compounds secreted by cannabis plants. Cannabinoids can also be
synthetically produced chemical compounds and used in lawful research and
development of prescription drugs or other products utilizing cannabinoids as an
active ingredient. Hemp refers to the industrial/commercial use of the cannabis
stalk and seed for textiles, foods, papers, body care products, detergents,
plastics and building materials. The Fund will not invest directly in or hold
ownership in any companies that engage in cannabis-related business unless such
business is permitted by national and local laws of the relevant jurisdiction,
including U.S. federal and state laws.
The
Adviser uses qualitative factors, such as publicly available company filings,
publicly available research, and press releases, to identify a universe of
Cannabis Companies by determining a company’s thematic relevance to the cannabis
and hemp ecosystem. Based on its analysis, each Cannabis Company selected for
the Fund will be assigned a weight that generally will be on a modified market
capitalization basis, to seek to create a portfolio that reflects companies that
contribute to the cannabis and hemp ecosystem through a variety of
cannabis-related products and services.
The
Fund may invest in securities issued by small, medium and large capitalization
companies operating in emerging and developed market countries. The Fund may
purchase equity securities that trade on U.S. or non-U.S. securities exchanges
and American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or Global Depositary Receipts
(“GDRs”). The Fund may invest in both equity and mortgage REITs. Further, the
Fund may utilize derivative instruments that are available or traded on the
over-the-counter (“OTC”) market or listed and traded on an exchange to obtain
expose to Cannabis Companies. The Fund anticipates investing primarily in total
return swaps to obtain such exposure. A total return swap is a contract in which
one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change
in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a
specified security, basket of securities, or securities indices during the
specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable
interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets.
The Fund
expects to concentrate at least 25% of its investments in the Pharmaceuticals,
Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry Group as defined by the Global
Industry Classification (GICS®) or other similar categorization scheme. This
level of exposure may change over time and in response to changes in the
cannabis and hemp ecosystem. Additionally, the Fund may invest in (1) U.S.
Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S.
Treasury; (2) money market funds; and/or (3) short-term bond
ETFs.
Principal
Investment Risks
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. As with any
investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your
investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely
affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return
and/or ability to meet its investment objective. The following risks could
affect the value of your investment in the Fund:
•United
States Regulatory Risks of the Cannabis Industry. The
possession and use of marijuana, even for medical purposes, is illegal under
federal and certain states’ laws, which may negatively impact the value of the
Fund’s investments. Use of marijuana is regulated by both the federal government
and state governments, and state and federal laws regarding marijuana often
conflict. Even in those states in which the use of marijuana has been legalized,
its possession and use remains a violation of federal law. Federal law
criminalizing the use of marijuana pre-empts state laws that legalize its use
for medicinal and recreational purposes. Actions by federal agencies, such as
increased enforcement of current federal marijuana laws and the prosecution of
nonviolent federal drug crimes by the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), could
produce a chilling effect on the industry’s growth and discourage banks from
expanding their services to Cannabis Companies where such services are currently
limited. Any of these outcomes would negatively affect the profitability and
value of the Fund’s investments and even its ability to pursue its stated
investment objective. The conflict between the regulation of marijuana under
federal and state law creates volatility and risk for all Cannabis
Companies.
Because
marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances
Act (“CSA”), meaning that it has a high potential for abuse, has no currently
“accepted medical use” in the United States, lacks accepted safety for use under
medical supervision, and may not be prescribed, marketed or sold in the United
States, few drug products containing cannabis or cannabis extracts have been
approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) or obtained
registrations for commercial production from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
(“DEA”), and there is no guarantee that such products will ever be legally
produced or sold in the U.S. Cannabis Companies in the U.S. that engage in
research, manufacturing, distributing, importing or exporting, or dispensing
controlled substances must be registered (licensed) to perform these activities
and have the security, control, recordkeeping, reporting and inventory
mechanisms required by the DEA to prevent drug loss and diversion. Failure to
obtain the necessary registrations or comply with necessary regulatory
requirements may significantly impair the ability of certain companies in which
the Fund invests to pursue medical marijuana research or to otherwise cultivate,
possess or distribute marijuana. In addition, because cannabis is a Schedule I
controlled substance, Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“Code”)
applies by its terms to the purchase and sale of medical-use cannabis products
and provides that no deduction or credit is allowed for expenses incurred during
a taxable year “in carrying on any trade or business if such trade or business
(or the
activities
which comprise such trade or business) consists of trafficking in controlled
substances (within the meaning of Schedules I and II of the CSA) which is
prohibited by federal law or the law of any state in which such trade or
business is conducted.” The disallowance of such tax deductions will likely
affect the value of Cannabis Companies.
On
December 18, 2025, the President of the United States issued an Executive Order
directing relevant federal agencies to advance medical marijuana and cannabidiol
research and complete the administrative process to reschedule marijuana from
Schedule I to Schedule III under the CSA. Rescheduling to Schedule III would
reflect an accepted medical use under federal law and could reduce certain
regulatory and tax burdens applicable to cannabis-related businesses. However,
the Executive Order does not itself change marijuana’s legal status and any
rescheduling remains subject to formal rulemaking, potential delay,
modification, or legal challenge. There can be no assurance that rescheduling
will be completed or that it will result in reduced legal, regulatory, or
financial risks for cannabis securities.
•Non-U.S.
Regulatory Risks of the Cannabis Industry.
Laws and regulations related to the possession, use (medical and recreational),
sale, transport and cultivation of marijuana vary throughout the world, and the
Fund will only invest in non-U.S. Cannabis Companies if such companies are
operating legally in the relevant jurisdiction. Even if a company's operations
are permitted under current law, they may not be permitted in the future, in
which case such company may not be in a position to carry on its operations in
its current locations. Additionally, controlled substance legislation differs
between countries and legislation in certain countries may restrict or limit the
ability of certain companies in which the Fund invests to sell their
products.
•Operational
Risks of the Cannabis Industry. Companies
involved in the cannabis industry face intense competition, may have limited
access to the services of banks, may have substantial burdens on company
resources due to litigation, complaints or enforcement actions, and are heavily
dependent on receiving necessary permits and authorizations to engage in medical
cannabis research or to otherwise cultivate, possess or distribute cannabis.
Because the cultivation, possession, and distribution of cannabis is in all
circumstances illegal under United States federal law, federally regulated
banking institutions may be unwilling to make financial services available to
growers and sellers of cannabis.
•United
States Regulatory Risks of Hemp. “Hemp,”
as defined in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the “Farm Bill”), refers
to cannabis plants with a tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) concentration of not more
than 0.3% on a dry weight basis, as well as derivatives thereof, whereas
“marijuana” refers to all other cannabis plants and derivatives thereof. The
Farm Bill effectively removes hemp from the list of controlled substances and
allows states to regulate its production, commerce and research with approval
from the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”). Certain portfolio
holdings may sell dietary supplements and/or foods containing CBD within the
United States. While the Farm Bill removes hemp and hemp-derived products from
the controlled substances list under the CSA, it does not legalize CBD in every
circumstance. CBD, depending on the source from which it was derived, can still
be classified as a Schedule I substance under the CSA’s definition of
“marihuana.” The exception for CBD from the definition of “marihuana” only
applies if the CBD is derived from “hemp.” U.S. federal law also requires that:
(i) the hemp is produced by a licensed producer; and (ii) in a manner consistent
with the applicable federal and state regulations. CBD and other cannabinoids
produced from marijuana as defined by the CSA remain an illegal Schedule I
substance under federal law. In addition, many state laws include all CBD within
definitions of marijuana and some states have policies or laws that otherwise
prohibit or restrict CBD sales.
The
Farm Bill delegates to the FDA responsibility for regulating products containing
hemp or derivatives thereof (including CBD) under the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (the “FD&C”). Under the FD&C, if a substance (such as CBD)
is an active ingredient in a drug product that has been approved by the FDA,
then the substance cannot be sold in dietary supplements or foods without FDA
approval, unless the substance was marketed as a dietary supplement or as a
conventional food before the drug was approved or before the new drug
investigations were authorized. The FDA has publicly taken the position that CBD
cannot be sold in dietary supplements or foods because CBD is an active
ingredient in an FDA-approved drug. Future federal and/or state laws or
regulations could drastically curtail permissible uses of hemp, which could have
an adverse effect of the value of the Fund’s investments in companies with
business interests in hemp and hemp-based
products.
The
remaining principal risks are presented in alphabetical order. Each risk
summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund,
regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Cash
Transaction Risk.
The Fund expects to effect certain of its creations and redemptions for cash,
rather than in-kind securities. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind
portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption
proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not
have recognized if it had made a redemption in kind. As a result, the Fund may
pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption
process was used. The use of cash creations and redemptions may also cause the
Fund’s shares to trade in the market at wider bid-ask spreads or greater
premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV. Further, effecting purchases and
redemptions primarily in cash may cause the Fund to incur certain costs, such as
portfolio transaction costs. These costs can decrease the Fund’s NAV if not
offset by an authorized participant transaction fee.
•Concentration
Risk. The
Fund expects to have concentrated (i.e.,
invest more than 25% of its net assets) investment exposure in the
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry Group. As a result,
the Fund is more vulnerable to adverse market, economic, regulatory, political
or other developments affecting those industries, or groups of related
industries, than a fund that invests its assets in a more diversified
manner.
◦Pharmaceuticals,
Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry Group Risk.
Companies in the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry
Group can be significantly affected by, among other things, government approval
of products and services, government regulation and reimbursement rates, product
liability claims, patent expirations and protection, and intense
competition.
•Counterparty
Risk. The
Fund may use swap agreements to gain exposure to a particular group of
securities, index, asset class or other reference asset without actually
purchasing those securities or investments, to hedge a position, or for other
investment purposes. Through these investments and related arrangements
(e.g.,
prime brokerage or securities lending arrangements or derivatives transactions),
the Fund is exposed to credit risks that the counterparty may be unwilling or
unable to make timely payments or otherwise to meet its contractual obligations.
If the counterparty becomes bankrupt or defaults on (or otherwise becomes unable
or unwilling to perform) its payment or other obligations to the Fund, the Fund
may not receive the full amount that it is entitled to receive or may experience
delays in recovering the collateral or other assets held by, or on behalf of,
the counterparty. If this occurs, the value of your shares in the Fund will
decrease.
•Currency
Exchange Rate Risk. The
Fund may invest in investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in
securities that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency
exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the
value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Shares. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without
warning and you may lose money.
•Cybersecurity
Risk.
Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund
assets or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser, the
Sub-Adviser (defined below) and/or other service providers (including custodians
and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption.
Additionally, cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of
the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Fund’s other service providers,
market makers, Authorized Participants (“APs”), the Fund’s primary listing
exchange, or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the
ability to disrupt and negatively affect the Fund’s business operations,
including the ability to purchase and sell Shares, potentially resulting in
financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders.
•Depositary
Receipt Risk.
Depositary receipts, including ADRs and GDRs, involve risks similar to those
associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political
or economic conditions of other countries and changes in the exchange rates of
foreign currencies. Depositary receipts listed on U.S. exchanges are issued by
banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital
gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares (“Underlying Shares”).
When the Fund invests in depositary receipts as a substitute for an investment
directly in the Underlying Shares, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the
depositary receipts may not provide a return that corresponds precisely with
that of the Underlying Shares. Because the Underlying Shares trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open,
the Fund may experience premiums and discounts greater than those of funds
without exposure to such Underlying Shares.
•Derivatives
Risk. The
Fund intends to invest in total return swaps, which are a type of derivative.
Derivatives may pose risks in addition to and greater than those associated with
investing directly in securities, currencies or other investments, including
risks relating to leverage, imperfect correlations with underlying investments
or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, high price volatility, lack of
availability, counterparty credit, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.
Their use is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques
and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities
transactions. The Fund’s use of derivatives to obtain short exposure, if any,
may result in greater volatility of the Fund's NAV per share. If the Adviser and
Sub-Adviser are incorrect about their expectations of market conditions, the use
of derivatives could also result in a loss, which in some cases may be
unlimited. In addition, the Fund’s use of derivatives may cause the Fund to
realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary
income tax rates) than if the Fund had not used such instruments. Some of the
derivatives in which the Fund invests may be traded (and privately negotiated)
in the OTC market. OTC derivatives are subject to heightened counterparty
credit, liquidity and valuation risks. Certain risks also are specific to the
derivatives in which the Fund invests.
◦Swap
Agreements Risk.
Swap agreements are contracts among the Fund and a counterparty to exchange the
return of the pre-determined underlying investment (such as the rate of return
of the underlying index). Swap agreements may be negotiated bilaterally and
traded OTC between two parties or, for certain standardized swaps, must be
exchange-traded through a futures commission merchant and/or cleared through a
clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty. Risks associated with the
use of swap agreements are different from those associated with ordinary
portfolio securities transactions, due in part to the fact they could be
considered illiquid and many swaps trade on the OTC market. Swaps are
particularly subject to counterparty credit, correlation, valuation, liquidity
and leveraging risks. While exchange trading and central clearing are
intended
to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, they do not make swap
transactions risk-free. Additionally, applicable regulators have adopted rules
imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on OTC swaps, which
may result in the Fund and its counterparties posting higher margin amounts for
OTC swaps, which could increase the cost of swap transactions to the Fund and
impose added operational
complexity.
•Emerging
and Developing Markets Risk.
The Fund’s direct or indirect investments in securities of issuers in emerging
and developing market countries are subject to all of the risks of foreign
investing generally, and have additional heightened risks due to a lack of
established legal, political, business, and social frameworks to support
securities markets, including: delays in settling portfolio securities
transactions; currency and capital controls; greater sensitivity to interest
rate changes; pervasiveness of corruption and crime; currency exchange rate
volatility; and inflation, deflation, or currency
devaluation.
•Equity
Securities Risk. The
equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden,
unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur
because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting
specific issuers, industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests.
Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to
volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and
perceptions of their issuers change. Preferred stocks are subject to the risk
that the dividend on the stock may be changed or omitted by the issuer, and that
participation in the growth of an issuer may be
limited.
•ETF
Risks. The
Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of its structure, it is exposed to the
following risks:
◦Authorized
Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration
Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that
may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers
and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. Shares may trade at a material
discount to NAV and possibly face delisting if either: (i) APs exit the
business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders
and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market
makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce
their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their
functions.
◦Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares Risk.
Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions
imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may
significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be
advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small
investments.
◦Shares
May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk. As
with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market
prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate
the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than
the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to
supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is
heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and
periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary
market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because
securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when
the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience
premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in and hold only
securities and other investments that are listed and trade in the
U.S.
◦Trading
Risk. Although
Shares are listed for trading on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”)
and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no
assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock
exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to
mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be
significantly less liquid than the
Shares.
•Fixed
Income Risk.
Fixed income securities are subject to call, credit, extension, and interest
rate risk.
◦Call
Risk.
During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable bond held by
the Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, and the
Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a
decline in the Fund’s income.
◦Credit
Risk.
An issuer of a fixed income security, such as a corporate bond, may be unable or
unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due. The Fund also is
subject to the related risk that the value of a fixed income security may
decline because of concerns about the issuer’s creditworthiness. Credit risk is
heightened to the extent the Fund invests in below investment-grade securities,
which also are referred to as high-yield securities or junk
bonds.
◦Extension
Risk.
During periods of rising interest rates, certain debt obligations will be paid
off substantially more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of those
securities may fall sharply, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income and
potentially in the value of the Fund’s investments.
◦Income
Risk. The
Fund’s income may decline if interest rates fall. The risk of decline in income
is heightened when fixed income instruments held by the Fund have floating or
variable interest rates.
◦Interest
Rate Risk.
Interest rate risk is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time. For
example, the value of fixed-income securities generally decrease when interest
rates rise, which may cause the Fund’s value to decrease. Also, investments in
fixed-income securities with longer maturities fluctuate more in response to
interest rate changes.
Variable
and floating rate securities may increase or decrease in value in response to
changes in interest rates, although generally to a lesser degree than
fixed-income securities.
◦Prepayment
Risk. The
risk that changes in interest rates, credit spreads or other factors will result
in the call (repayment) of a debt instrument before it is expected. The Fund may
have to invest the proceeds in lower yielding securities or that expectations of
such early call will negatively impact the market price of the
security.
•Foreign
Securities Risk. Investments
in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with
investments in U.S. securities. These include risks of adverse changes in
foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, or changes in
currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations
on currency movements and exchanges). The securities of some foreign companies
may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable
U.S. companies. There may be less information publicly available about a
non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different
accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than
U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to
withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement,
custodial, and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is
the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization
of assets. Because legal systems differ, there also is the possibility that it
will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries.
Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its
shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days
when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.
Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of
these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially
less liquid than other types of investments.
•Investment
Company Risk. The
risks of investing in investment companies, such as ETFs, typically reflect the
risks of the types of instruments in which the investment companies invest. By
investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that
investment company and bears its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of
the other investment company. The Fund may be subject to statutory limits with
respect to the amount it can invest in other ETFs, which may adversely affect
the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. ETFs may be less liquid
than other investments, and thus their share values more volatile than the
values of the investments they hold. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the
“ETF Risks” described above.
•Limited
Issuer Risk.
Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of issuers, it is subject to the
risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio may decline due to a decline in
value of the equity securities of particular issuers. The value of an issuer’s
equity securities may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such
as management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or
services.
•Liquidity
and Valuation Risk.
It may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular investments
within a reasonable time at a fair price, or the price at which it has been
valued by the Adviser for purposes of the Fund’s NAV, causing the Fund to be
less liquid and unable to realize what the Adviser believes should be the price
of the investment. Valuation of portfolio investments may be difficult, such as
during periods of market turmoil or reduced liquidity, and for investments that
may, for example, trade infrequently or irregularly. In these and other
circumstances, an investment may be valued using fair value methodologies, which
are inherently subjective, reflect good faith judgments based on available
information and may not accurately estimate the price at which the Fund could
sell the investment at that time.
•Management
Risk. The
Fund is actively managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the
Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s success or failure to implement investment
strategies for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser’s evaluations and assumptions regarding
issuers, securities, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund’s
investment objective given actual market conditions.
•Market
Capitalization Risk.
◦Large-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature
compared to smaller companies and, therefore, subject to slower growth during
times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies also may be unable
to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology
and consumer tastes.
◦Mid-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse
issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies
generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more
unpredictable price changes than large-capitalization stocks or the stock market
as a whole.
◦Small-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to
adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large- or mid-capitalization companies. The securities
of
small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject
to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large- or
mid-capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. There is typically
less publicly available information concerning smaller-capitalization companies
than for larger, more established
companies.
•Market
Risk. The
trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a
variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or
specific market segments, such as political, market and economic developments,
as well as events that impact specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price,
like security and commodity prices generally, may fluctuate significantly in
response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money
over short or long periods of time. In addition, government actions or
interventions (including, but not limited, to the threat or imposition of
tariffs, trade restrictions, currency restrictions or similar actions) as well
as developments related to economic, political (including geopolitical), social,
public health, market, extreme weather, natural or man-made disasters, or other
conditions or events have in the past and may in the future result in volatility
in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit, and/or debt
markets, which could adversely impact the Fund and its investments and their
value and performance. These developments as well as other events could result
in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the
liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities
exchanges and other markets.
•Money
Market Instrument Risk.
The Fund may use a variety of money market instruments for cash management
purposes, including money market funds, depositary accounts and repurchase
agreements. Money market funds may be subject to credit risk with respect to the
debt instruments in which they invest. Depository accounts may be subject to
credit risk with respect to the financial institution in which the depository
account is held. Money market instruments may lose
money.
•Real
Estate Companies Risk.
The Fund invests in real estate companies, including REITs and real estate
holdings companies, which will expose investors to the risks of owning real
estate directly, as well as to the risks that relate specifically to the way in
which such companies are organized and operated. Real estate is highly sensitive
to general and local economic conditions and developments. The U.S. real estate
market may experience and has, in the past, experienced a decline in value, with
certain regions experiencing significant losses in property values. Many real
estate companies, including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly
leveraged), which increases investment risk and the risk normally associated
with debt financing, and could potentially increase the Fund’s volatility and
losses. Exposure to such real estate may adversely affect Fund
performance.
•REITs
Risk. REITs
are subject to the risks associated with investing in the securities of real
property companies. In particular, REITs may be affected by changes in the
values of the underlying properties that they own or operate.
Residential/diversified REITs and commercial equity REITs may be affected by
changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while
mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further,
REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, and their investments
may be concentrated in relatively few properties, or in a small geographic area
or a single property type. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency
and, as a result, are particularly reliant on the proper functioning of capital
markets. A variety of economic and other factors may adversely affect a lessee's
ability to meet its obligations to a REIT. In the event of a default by a
lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a lessor and
may incur substantial costs associated in protecting its investments. In
addition, a REIT could fail to qualify for favorable regulatory
treatment.
•Sector
Risk. To
the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy,
its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly
affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in
the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be
negatively impacted by events affecting each of these
sectors.
◦Health
Care Sector Risk.
Health
care companies are subject to extensive government regulation and their
profitability can be significantly affected by restrictions on government
reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and
services, pricing pressure (including price discounting), limited product lines,
and an increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient
services. Health care companies are heavily dependent on obtaining and defending
patents, which may be time consuming and costly, and the expiration of patents
may also adversely affect the profitability of the companies. Health care
companies are also subject to extensive litigation based on product liability
and similar claims. In addition, their products can become obsolete due to
industry innovation, changes in technologies, or other market developments. Many
new products in the health care field require significant research and
development and may be subject to regulatory approvals, all of which may be time
consuming and costly with no guarantee that any product will come to
market.
•Securities
Lending Risk.
To the extent the Fund engages
in
securities lending, there are certain risks associated with securities lending,
including the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities on a
timely basis or even the loss of rights in the collateral deposited by the
borrower, if the borrower should fail financially. The Fund could also lose
money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned
securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash
collateral. As a result, the Fund may lose money.
•Tax
Risk.
In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to a
regulated investment company (“RIC”), the Fund must satisfy certain
diversification and other requirements. In particular, at each quarter end (a)
at least 50% of the value of
the
Fund’s total assets must generally be represented by cash and cash items, U.S.
government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such
other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater
than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and that does not represent more
than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more
than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in the securities
(other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any
one issuer or the securities (other than the securities of another RIC) of two
or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or
similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or the securities
of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification
Requirement”). The Fund anticipates gaining exposure to seven Underlying
Issuers. To satisfy the Diversification Requirement, the Fund will gain exposure
to the Underlying Issuers by entering into swap agreements and/or forward
contracts or by investing in equity securities of an Underlying Issuer. The
determination of the value and the identity of the issuer of derivatives, such
as swap agreements and forward contracts, is often unclear for purposes of the
Diversification Requirement described above. Although the Fund intends to
carefully monitor its investments in derivatives to ensure that it is adequately
diversified under the Diversification Requirement, there are no assurances that
the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) will agree with the Fund’s determination of
the issuer and valuation of such derivatives under the Diversification
Requirement with respect to such derivatives. The Adviser’s and the
Sub-Adviser’s efforts to satisfy the Fund’s Diversification Requirement may
compromise their ability to implement the Fund’s investment strategy as
effectively as they might otherwise have been able to in the absence of such a
requirement. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC, it would be taxed in the
same manner as an ordinary corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax on all
its income at the fund level (unless certain relief provisions are available.)
The resulting taxes could substantially reduce the Fund’s net assets and the
amount of income available for distribution to shareholders. In addition, in
order to requalify as a RIC, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized
gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make certain distributions to its
shareholders. In addition, the Fund’s use of derivatives may cause the Fund to
realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains or otherwise affect the
Fund’s ability to pay out dividends subject to preferential rates or the
dividends received deduction, thereby increasing the amount of taxes payable by
some shareholders. Please
see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes – Taxation of the Funds” in the
SAI for more information.
•U.S.
Government Securities Risk.
U.S. government securities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit
of the U.S. government. U.S. government securities are subject to the risks
associated with fixed-income and debt securities, particularly interest rate
risk and credit risk.
Performance
The performance
information presented below provides some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund by showing the extent to which the Fund’s performance can change
from year to year and over time. The bar chart below shows the
Fund’s performance for the most recent calendar year ended December 31.
The table illustrates how the Fund’s
average annual returns for the 1-year and since inception periods compare with
those of the Solactive GBS Global Markets All Cap USD Index TR, a broad-based
securities market index intended to represent the overall global equity market.
The table also shows how the Fund’s performance compares to the North American
Cannabis Net Total Return Index, a comparative index that represents the asset
classes in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s past
performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will
perform in the future. Updated performance information is
available on the Fund’s website at www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/WEED.
Calendar Year Total
Return
The
calendar year-to-date total return of
the Fund as of March 31, 2026 was
-23.72%.
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the highest quarterly
return was 105.33% for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, and
the lowest quarterly return
was -45.79% for the quarter ended December 31,
2024.
Average
Annual Total Returns
(for
periods ended December 31, 2025)
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|
Roundhill
Cannabis ETF |
1
Year |
Since
Inception
(4/19/22) |
| Return
Before Taxes |
22.64% |
-30.46% |
| Return
After Taxes on Distributions |
22.64% |
-30.46% |
| Return
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares |
13.40% |
-20.06% |
|
Solactive
GBS Global Markets All Cap USD Index TR
(reflects
no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) |
22.52% |
12.49% |
|
North
American Cannabis Net Total Return Index
(reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses, or taxes) |
14.69% |
-22.92% |
After-tax returns are
calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax
rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact
of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an
investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are
not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred
arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other
tax-advantaged accounts. In certain
cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of
Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A
higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and
provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the
investor.
Portfolio
Management
|
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|
Adviser |
Roundhill
Financial Inc. |
|
Sub-Adviser |
Exchange
Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) |
|
Portfolio
Managers |
William
Hershey and Timothy Maloney, each a portfolio manager for the Adviser, and
Andrew Serowik, Todd Alberico, Gabriel Tan and Brian Copper, each a
portfolio manager for the Sub-Adviser, have been portfolio managers of the
Fund since its inception in April 2022. David Mazza, also a portfolio
manager for the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since
March 2025. |
Purchase
and Sale of Shares
The
Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation
Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The
Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of
securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Shares
are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in
the secondary market through a broker or dealer at market prices, rather than
NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at
a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
An
investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (the “bid” price) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (the “ask” price) when
buying or selling Shares in the secondary market. The difference in the bid and
ask prices is referred to as the “bid-ask spread.”
Recent
information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, how often Shares traded on
the Exchange at a premium or discount, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the
Fund’s website at www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/WEED.
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified
dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is
held in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments
made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of
assets from those accounts.
Financial
Intermediary Compensation
If
you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary
(such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay
Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including
participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more
knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the Fund, or for other
activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related
to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of
interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the
Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased
Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more
information.
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|
ROUNDHILL
MAGNIFICENT SEVEN ETF – FUND
SUMMARY |
Investment
Objective
The
Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (“Magnificent Seven ETF” or the “Fund”) seeks
growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the
Fund
This
table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and
sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You
may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial
intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example
below.
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Shareholder
Fees
(fees
paid directly from your investment) |
None |
|
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
| Management
Fee |
0.29% |
| Distribution
and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.00% |
|
Other
Expenses |
0.00% |
| Acquired
Fund Fees and Expenses |
0.01% |
|
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1) |
0.30% |
|
| |
|
| |
|
(1)Total Annual Fund
Operating Expenses do not correlate to the expense ratios in the Fund’s
Financial Highlights and financial statements because the Financial Highlights
and financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by
the Fund and exclude Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which are the indirect
costs of investing in other investment
companies.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing
in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem
all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that
your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses
remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions
that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher
or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
be:
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| 1
Year: |
$31 |
3
Years: |
$97 |
5
Years: |
$169 |
10
Years: |
$381 |
Portfolio
Turnover
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are
held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
For the fiscal period ended December 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio
turnover rate was 27% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment
Strategies
The
Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to achieve
its investment objective through its investment exposure to the companies
comprising the “Magnificent Seven,” a group of seven companies commonly
recognized for their market dominance in technological innovation. As of March
31, 2026, the seven companies comprising the Magnificent Seven were: Alphabet
Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., Apple Inc., Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft Corporation,
NVIDIA Corporation, and Tesla Inc. (the “Underlying Issuers”). On a quarterly
basis, the Fund will rebalance its exposure so that each company is
equally-weighted in its portfolio. To the extent the companies that comprise the
Magnificent Seven change, the Fund will seek to effect such change as soon as
reasonably practical, but in no event later than its next regularly-scheduled
quarterly rebalance. The Fund primarily gains exposure to the “Magnificent
Seven” companies through its investment in swap agreements and/or forward
contracts. However, the Fund will also invest directly in the equity securities
issued by such companies.
Exchange
Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”), the Fund’s sub-adviser, positions the
Fund’s portfolio daily to seek to achieve exposure to the Magnificent Seven
companies to the fullest extent possible consistent with the Fund’s investment
objective. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its
assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in financial instruments and
other investments that provide exposure to, or in combination have economic
characteristics similar or equivalent to those of, the largest (i.e.,
top quartile by market capitalization, revenue, profit, market share or other
similar metric) companies in one or more Technology Industries (defined below),
as defined by an independent industry classification scheme.
As
a result of its investment strategies, the Fund will concentrate (i.e.,
invest more than 25% of its total assets) its investments in one or more
“Technology Industries” (defined by an independent industry classification
scheme as the following industries: Automotive Industry; Technology Hardware
Industry; E-Commerce Discretionary Industry; Internet Media & Services
Industry; Semiconductors
Industry; and Software Industry) at any given time. The Technology
Industries in which the Fund may concentrate may vary over time. Additionally,
the Fund may invest up to 100% of the Fund’s assets in (1) U.S. Government
securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2)
money market funds; and/or (3) short-term bond
ETFs.
The
Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940
Act”).
Principal
Investment Risks
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The
principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding
particular risks and comparing them with the risks of other funds. Each risk
summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund,
regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any
investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your
investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely
affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return
and/or ability to meet its investment objective. The following risks could
affect the value of your investment in the Fund:
•Cash
Transaction Risk.
The Fund expects to effect certain creations and redemptions for cash, rather
than in-kind securities. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio
investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This
may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized
if it had made a redemption in kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher
annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was
used. The use of cash creations and redemptions also may cause the Fund’s Shares
to trade in the market at wider bid-ask spreads or greater premiums or discounts
to the Fund’s NAV. Further, effecting purchases and redemptions primarily in
cash may cause the Fund to incur additional costs, such as portfolio transaction
costs. These costs can decrease the Fund’s NAV if not offset by an authorized
participant transaction fee.
•Concentration
Risk.
The Fund expects to have concentrated (i.e.,
invest more than 25% of its net assets) investment exposure in one or more of
the Technology Industries at any given time, which may vary over time. As a
result, the Fund is more vulnerable to adverse market, economic, regulatory,
political or other developments affecting those industries or groups of related
industries than a fund that invests its assets in a more diversified
manner.
◦Automotive
Industry Risk.
The automotive industry can be highly cyclical, and companies in the industry
may suffer periodic operating losses. The automotive industry also can be
significantly affected by labor relations and fluctuating component prices.
Companies in the automotive industry, particularly those in the electric
vehicles industry, may be affected by the obsolescence of existing technology,
short product cycles, falling prices and profits, competition from new market
entrants and general economic conditions. While most of the major manufacturers
are large, financially strong companies, many others are small and can be
non-diversified in both product line and customer base. Additionally,
developments in automotive technologies (e.g.,
autonomous vehicle technologies) may require significant capital expenditures
that may not generate profits for several years, if any. Companies in the
automotive industry may be significantly subject to government policies and
regulations regarding imports and exports of automotive products. Governmental
policies affecting the automotive industry, such as taxes, tariffs, duties,
subsidies, and import and export restrictions on automotive products can
influence industry profitability. In addition, such companies must comply with
environmental laws and regulations, for which there may be severe consequences
for non-compliance. Legislative or regulatory changes and increased government
supervision also may affect companies in the automotive
industry.
◦E-Commerce
Discretionary Industry Risk.
The E-Commerce Discretionary Industry includes retailers, retail outlets, and
wholesalers offering a wide variety of products or specializing in a single
class of goods (e.g.,
computers, apparel, home improvement, etc.). Companies in the E-Commerce
Discretionary Industry are dependent on consumer spending, the availability of
disposable income, changing consumer tastes and preferences, consumer
demographics, general economic conditions, internal infrastructure and on the
availability, reliability and security of the Internet and related systems.
Critical systems and operations may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from
natural disasters, power loss, telecommunications failure, terrorist attacks,
cyber-attacks, acts of war, break-ins, and similar events. In addition,
legislative or regulatory changes and increased government supervision may
affect companies in the E-Commerce Discretionary Industry. The E-Commerce
Discretionary Industry is a separate industry within the Consumer Discretionary
Sector.
◦Internet
Media & Services Industry Risk.
The Internet Media & Services Industry includes companies engaged in content
and information creation or distribution through proprietary platforms, where
revenues are derived primarily through pay-per-click advertisements, including
search engines, social media and networking platforms, online classifieds, and
online review companies. The prices of the securities of companies in the
Internet Media & Services Industry are closely tied to the performance of
the overall economy and may be affected by changes in general economic growth,
consumer confidence and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer
tastes also may affect the success of companies in the Internet Media &
Services Industry. In addition, legislative or regulatory changes and increased
government supervision may affect companies in the Internet Media & Services
Industry. The Internet Media & Services Industry is a separate industry
within the Communications Sector.
◦Semiconductors
Industry Risk.
Competitive pressures may have a significant effect on the financial condition
of semiconductor companies and, as product cycles shorten and manufacturing
capacity increases, these companies may become increasingly subject to
aggressive pricing, which hampers profitability. Reduced demand for end-user
products, under-utilization of manufacturing capacity, and other factors could
adversely impact the operating results of companies in the Semiconductors
Industry. Semiconductor companies typically face high capital costs and may be
heavily dependent on intellectual property rights. The Semiconductors Industry
is highly cyclical, which may cause the operating results of many semiconductor
companies to vary significantly. The stock prices of companies in the
Semiconductors Industry have been and likely will continue to be extremely
volatile.
◦Software
Industry Risk.
The Software Industry includes companies that publish and distribute software
for the business or consumer markets, as well as companies that provide
consulting or integration services to other businesses relating to information
technology, including computer-system design, system integration, network and
systems operations, cloud computing, distributed ledger technology consulting
and integration, data management and storage, repair services, and technical
support. In addition, the Software Industry includes companies involved in
digital platforms that primarily generate revenue from advertising, content
delivery, and other virtual products for consumers. Companies in the Software
Industry are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as aggressive
pricing, new market entrants, competition for market share, short product cycles
due to an accelerated rate of technological developments and the potential for
limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. These companies also face the
risks that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by
consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. These factors can
affect the profitability of these companies and, as a result, the value of their
securities. Patent protection is integral to the success of many companies in
this industry. In addition, many software companies have limited operating
histories. Prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more
volatile than other securities, especially over the short term. The Software
Industry is a separate industry within the Technology
Sector.
◦Technology
Hardware Industry Risk.
The Technology Hardware Industry includes companies that manufacture and
distribute computers, servers, mainframes, peripheral devices (e.g.,
keyboard, mouse, etc.), high-technology components (e.g.,
circuit boards), and electronic office equipment. In addition, companies in the
Technology Hardware Industry include producers and distributors of
semiconductors and other integrated chips, other products related to the
semiconductor industry such as motherboards, and manufacturers of
high-technology tools and/or equipment used in the creation of semiconductors,
photonics, wafers, and other high-technology components. The companies in the
Technology Hardware Industry can be significantly affected by competitive
pressures, aggressive pricing, technological developments, changing domestic
demand, the ability to attract and retain skilled employees and availability and
price of components. The market for products produced by companies in the
Technology Hardware Industry is characterized by rapidly changing technology,
rapid product obsolescence, cyclical market patterns, evolving industry
standards and frequent new product introductions. The success of these companies
depends in substantial part on the timely and successful introduction of new
products. In addition, many of the companies in the Technology Hardware Industry
rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret laws
to establish and protect their proprietary rights in their products and
technologies. The Technology Hardware Industry is a separate industry within the
Technology Sector.
•Counterparty
Risk.
Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to Fund transactions
(e.g.,
derivative transactions) will be unable or unwilling to perform its contractual
obligation to the Fund. The Fund expects to use derivatives instruments to gain
exposure to the Underlying Issuers to seek to achieve its investment objective.
Through these investments and related arrangements, the Fund is exposed to the
risk that the counterparty may be unwilling or unable to make timely payments or
deliver the reference asset contemplated by such arrangements or otherwise to
meet its contractual obligations (i.e.,
counterparty credit risk). If the counterparty becomes bankrupt or defaults on
(or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling to perform) its payment, delivery or
other obligations to the Fund, the Fund may not receive the full amount it is
entitled to receive, may not be able to maintain its desired exposure to the
Underlying Issuers, or may experience delays in recovering the collateral or
other assets held by, or on behalf of, the counterparty. If this occurs, the
value of your Shares in the Fund will decrease.
In
addition, the Fund may enter into derivative transactions with a limited number
of counterparties, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit
risk. To the extent the Fund’s counterparties are concentrated in the financial
services sector, the Fund bears the risk that those counterparties may be
adversely affected by legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market
conditions, increased competition, and/or wide scale credit losses resulting
from financial difficulties or borrowers affecting that economic sector.
Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be willing to
enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund and, as a
result, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment
objective.
•Cybersecurity
Risk.
Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund
assets or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser, the
Sub-Adviser and/or other service providers (including custodians and financial
intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption. Additionally,
cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Fund’s other service providers, market makers,
Authorized Participants (“APs”), the Fund’s primary listing exchange, or the
issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to disrupt and
negatively affect the Fund’s business operations, including the
ability to purchase and sell Shares, potentially resulting in financial losses
to the Fund and its shareholders.
•Derivatives
Risk.
The Fund expects to use swap agreements and forward contracts to seek to achieve
its investment objective. The Fund’s derivative investments have risks,
including the imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and
the reference asset; the loss of principal, including the potential loss of
amounts greater than the initial amount invested in the derivatives instrument;
and illiquidity of the derivative investments. The Fund expects to primarily
utilize derivatives instruments that are not designed to produce leverage. The
Fund, however, may invest in derivatives that give rise to economic leverage,
but expects any such economic leverage to be minimal. Leverage magnifies the
potential for gain and may result in greater losses, which in some cases may
cause the Fund to liquidate other portfolio investments at inopportune times
(e.g.,
at a loss to comply with limits on leverage imposed by the 1940 Act or when the
Adviser otherwise would have preferred to hold the investment) or to meet
redemption requests. Certain of the Fund’s transactions in derivatives also
could affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to shareholders,
which may result in the Fund realizing more short-term capital gain and ordinary
income subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates than it would if it did not
engage in such transactions, which may adversely impact the Fund’s after-tax
returns. Any financing, borrowing or other costs associated with using
derivatives also may have the effect of lowering the Fund’s return. To the
extent the Fund invests in derivatives instruments that give rise to economic
leverage, the value of the Fund’s portfolio is likely to experience greater
volatility over short-term periods.
In
addition, the Fund’s investments in derivatives are subject to the following
risks:
◦Swap
Agreements.
Swap agreements are entered into primarily with major financial intermediaries
for a specified period which may range from one day to more than one year. In a
standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return (or
differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined
reference or underlying securities or instruments. The gross return to be
exchanged or swapped between the parties is calculated based on a notional
amount or the return on or change in value of a particular dollar amount
invested in a reference asset. The Fund also will enter into swap agreements
that provide for the physical delivery of the reference asset where, instead of
exchanging the return earned or realized on the underlying securities, the Fund
takes physical delivery of the underlying security. Swap agreements are
generally traded over the counter, and therefore, may not receive regulatory
protection, which may expose investors, including the Fund, to significant
losses.
◦Forwards
Contracts. The
primary risks associated with the use of forwards contracts, which may adversely
affect the Fund’s NAV and total return, are: (a) the imperfect correlation
between the change in market value of the forward contract and the price of
underlying asset; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forwards
contract and the resulting inability to close a forwards contract when desired;
(c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially
unlimited; (d) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the
performance of its obligations; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it
may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin
requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it maybe
disadvantageous to do so.
The
Fund is subject to regulatory constraints relating to the level of leverage
risk, as measured by value-at-risk (VaR) testing, the Fund may incur through its
derivatives investments. To the extent the Fund exceeds these regulatory
constraints regularly or over an extended period, the Fund may determine it is
necessary to make adjustments to the Fund’s investment strategies to reduce its
use of derivatives. Any such adjustments may adversely affect the Fund’s ability
to achieve its investment objective and its
performance.
•Equity
Securities Risk. The
equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden,
unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur
because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting
specific issuers, industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests.
Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to
volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and
perceptions of their issuers change. Preferred stocks are subject to the risk
that the dividend on the stock may be changed or omitted by the issuer, and that
participation in the growth of an issuer may be
limited.
•ETF
Risks.
The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of its structure, it is exposed to the
following risks:
◦Authorized
Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration
Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that
may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers
and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. Shares may trade at a material
discount to NAV and possibly face delisting if either: (i) APs exit the
business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders
and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market
makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce
their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their
functions.
◦Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares Risk.
Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions
imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may
significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be
advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small
investments.
◦Shares
May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk. As
with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market
prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate
the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than
the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to
supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is
heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and
periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary
market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be
significant.
◦Trading
Risk. Although
Shares are listed for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and
may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no
assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock
exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to
mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be
significantly less liquid than the
Shares.
•Fixed
Income Risk.
Fixed income securities are subject to various risks, including the risks
described below.
◦Call
Risk.
During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable bond held by
the Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, and the
Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a
decline in the Fund’s income.
◦Credit
Risk.
An issuer of a fixed income security, such as a corporate bond, may be unable or
unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due. The Fund also is
subject to the related risk that the value of a fixed income security may
decline because of concerns about the issuer’s creditworthiness. Credit risk is
heightened to the extent the Fund invests in below investment-grade securities,
which also are referred to as high-yield securities or junk
bonds.
◦Extension
Risk.
During periods of rising interest rates, certain debt obligations will be paid
off substantially more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of those
securities may fall sharply, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income and
potentially in the value of the Fund’s investments.
◦Income
Risk. The
Fund’s income may decline if interest rates fall. The risk of decline in income
is heightened when fixed income instruments held by the Fund have floating or
variable interest rates.
◦Interest
Rate Risk.
Interest rate risk is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time. For
example, the value of fixed-income securities generally decrease when interest
rates rise, which may cause the Fund’s value to decrease. Also, investments in
fixed-income securities with longer maturities fluctuate more in response to
interest rate changes.
Variable
and floating rate securities may increase or decrease in value in response to
changes in interest rates, although generally to a lesser degree than
fixed-income securities.
◦Prepayment
Risk.
The risk that changes in interest rates, credit spreads or other factors will
result in the call (repayment) of a debt instrument before it is expected. The
Fund may have to invest the proceeds in lower yielding securities or that
expectations of such early call will negatively impact the market price of the
security.
•Investment
Company Risk. The risks of investing in investment companies, such as ETFs,
typically reflect the risks of the types of instruments in which the investment
companies invest. By investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a
shareholder of that investment company and bears its proportionate share of the
fees and expenses of the other investment company. The Fund may be subject to
statutory limits with respect to the amount it can invest in other ETFs, which
may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
ETFs may be less liquid than other investments, and thus their share values more
volatile than the values of the investments they hold. Investments in ETFs are
also subject to the “ETF Risks” described above.
•Limited
Issuer Risk.
Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of issuers, it is subject to the
risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio may decline due to a decline in
value of the equity securities of particular issuers. The value of an issuer’s
equity securities may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such
as management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or
services.
•Liquidity
and Valuation Risk.
It may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular investments
within a reasonable time at a fair price, or the price at which it has been
valued by the Adviser for purposes of the Fund’s NAV, causing the Fund to be
less liquid and unable to realize what the Adviser believes should be the price
of the investment. Valuation of portfolio investments may be difficult, such as
during periods of market turmoil or reduced liquidity, and for investments that
may, for example, trade infrequently or irregularly. In these and other
circumstances, an investment may be valued using fair value methodologies, which
are inherently subjective, reflect good faith judgments based on available
information and may not accurately estimate the price at which the Fund could
sell the investment at that time.
•Management
Risk.
The Fund is actively managed and may not meet its investment objective based on
the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s success or failure to implement the Fund’s
strategies and to efficiently execute investment transactions, respectively. The
Fund invests in derivatives instruments, which may create enhanced risks for the
Fund and the Adviser’s ability to control the Fund’s level of risk will depend
on the Adviser’s skill in managing such instruments. In addition, the Adviser’s
evaluations and
assumptions
regarding investments, interest rates, inflation, and other factors may not
successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective given actual market
conditions.
•Market
Capitalization Risk.
◦Large-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature
compared to smaller companies and, therefore, subject to slower growth during
times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies also may be unable
to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology
and consumer tastes.
•Market
Risk. The
trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a
variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or
specific market segments, such as political, market and economic developments,
as well as events that impact specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price,
like security and commodity prices generally, may fluctuate significantly in
response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money
over short or long periods of time. In addition, government actions or
interventions (including, but not limited, to the threat or imposition of
tariffs, trade restrictions, currency restrictions or similar actions) as well
as developments related to economic, political (including geopolitical), social,
public health, market, extreme weather, natural or man-made disasters, or other
conditions or events have in the past and may in the future result in volatility
in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit, and/or debt
markets, which could adversely impact the Fund and its investments and their
value and performance. These developments as well as other events could result
in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the
liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities
exchanges and other markets.
•Money
Market Instrument Risk.
The Fund may use a variety of money market instruments for cash management
purposes, including money market funds, depositary accounts and repurchase
agreements. Money market funds may be subject to credit risk with respect to the
debt instruments in which they invest. Depository accounts may be subject to
credit risk with respect to the financial institution in which the depository
account is held. Money market instruments may lose
money.
•Non-Diversification
Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater
percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a lesser number
of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more
exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual
issuer or a lesser number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This
may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively
small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s
performance.
•Sector
Risk. To
the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy,
its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly
affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in
the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be
negatively impacted by events affecting each of these
sectors.
◦Communication
Services Sector Risk.
The Fund’s assets will have significant exposure to the Communication Services
Sector, which means the Fund will be more affected by the performance of the
Communication Services Sector than a fund that is more diversified. Market or
economic factors impacting companies in the Communication Services Sector that
rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of
the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of communication services companies
and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to
research and development costs, substantial capital requirements, product and
services obsolescence, government regulation, and domestic and international
competition, including competition from foreign competitors with lower
production costs. Stocks of communication services companies and companies that
rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned
companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Additionally,
companies in the Communication Services Sector may face dramatic and often
unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of
qualified personnel. While all companies may be susceptible to network security
breaches, certain companies in the Communication Services Sector may be
particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer
information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse
effect on their businesses.
◦Consumer
Discretionary Sector Risk.
The Fund’s investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in the
Consumer Discretionary Sector. The manufacturing segment of the Consumer
Discretionary Sector includes automotive, household durable goods, leisure
equipment and textiles and apparel. The services segment includes hotels,
restaurants and other leisure facilities, and consumer retailing and services.
The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will
underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes,
adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the Consumer
Discretionary Sector. The performance of companies operating in the Consumer
Discretionary Sector has historically been closely tied to the performance of
the overall economy, and also is affected by economic growth, consumer
confidence, attitudes and spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes
also can affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products and services
in the marketplace. Moreover, the Consumer Discretionary Sector encompasses
those businesses that tend to be the most sensitive to economic
cycles.
◦Information
Technology Sector Risk.
The Information Technology sector includes companies engaged in internet
software and services, technology hardware and storage peripherals, electronic
equipment instruments and components, and semiconductors and semiconductor
equipment. Information technology companies face intense competition, both
domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit
margins. Information technology companies may have limited product lines,
markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information
technology companies may face rapid product obsolescence due to technological
developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in
growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Failure to
introduce new products, develop and maintain a loyal customer base, or achieve
general market acceptance for their products could have a material adverse
effect on a company’s business. Companies in the Information Technology Sector
are heavily dependent on intellectual property and the loss of patent, copyright
and trademark protections may adversely affect the profitability of these
companies.
◦Technology
Sector Risk.
The Fund’s investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in the
Technology Sector. The Technology Sector includes companies that offer software
and information technology services, manufacturers and distributors of
technology hardware and equipment such as communications equipment, computers
and peripherals, electronic equipment and related instruments and
semiconductors. The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such
issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory
changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the
Technology Sector. The prices of the securities of companies operating in the
Technology Sector are closely tied to market competition, increased sensitivity
to short product cycles and aggressive pricing, and problems with bringing
products to market.
•Securities
Lending Risk.
To the extent the Fund engages
in
securities lending, there are certain risks associated with securities lending,
including the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities on a
timely basis or even the loss of rights in the collateral deposited by the
borrower, if the borrower should fail financially. The Fund could also lose
money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned
securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash
collateral. As a result, the Fund may lose money.
•Tax
Risk.
In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to a
regulated investment company (“RIC”), the Fund must satisfy certain
diversification and other requirements. In particular, at each quarter end (a)
at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets must generally be
represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of
other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect
to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s
total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s
total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government
securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or the securities
(other than the securities of another RIC) of two or more issuers that the Fund
controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or
related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified
publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”). The Fund
anticipates gaining exposure to seven Underlying Issuers. To satisfy the
Diversification Requirement, the Fund will gain exposure to the Underlying
Issuers by entering into swap agreements and/or forward contracts or by
investing in equity securities of an Underlying Issuer. The determination of the
value and the identity of the issuer of derivatives, such as swap agreements and
forward contracts, is often unclear for purposes of the Diversification
Requirement described above. Although the Fund intends to carefully monitor its
investments in derivatives to ensure that it is adequately diversified under the
Diversification Requirement, there are no assurances that the Internal Revenue
Service (“IRS”) will agree with the Fund’s determination of the issuer and
valuation of such derivatives under the Diversification Requirement with respect
to such derivatives. The Adviser’s and the Sub-Adviser’s efforts to satisfy the
Fund’s Diversification Requirement may compromise their ability to implement the
Fund’s investment strategy as effectively as they might otherwise have been able
to in the absence of such a requirement. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC,
it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation subject to U.S.
federal income tax on all its income at the fund level (unless certain relief
provisions are available.) The resulting taxes could substantially reduce the
Fund’s net assets and the amount of income available for distribution to
shareholders. In addition, in order to requalify as a RIC, the Fund could be
required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and
make certain distributions to its shareholders. In addition, the Fund’s use of
derivatives may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital
gains or otherwise affect the Fund’s ability to pay out dividends subject to
preferential rates or the dividends received deduction, thereby increasing the
amount of taxes payable by some shareholders. Please
see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes – Taxation of the Funds” in the
SAI for more information.
•U.S.
Government Securities Risk.
U.S. government securities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit
of the U.S. government. U.S. government securities are subject to the risks
associated with fixed-income and debt securities, particularly interest rate
risk and credit risk.
Performance
The performance
information presented below provides some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund by showing the extent to which the Fund’s performance can change
from year to year and over time. The bar chart below shows the
Fund’s performance for the
most
recent calendar year ended December 31. The table illustrates how the Fund’s
average annual returns for the 1-year and since inception periods compare with
those of the Solactive GBS Global Markets All Cap USD Index TR, a broad-based
securities market index intended to represent the overall global equity market.
The Fund’s past performance,
before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the
future. Updated performance information is available on the
Fund’s website at www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/MAGS.
Calendar Year Total
Return
The
calendar year-to-date total return of
the Fund as of March 31, 2026 was
-12.34%.
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the highest quarterly
return was 20.93% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, and the
lowest quarterly return
was -15.77% for the quarter ended March 31,
2025.
Average
Annual Total Returns
(for
periods ended December 31, 2025)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Roundhill
Magnificent Seven ETF |
1
Year |
Since
Inception
(4/10/23) |
| Return
Before Taxes |
22.96% |
44.67% |
| Return
After Taxes on Distributions |
22.25% |
44.10% |
| Return
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares |
13.61% |
35.95% |
|
Solactive
GBS Global Markets All Cap USD Index TR
(reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses, or taxes) |
22.52% |
19.79% |
After-tax returns are
calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax
rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact
of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an
investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are
not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred
arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other
tax-advantaged accounts. In certain
cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of
Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A
higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and
provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the
investor.
Portfolio
Management
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Adviser |
Roundhill
Financial Inc. (the “Adviser”) |
|
Sub-Adviser |
Exchange
Traded Concepts, LLC |
|
Portfolio
Managers |
William
Hershey and Timothy Maloney, each a portfolio manager for the Adviser, and
Andrew Serowik, Todd Alberico, Gabriel Tan and Brian Cooper, each a
portfolio manager for the Sub-Adviser, have been portfolio managers of the
Fund since its inception in March 2023. David Mazza, also a portfolio
manager for the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since
March 2025. |
Purchase
and Sale of Shares
The
Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation
Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The
Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of
securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Shares
are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in
the secondary market through a broker or dealer at market prices, rather than
NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at
a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
An
investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (the “bid” price) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (the “ask” price) when
buying or selling Shares in the secondary market. The difference in the bid and
ask prices is referred to as the “bid-ask spread.”
Recent
information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, how often Shares traded on
the Exchange at a premium or discount, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the
Fund’s website at www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/MAGS.
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified
dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is
held in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments
made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of
assets from those accounts.
Financial
Intermediary Compensation
If
you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary
(such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay
Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including
participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more
knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the Fund, or for other
activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related
to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of
interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the
Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased
Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more
information.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INDEXES
Morningstar®
Sports Betting & iGaming Select Index
– Morningstar, Inc. serves as the Index Provider and Index Calculation
Agent.
Ball
Metaverse Index
– Ball Metaverse Research Partners LLC acts as the Index Provider and Solactive
AG serves as the Index Calculation Agent.
Each
Index Provider and Index Calculation Agent expects to provide the Adviser with
information about its Index methodology and constituents, and does not provide
investment advice with respect to the desirability of seeking to track the Index
or investing in, purchasing, or selling any Index constituent or securities
generally. In addition, each Index Provider and Index Calculation Agent is an
independent third party that is not affiliated with the respective Fund, the
Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s distributor, or any of their respective
affiliates.
Each
Index is calculated as a gross total return index.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS
Investment
Objectives
Each
Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the
“Board”) of Listed Funds Trust (the “Trust”) without shareholder approval upon
written notice to shareholders.
Principal
Investment Strategies
The
following information is in addition to, and should be read along with, the
description of each Fund’s principal investment strategies in each section
titled “Fund Summary—Principal Investment Strategies” above.
Each
Fund has adopted a policy, as described below, to comply with Rule 35d-1 under
the 1940 Act. Each such policy has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment
policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written
notice to shareholders. To the extent swaps are used to meet a Fund’s Rule 35d-1
policy, the notional value of the swaps will be used when determining the Fund’s
compliance with its policy.
The
Video Games ETF invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net
assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in Video Game Companies. For
purposes of the foregoing policy, Video Game Companies are companies that are
economically tied to the Video Games industry, and generally include publishers,
developers and distributors of interactive gaming software for console, PC,
mobile and cloud platforms, as well as providers of related online gaming
services and esports.
The
Sports Betting ETF invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net
assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities issued by Sports
Betting and iGaming Companies. Sports Betting Companies are companies engaged,
directly or indirectly, in analyzing sports events and wagering on the outcome.
Sports Betting Companies may include companies engaged in: online bookmaking;
media production connected to sports betting activities, such as the producers
of podcasts, videos and blogs; developing and/or providing technology solutions
and services for other Sports Betting Companies; providing marketing solutions
and services for other Sports Betting Companies; and investing in Sports Betting
Companies, such as owners of investment portfolios comprising companies exposed
to sports betting activities or the underlying assets of such companies. iGaming
Companies are companies engaged, directly or indirectly, in betting online in
games of chance, such as poker, slots, blackjack, or the lottery. iGaming
Companies may include companies engaged in: online bookmaking; media production
connected to sports betting activities, such as the producers of podcasts,
videos and blogs; developing and/or providing technology solutions and services
for other iGaming Companies; providing marketing solutions and services for
other iGaming Companies; investing in iGaming Companies, such as owners of
investment portfolios comprising companies exposed to iGaming activities or the
underlying assets of such companies; and developing and/or providing games, such
as casino developers and bingo and lottery game developers.
The
Ball Metaverse ETF invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net
assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in Metaverse Companies. For
purposes of this policy, the Fund defines Metaverse Companies as foreign and
domestic issuers that engage in activities or provide products, services,
technologies, or technological capabilities to enable the Metaverse, and benefit
from its generated revenues. More detailed information about the categories of
companies included in the Index is located in the Fund’s summary
section.
The
Cannabis ETF invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets
(plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities, including
common stock and depositary receipts, of companies and REITs that derive at
least 50% of their net revenue from, or invest a majority of their assets in,
the cannabis and hemp ecosystem, and in derivatives that have economic
characteristics similar to such securities.
The
Magnificent Seven ETF invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its
assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in financial instruments and
other investments that provide exposure to, or in combination have economic
characteristics similar or equivalent to those of, the largest (i.e.,
top quartile by market capitalization, revenue, profit, market share or other
similar metric) companies in one or more Technology Industries, as defined by an
independent industry classification scheme.
Additional
Information about the Funds’ Investment Strategies
Sports
Betting ETF
The
Morningstar®
Sports Betting & iGaming Index is designed to deliver unparalleled,
thematically pure exposure to the sports and online betting themes by drawing on
the in-depth knowledge and forward-looking insights of Morningstar’s equity
research team.
At
each reconstitution, securities for the Morningstar Sports Betting & iGaming
Select Index are derived from the equity universe scored on the Sports Betting
and iGaming themes by Morningstar’s equity research team. The index components
are weighted in proportion to both their combined theme score (Sports Betting
score plus iGaming score) and their free-float market capitalization subject to
capping constraints.
The
Index is reconstituted and rebalanced annually on the Monday following the third
Friday in December. Index components are capped to ensure that no Index
component has a weight greater than 10% and the sum of components with weights
greater than or equal to 5% cannot exceed 40%.
Ball
Metaverse ETF
The
Ball Metaverse Index is designed to track the performance of equity securities
of foreign and domestic issuers that engage in activities or provide products,
services, technologies, or technological capabilities to enable the Metaverse,
and benefit from its generated revenues. The Metaverse will be supported by a
wide range of technologies, tools, and standards that enable high volumes of
concurrent users, a rich virtual-only economy of labor, goods, and services, and
wide ranging interoperability of data, digital assets, and content.
The
composition of the Index is rebalanced and/or reconstituted quarterly. The Index
Provider may make extraordinary adjustments in accordance with the Index’s
methodology and index calculation agent guidelines.
Cannabis
ETF
For
temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest in short-term instruments such
as commercial paper and/or repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S.
government securities. Taking a temporary defensive position may result in the
Fund not achieving its investment objective.
Magnificent
Seven ETF
From
time to time, the Fund may invest in shares of another ETF managed by the
Adviser (“Affiliated ETF”) when the Adviser believes such investment will help
the Fund to achieve its investment objective. In such an instance, the Adviser
may be subject to a conflict of interest because the Adviser would receive
management fees from the Affiliated ETF in addition to a management fee from the
Fund.
Principal
Investment Risks
An
investment in a Fund entails risks. A Fund could lose money, or its performance
could trail that of other investment alternatives. The following provides
additional information about each Fund’s principal risks. It is important that
investors closely review and understand these risks before making an investment
in a Fund. Each risk applies to each Fund unless otherwise specified. Just as in
each Fund’s summary section, the principal risks below are presented in
alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them
with those of other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal
risk” of investing in the applicable Fund, regardless of the order in which it
appears.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
NERD |
BETZ |
METV |
WEED |
MAGS |
| Associated
Risks of iGaming and Sports Betting Companies |
| X |
|
| |
| Associated
Risks of Video Game Companies |
X |
|
|
| |
| Bitcoin
Risk |
|
| X |
| |
| Cash
Transaction Risk |
X |
|
| X |
X |
| Concentration
Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Automotive
Industry Risk |
|
|
|
| X |
| Casinos
& Gaming Industry Risk |
| X |
|
| |
| E-Commerce
Discretionary Industry Risk |
|
|
|
| X |
| Entertainment
Industry Risk |
X |
| X |
| |
| Internet
Media & Services Industry Risk |
|
|
|
| X |
| Pharmaceuticals,
Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry Group Risk |
|
|
| X |
|
| Semiconductors
Industry Risk |
|
|
|
| X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
NERD |
BETZ |
METV |
WEED |
MAGS |
| Software
Industry Risk |
|
|
|
| X |
| Technology
Hardware Industry Risk |
|
|
|
| X |
| Counterparty
Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Cryptocurrency
Risk |
|
| X |
| |
| Cryptocurrency
ETF Risk |
|
| X |
| |
| Currency
Exchange Rate Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Cybersecurity
Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Depositary
Receipt Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Derivatives
Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Swap
Agreements Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Forwards
Contracts |
|
|
|
| X |
| Emerging
and Developing Markets Risk |
X |
|
| X |
|
| Equity
Securities Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| ETF
Risks |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Authorized
Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration
Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Shares
May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Trading
Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Ether
Risk |
|
| X |
| |
| Fixed
Income Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Call
Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Credit
Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Extension
Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Income
Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Interest
Rate Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Prepayment
Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Foreign
Securities Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Geographic
Investment Risk |
X |
X |
|
| |
| Risks
Related to Investing in Asia |
X |
|
|
| |
|
Risks
Related to Investing in China. |
X |
|
|
| |
|
Risks
Related to Investing in Hong Kong |
X |
|
|
| |
|
Risks
Related to Investing in Japan |
X |
|
|
| |
|
Risks
of Investing in South Korea |
X |
|
|
| |
| Illiquidity
Risk |
X |
X |
|
| |
| Index
Provider Risk |
|
X |
X |
| |
| Investment
Company Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Limited
Issuer Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Liquidity
and Valuation Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Management
Risk |
X |
|
| X |
X |
| Market
Capitalization Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Large-Capitalization
Investing Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Mid-Capitalization
Investing Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Small-Capitalization
Investing Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Market
Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Models
and Data Risk |
|
| X |
| |
| Money
Market Instrument Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| Non-Diversification
Risk |
X |
X |
X |
| X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
NERD |
BETZ |
METV |
WEED |
MAGS |
| Non-U.S.
Regulatory Risks of the Cannabis Industry |
|
|
| X |
|
| Operational
Risks of the Cannabis Industry |
|
|
| X |
|
| Passive
Investment Risk |
| X |
X |
| |
| Real
Estate Companies Risk |
|
|
| X |
|
| REITs
Risk |
|
|
| X |
|
| Risks
Related to Investing in Canada |
|
| X |
| |
| Sector
Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Communications
Service Sector Risk |
X |
| X |
| X |
| Consumer
Discretionary Sector Risk |
| X |
|
| X |
| Health
Care Sector Risk |
|
|
| X |
|
| Information
Technology |
|
|
|
| X |
| Technology
Sector |
|
|
|
| X |
| Securities
Lending Risk |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Solana
Risk |
|
| X |
| |
| Tax
Risk |
|
| X |
X |
X |
| Tracking
Error Risk |
| X |
X |
| |
| U.S.
Government Securities Risk |
|
|
| X |
X |
| United
States Regulatory Risks of Hemp |
|
|
| X |
|
| United
States Regulatory Risks of the Cannabis Industry |
|
|
| X |
|
| XRP
Risk |
|
| X |
| |
•Associated
Risks of iGaming and Sports Betting Companies.
The iGaming and sports betting industry is characterized by an increasingly high
degree of competition among a large number of participants including from
participants performing illegal activities or unregulated companies. Expansion
of iGaming and sports betting in other jurisdictions (both regulated and
unregulated) could increase competition with traditional betting companies,
which could have an adverse impact on their financial condition, operations and
cash flows. In a broader sense, iGaming and sports betting companies face
competition from all manner of leisure and entertainment activities, including
shopping, athletic events, television and movies, concerts and travel. In
addition, established jurisdictions could award additional licenses or permit
the expansion or relocation of existing sports betting companies. These
companies also may be subject to increasing regulatory constraints, particularly
with respect to cybersecurity and privacy. In addition to the costs of complying
with such constraints, the unintended disclosure of confidential information,
whether because of an error or a cybersecurity event, could adversely affect the
reputation, profitability and value of these companies.
•Associated
Risks of Video Game Companies.
Video game companies face intense competition, both domestically and
internationally, may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources,
or personnel, may have products that face rapid obsolescence, and are heavily
dependent on the protection of patent and intellectual property rights.
Pure-play companies may be dependent on one or a small number of product or
product franchises for a significant portion of their revenue and
profits. They may also be subject to shifting consumer preferences,
including preferences with respect to gaming console platforms, and changes in
consumer discretionary spending. Such factors may adversely affect the
profitability and value of video game companies. Video game companies also may
be subject to increasing regulatory constraints, particularly with respect to
cybersecurity and privacy. In addition to the costs of complying with such
constraints, the unintended disclosure of confidential information, whether
because of an error or a cybersecurity event, could adversely affect the
reputation, profitability and value of these companies. Video game companies may
be subject to sophisticated intellectual property infringement schemes and
piracy efforts, particularly in foreign markets, which may limit the revenue
potential in such markets, and combating such infringement or piracy schemes may
require significant expenses. Such anti-piracy programs may not be
effective.
•Bitcoin
Risk.
Bitcoin is a relatively new innovation and the market for bitcoin is subject to
rapid price swings, changes and uncertainty. The value of bitcoin has been and
may continue to be substantially dependent on speculation. The further
development of the Bitcoin Network and the acceptance and use of bitcoin are
subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. The slowing,
stopping or reversing of the development of the Bitcoin Network or the
acceptance of bitcoin may adversely affect the price of bitcoin. Bitcoin is
subject to the risk of fraud, theft, manipulation or security failures,
operational or other problems that impact bitcoin trading venues. Additionally,
if one or a coordinated group of miners were to gain control of 51% of the
Bitcoin Network, they would have the ability to manipulate transactions, halt
payments and fraudulently obtain bitcoin. A significant portion of bitcoin is
held by a small number of holders sometimes referred to as “whales.” These
holders have the ability to manipulate the price of bitcoin. Unlike the
exchanges for more traditional assets, such as equity securities and
futures
contracts, bitcoin and bitcoin trading venues are largely unregulated. As a
result of the lack of regulation, individuals or groups may engage in fraud or
market manipulation (including using social media to promote bitcoin in a way
that artificially increases the price of bitcoin). Investors may be more exposed
to the risk of theft, fraud and market manipulation than when investing in more
traditional asset classes. Over the past several years, a number of bitcoin
trading venues have been closed due to fraud, failure or security breaches.
Investors in bitcoin may have little or no recourse should such theft, fraud or
manipulation occur and could suffer significant losses. Legal or regulatory
changes may negatively impact the operation of the Bitcoin Network. The
realization of any of these risks could result in a decline in the acceptance of
bitcoin and consequently a reduction in the value of bitcoin, bitcoin futures,
and the Fund. In addition, bitcoin is a bearer asset that can be irrevocably
lost or stolen to the extent that private keys are lost or stolen.
The
slowness of transaction processing and finality, the variability of transaction
fees, and volatility of bitcoin’s price could disadvantage or impede the
adoption of the Bitcoin Blockchain as a payment network. The further development
and use of the Bitcoin Blockchain for its intended purpose and other allowable
applications are, and may continue to be, substantially dependent upon “Layer-2”
solutions operating on top of the Bitcoin Blockchain, such as the Lightning
Network, which is intended to expand the scale and speed of payments across the
underlying Bitcoin Blockchain through the use of channels and payment networks
outside of the Bitcoin Blockchain. To the extent these Layer-2 solutions have
not been developed or have not been fully developed in a way that is adequate to
improve scalability, transactions speed or efficiency, the use and/or value of
the Bitcoin Blockchain may be limited, which could adversely affect the Fund.
Further, the industry is actively researching, investing in and in some cases
creating alternative blockchains that are able to support more advanced
applications, such as the Ethereum Blockchain. The emergence of other public
blockchains and related technologies may compete with bitcoin and result in a
reduction in the use of bitcoin, which could reduce its value or increase the
volatility of the price of bitcoin due to changes in the supply and demand of
bitcoin relative to alternatives, thus negatively impacting investment in the
Fund. The Bitcoin Blockchain may also be vulnerable to attacks to the extent a
miner or group of miners possess more than 50% of its hashing power and the
Bitcoin Blockchain’s protocol may contain flaws that can be exploited by
attackers.
The
Bitcoin Network operates using open-source protocols, meaning that any user can
download the software, modify it and then propose that the users and validators
adopt the modification. When a modification is introduced and a substantial
majority of users and validators consent to the modification, the change is
implemented and the network remains uninterrupted. However, if less than a
substantial majority of users and validators consent to the proposed
modification, and the modification is not compatible with the software prior to
its modification, the consequence would be what is known as a “fork,” with one
group running the pre-modified software and the other running the modified
software. The effect of such a fork would be the existence of two,
non-interchangeable versions of the Bitcoin Network running in parallel with
different native crypto assets and sets of participants. For example, in August
2017, bitcoin “forked” into Bitcoin and a new digital asset, Bitcoin Cash, as a
result of a several-year dispute over how to increase the rate of transactions
that the Bitcoin Network can process. The creation of a fork or a substantial
giveaway of bitcoin (sometimes referred to as an “air drop”) may result in
significant and unexpected declines in the value of bitcoin, bitcoin futures,
and the Fund.
•Cash
Transaction Risk.
Each Fund expects to effect certain of its creations and redemptions for cash,
rather than in-kind securities. Cash purchases and redemptions may increase
brokerage and other transaction costs. In addition, a Fund may be required to
sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute
redemption proceeds. This may cause a Fund to recognize a capital gain that it
might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in kind. As a result, a
Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind
redemption process was used. The use of cash creations and redemptions also may
cause a Fund’s Shares to trade in the market at wider bid-ask spreads or greater
premiums or discounts to a Fund’s NAV, particularly in times of stressed market
conditions. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such
as market makers or other large broker dealers, create or redeem Shares directly
through a Fund. Most investors will buy and sell Shares on an exchange through a
broker-dealer. Furthermore, a Fund may not be able to execute cash transactions
for creation and redemption purposes at the same price used to determine a
Fund’s NAV. To the extent that the maximum additional charge for creation or
redemption transactions is insufficient to cover the execution shortfall, a
Fund’s performance could be negatively impacted.
•Concentration
Risk.
To the extent a Fund concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular
industry, such Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may
affect that industry or group of industries and may face more risks than if it
were diversified more broadly over numerous industries. Such industry-based
risks, any of which may adversely affect a Fund may include, but are not limited
to, the following: general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that
could negatively affect supply and demand in a particular industry; competition
for resources, adverse labor relations, political or world events; obsolescence
of technologies; and increased competition or new product introductions that may
affect the profitability or viability of companies in an industry. In addition,
at times, an industry may be out of favor and underperform other industries or
the market as a whole. For information about the industries to which a Fund has
concentrated exposure, please see such Fund’s Summary section.
◦Automotive
Industry Risk. The
automotive industry can be highly cyclical, and companies in the industry may
suffer periodic operating losses. The automotive industry also can be
significantly affected by labor relations and fluctuating component prices.
Companies in the automotive industry, particularly those in the electric
vehicles industry, may be affected by the obsolescence of existing technology,
short product cycles, falling prices and profits, competition from new market
entrants and general economic conditions. While most of the major manufacturers
are large, financially strong companies, many others are small and can be
non-diversified in both product line and customer base. Additionally,
developments in automotive technologies (e.g.,
autonomous vehicle technologies) may require significant capital expenditures
that may not generate profits for several years, if any. Companies in the
automotive industry may be significantly subject to government policies and
regulations regarding imports and exports of automotive products. Governmental
policies affecting the automotive industry, such as taxes, tariffs, duties,
subsidies, and import and export restrictions on automotive products can
influence industry profitability. In addition, such companies must comply with
environmental laws and regulations, for which there may be severe consequences
for non-compliance. Legislative or regulatory changes and increased government
supervision also may affect companies in the automotive industry.
◦Casinos
& Gaming Industry Risk.
The Casinos & Gaming Industry includes owners and operators of casinos and
gaming facilities, and companies providing lottery and betting services. The
Casinos & Gaming Industry is highly competitive and companies operating in
the Casinos & Gaming Industry rely heavily on consumer spending and the
availability of disposable income for success. In addition, the Casinos &
Gaming Industry may be negatively affected by changes in economic conditions,
consumer tastes and discretionary income levels, technological developments,
limited financial resources, competition from competing entertainment options,
and competition for key personnel. Casinos are closely tied to the travel and
tourism industry and are particularly sensitive to economic shutdowns and
mitigation strategies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Casinos &
Gaming Industry companies are highly regulated, and state and federal
legislative or regulatory changes and licensing issues (as well as the laws of
other countries) can significantly impact their ability to operate in certain
jurisdictions. The Casinos & Gaming Industry is a sub-industry of the
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry within the Consumer Discretionary
Sector.
◦E-Commerce
Discretionary Industry Risk.
The E-Commerce Discretionary Industry includes retailers, retail outlets, and
wholesalers offering a wide variety of products or specializing in a single
class of goods (e.g.,
computers, apparel, home improvement, etc.). Companies in the E-Commerce
Discretionary Industry are dependent on consumer spending, the availability of
disposable income, changing consumer tastes and preferences, consumer
demographics, general economic conditions, internal infrastructure and on the
availability, reliability and security of the Internet and related systems.
Critical systems and operations may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from
natural disasters, power loss, telecommunications failure, terrorist attacks,
cyber-attacks, acts of war, break-ins, and similar events. In addition,
legislative or regulatory changes and increased government supervision may
affect companies in the E-Commerce Discretionary Industry. The E-Commerce
Discretionary Industry is a separate industry within the Consumer Discretionary
Sector.
◦Entertainment
Industry Risk.
The Entertainment Industry is highly competitive and relies on consumer spending
and the availability of disposable income for success. The prices of the
securities of companies in the Entertainment Industry may fluctuate widely due
to competitive pressures, heavy expenses incurred for research and development
of products, problems related to bringing products to market, consumer
preferences and rapid obsolescence of products. Legislative or regulatory
changes and increased government supervision also may affect companies in the
Entertainment Industry. The Entertainment Industry is a separate industry within
the Communication Services Sector.
◦Internet
Media & Services Industry Risk.
The Internet Media & Services Industry includes companies engaged in content
and information creation or distribution through proprietary platforms, where
revenues are derived primarily through pay-per-click advertisements, including
search engines, social media and networking platforms, online classifieds, and
online review companies. The prices of the securities of companies in the
Internet Media & Services Industry are closely tied to the performance of
the overall economy and may be affected by changes in general economic growth,
consumer confidence and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer
tastes also may affect the success of companies in the Internet Media &
Services Industry. In addition, legislative or regulatory changes and increased
government supervision may affect companies in the Internet Media & Services
Industry. The Internet Media & Services Industry is a separate industry
within the Communications Sector.
◦Pharmaceuticals,
Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry Group Risk.
Companies in the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry
Group can be significantly affected by, among other things, government approval
of products and services, government regulation and reimbursement rates, product
liability claims, patent expirations and protection, and intense competition.
Companies in this industry group spend heavily on research and development, and
their products or services may not prove commercially successful or may become
obsolete quickly. This industry is subject to a significant amount of
governmental regulation, and changes in governmental policies and the need for
regulatory approvals may have a material adverse effect on this industry. The
process of obtaining government approvals and maintaining compliance with
regulations can be long and costly, and the process is accompanied by
significant uncertainty. Companies in which the Fund
may
invest may not be able to maintain any regulatory approvals that they obtain for
their products or their products may not be accepted by patients or providers.
In addition, unanticipated problems often arise in connection with the
development and marketing of new products, and many new products are ultimately
unsuccessful. Companies in this industry group may not be able to obtain
adequate pricing and reimbursement levels for any marketed products, impeding
their ability to generate a profit. Companies also may have difficulty
manufacturing, marketing, and distributing their products. Companies may further
face product liability and other actions should their products be less safe or
efficacious than believed, should they be deemed to have engaged in misleading
practices, or should a person that received their product otherwise experience
harm or injury.
◦Semiconductors
Industry Risk.
Competitive pressures may have a significant effect on the financial condition
of semiconductor companies and, as product cycles shorten and manufacturing
capacity increases, these companies may become increasingly subject to
aggressive pricing, which hampers profitability. Reduced demand for end-user
products, under-utilization of manufacturing capacity, and other factors could
adversely impact the operating results of companies in the Semiconductors
Industry. Semiconductor companies typically face high capital costs and may be
heavily dependent on intellectual property rights. The Semiconductors Industry
is highly cyclical, which may cause the operating results of many semiconductor
companies to vary significantly. The stock prices of companies in the
Semiconductors Industry have been and likely will continue to be extremely
volatile.
◦Software
Industry Risk.
The Software Industry can be significantly affected by intense competition,
aggressive pricing, technological innovations, and product obsolescence.
Companies in the Software Industry are subject to significant competitive
pressures, such as aggressive pricing, new market entrants, competition for
market share, short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological
developments and the potential for limited earnings and/or falling profit
margins. These companies also face the risks that new services, equipment or
technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become
rapidly obsolete. These factors can affect the profitability of these companies
and, as a result, the value of their securities. Also, patent protection is
integral to the success of many companies in this industry, and profitability
can be affected materially by, among other things, the cost of obtaining (or
failing to obtain) patent approvals, the cost of litigating patent infringement
and the loss of patent protection for products (which significantly increases
pricing pressures and can materially reduce profitability with respect to such
products). In addition, many software companies have limited operating
histories. Prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more
volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
◦Technology
Hardware Industry Risk.
The Technology Hardware Industry includes companies that manufacture and
distribute computers, servers, mainframes, peripheral devices (e.g.,
keyboard, mouse, etc.), high-technology components (e.g.,
circuit boards), and electronic office equipment. In addition, companies in the
Technology Hardware Industry include producers and distributors of
semiconductors and other integrated chips, other products related to the
semiconductor industry such as motherboards, and manufacturers of
high-technology tools and/or equipment used in the creation of semiconductors,
photonics, wafers, and other high-technology components. The companies in the
Technology Hardware Industry can be significantly affected by competitive
pressures, aggressive pricing, technological developments, changing domestic
demand, the ability to attract and retain skilled employees and availability and
price of components. The market for products produced by companies in the
Technology Hardware Industry is characterized by rapidly changing technology,
rapid product obsolescence, cyclical market patterns, evolving industry
standards and frequent new product introductions. The success of these companies
depends in substantial part on the timely and successful introduction of new
products. An unexpected change in one or more of the technologies affecting an
issuer’s products or in the market for products based on a particular technology
could have a material adverse effect on a participant’s operating
results.
Many
of the companies in the Technology Hardware Industry rely on a combination of
patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret laws to establish and protect
their proprietary rights in their products and technologies. There can be no
assurance that the steps taken by the companies to protect their proprietary
rights will be adequate to prevent misappropriation of their technology or that
competitors will not independently develop technologies that are substantially
equivalent or superior to such companies’ technology. The Technology Hardware
Industry is a separate industry within the Technology Sector.
•Counterparty
Risk.
Counterparty
risk is the risk that a counterparty is unwilling or unable to make timely
payments or deliver the reference asset contemplated by such arrangement to meet
its contractual obligations with respect to the amount a Fund expects to receive
from a counterparty to a financial instrument entered into by a Fund. A Fund
generally enters into derivatives transactions with counterparties such that
either party can terminate the contract without penalty prior to the termination
date. A Fund may be negatively impacted if a counterparty becomes bankrupt or
otherwise fails to perform its obligations under such a contract, or if any
collateral posted by the counterparty for the benefit of a Fund is insufficient
or there are delays in a Fund’s ability to access such collateral. If the
counterparty becomes bankrupt or defaults on its payment, delivery or other
obligations to a Fund, it may experience significant delays in obtaining any
recovery, may obtain only a limited recovery or obtain no recovery, or may not
be able to maintain its desired exposure to Underlying Issuers, which may result
in a decline in the value of an investment held by a Fund. A Fund also may not
be able to exercise remedies, such as the termination of transactions, netting
of obligations and realization on collateral, if such remedies are stayed or
eliminated under special resolutions adopted in the United
States,
the European Union and various other jurisdictions. European Union rules and
regulations intervene when a financial institution is experiencing financial
difficulties and could reduce, eliminate, or convert to equity a counterparty’s
obligations to a Fund (sometimes referred to as a “bail in”).
A
Fund typically enters into transactions with counterparties that present minimal
risks based on the Adviser’s assessment of the counterparty’s creditworthiness,
or its capacity to meet its contractual obligations during the term of the
derivative agreement or contract. The Adviser considers factors such as
counterparty credit rating among other factors when determining whether a
counterparty is creditworthy. The Adviser regularly monitors the
creditworthiness of each counterparty with which a Fund transacts. A Fund
generally enters into derivative transactions with major financial
intermediaries and seeks to mitigate risks by generally requiring that the
counterparties for a Fund post collateral, marked to market daily, in an amount
approximately equal to what the counterparty owes a Fund, subject to certain
minimum thresholds. To the extent any such collateral is insufficient or there
are delays in accessing the collateral, a Fund will be exposed to the risks
described above. If a counterparty’s credit ratings decline, a Fund may be
subject to a bail-in, as described above.
In
addition, each Fund may enter into derivative transactions with a limited number
of counterparties, which may increase a Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit
risk. The Funds do not specifically limit their counterparty risk with respect
to any single counterparty. To the extent a Fund’s counterparties are
concentrated in the financial services sector, a Fund bears the risk that those
counterparties may be adversely affected by legislative or regulatory changes,
adverse market conditions, increased competition, and/or wide scale credit
losses resulting from financial difficulties or borrowers affecting that
economic sector. There is a risk that no suitable counterparties are willing to
enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with a Fund and, as a
result, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment
objective.
•Cryptocurrency
Risk. While
the Fund will not invest directly in cryptocurrencies, certain of the Fund’s
investments in Cryptocurrency ETFs and in publicly traded securities of
companies engaged in cryptocurrency-related businesses and activities are
subject to fluctuations in the value of the cryptocurrencies in which they
invest or to which they have exposure, and the value of such cryptocurrencies
may be highly volatile as a result of the following factors.
Cryptocurrencies
are digital assets designed to act as a medium of exchange. The value of
cryptocurrencies is determined by supply and demand in the global cryptocurrency
markets, which consist primarily of transactions of the respective
cryptocurrencies on electronic exchanges or trading venues. Cryptocurrencies are
relatively new, and their value is influenced by a wide variety of factors that
are uncertain and difficult to evaluate, such as the infancy of their
development, regulatory changes, a crisis of confidence, their dependence on
technologies such as cryptographic protocols, their dependence on the role
played by miners and developers and the potential for malicious activity
(e.g.,
theft).
Cryptocurrency
generally operates without central authority (such as a bank) and is not backed
by any government. Cryptocurrency is not legal tender. Federal, state and/or
foreign governments may restrict the use and exchange of cryptocurrency, and
regulation in the U.S. is still developing. The market price of cryptocurrencies
has been subject to extreme fluctuations. If cryptocurrency markets continue to
be subject to sharp fluctuations, investors may experience losses. The market
value of cryptocurrencies may be affected by momentum pricing of the market due
to speculation about future price appreciation, which may lead to increased
volatility. Similar to fiat currencies (i.e.,
a currency that is backed by a central bank or a national, supra-national or
quasi-national organization), cryptocurrencies are susceptible to theft, loss
and destruction. Furthermore, if network participants are able to gain a certain
level of control over a network, they would be able to execute significant
attacks, control transactions, stop payments, and fraudulently obtain such
network’s cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency exchanges and other trading venues on
which cryptocurrencies trade are relatively new and, in most cases, largely
unregulated and may therefore be more exposed to market manipulation, fraud and
failure than established, regulated exchanges for securities, derivatives and
other currencies. Investors in cryptocurrency may have little or no recourse
should such theft, fraud or manipulation occur and could suffer significant
losses. Additionally, holders of cryptocurrency may not be able to access their
wallets due to the loss, theft, compromise or destruction of the private keys
associated with the public addresses that hold the cryptocurrency. A significant
portion of a cryptocurrency may be held by a small number of holders, who would
have the ability to manipulate the prices of such cryptocurrencies. The Fund’s
indirect investment in and exposure to cryptocurrency remains subject to
volatility experienced by the cryptocurrency exchanges and other cryptocurrency
trading venues. Such volatility can adversely affect an investment in the Fund.
Cryptocurrency exchanges may stop operating or permanently shut down due to
fraud, technical glitches, hackers or malware, which may also affect the price
of cryptocurrencies and thus the Fund’s investment in cryptocurrency-related
instruments or in publicly traded securities of companies engaged in
cryptocurrency-related businesses and activities.
Because
cryptocurrencies have no physical existence beyond the record of transactions on
their respective blockchains, a variety of technical factors related to these
blockchains could also impact the price of the cryptocurrencies. For example,
malicious attacks by “miners” who validate transactions, inadequate mining fees
to incentivize validating of cryptocurrency transactions, and advances in
quantum computing could undercut the integrity of the blockchain and negatively
affect the price of cryptocurrency. The acceptance of software patches or
upgrades by a significant, but not overwhelming, percentage of the users and
miners in a digital asset network, such as the bitcoin or Ethereum network,
could result in a “fork” in such network’s blockchain, resulting in the creation
of multiple separate networks, which could compete with one another for users,
miners, and
developers.
This could adversely affect the network and the underlying cryptocurrency’s
price. A fork may be intentional, such as when the Ethereum network shifted from
proof-of-work to proof-of-stake. This means that instead of being required to
solve complex mathematical problems validators are required to stake
ether.
Factors
affecting the further development of cryptocurrency include, but are not limited
to, continued worldwide growth or possible cessation or reversal in the adoption
and use of cryptocurrency and other digital assets; government and
quasi-government regulation or restrictions on or regulation of access to and
operation of digital asset networks; changes in consumer demographics and public
preferences; maintenance and development of open-source software protocol;
availability and popularity of other forms or methods of buying and selling
goods and services; the use of the networks supporting digital assets, such as
those for developing smart contracts and distributed applications; general
economic conditions and the regulatory environment relating to digital assets;
negative consumer or public perception; general risks tied to the use of
information technologies, including cyber risks; and political or economic
crises. A hack or failure of one cryptocurrency may lead to a loss in confidence
in, and thus decreased usage or and or value of, other
cryptocurrencies.
Currently,
there is relatively limited use of cryptocurrency in the retail and commercial
marketplace, which contributes to price volatility. A lack of expansion by
cryptocurrencies into retail and commercial markets, or a contraction of such
use, may result in increased volatility or a reduction in the value of
cryptocurrencies, either of which could adversely impact the Fund’s investment.
In addition, to the extent market participants develop a preference for one
cryptocurrency over another, the value of the less preferred cryptocurrency
would likely be adversely affected.
•Cryptocurrency
ETF Risk.
The Fund may invest in or have exposure to one or more Cryptocurrency ETFs that
primarily hold cryptocurrency to the extent consistent with U.S. federal
securities laws and related guidance applicable to the Fund. Foreign and
domestic Cryptocurrency ETFs are relatively new investment products, with the
first domestic cryptocurrency ETFs having commenced trading in January 2024. As
a result, the Cryptocurrency ETFs in which the Fund may invest may have limited
financial and operating histories. To the extent the Fund invests directly in
shares of a Cryptocurrency ETF, the Fund will hold shares representing a
fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Cryptocurrency
ETF and bear its ratable share of the Cryptocurrency ETF’s expenses. As a
result, Fund shareholders will indirectly pay the fees of any Cryptocurrency ETF
to which the Fund has investment exposure in addition to the Fund’s total annual
fund operating expenses. The Fund’s investment exposure to Cryptocurrency ETFs
subjects the Fund to many of the same risks as an investment in the reference
cryptocurrency itself, including those described elsewhere in this Prospectus.
The value of interests in Cryptocurrency ETFs and their reference cryptocurrency
is subject to a number of factors, including the capabilities and development of
blockchain technologies, cryptocurrencies’ dependence on the internet, other
technologies, and the role played by key service providers, users, developers
and other facilitators (e.g.,
miners) and the potential for malicious activity at various stages in the
cryptocurrency investment cycle. The Fund expects to purchase shares of any
Cryptocurrency ETF in the secondary market at its market price, which may be
highly volatile and may not closely correspond to either the NAV per share of
the Cryptocurrency ETF or the price of the reference cryptocurrency. Shares of
Cryptocurrency ETFs may trade at premiums (i.e.,
the market price of the shares is more than the NAV) or discounts (i.e.,
the market price of the shares is less than the NAV), which may be significant.
The risk that share prices differ from a Cryptocurrency ETF’s NAV and/or the
price of the Cryptocurrency ETF’s reference cryptocurrency is likely to increase
during times of market volatility or stressed market conditions. Under such
conditions, the market for shares of Cryptocurrency ETFs may become less liquid
making it difficult for the Fund to either increase or decrease its investment
exposure to Cryptocurrency ETFs. Extreme volatility affecting cryptocurrencies
may persist for extended periods and the value of the Fund’s investment in a
Cryptocurrency ETF may decline significantly without recovery. The
cryptocurrency markets and by extension, Cryptocurrency ETFs and the Fund’s
investments in such Cryptocurrency ETFs, also may be significantly and adversely
affected by alleged and actual acts of fraud carried out by cryptocurrency
market participants, the bankruptcy or other failure of key cryptocurrency
service providers, and regulatory actions that negatively affect or constrain
the further development of cryptocurrencies and the cryptocurrency markets.
Regulatory and enforcement scrutiny of cryptocurrency market participants and
the cryptocurrency markets more generally by, among others, the Department of
Justice, the SEC, the CFTC, the White House and Congress, as well as state
regulators and authorities has continued to increase. The shares of
Cryptocurrency ETFs in which the Fund may invest or to which the Fund may have
investment exposure are generally not registered under the 1940 Act, and
therefore, do not afford the Fund the investor protections typical of
investments in U.S. registered funds.
Certain
of the Cryptocurrency ETFs in which the Fund invests may engage in staking.
Staking refers to the process where the holder of a particular cryptocurrency
will agree to lock up the cryptocurrency for it to be used in the relevant
network’s proof-of-stake validation process. In return, the holder will receive
staking rewards in the form of the cryptocurrency, which represent portions of
the cryptocurrency network’s transaction fees. Staking is only available to
cryptocurrencies that utilize the proof-of-stake validation
process.
When
a Cryptocurrency ETF stakes its underlying cryptocurrency, the cryptocurrency is
subject to the risks attendant to staking generally, such as illiquidity,
reliance on third-party service providers, slashing, missed rewards, and
validator problems and errors. Staking requires that the Cryptocurrency ETF lock
up the staked cryptocurrency and become subject to an unbonding period to
unstake the cryptocurrency, meaning that the Cryptocurrency ETF cannot sell or
transfer the staked cryptocurrency
during
the time that it is staked and during which it is being unbonded. The unbonding
period may be longer than anticipated based on network activity. In addition,
during the unbonding period, the Cryptocurrency ETF is subject to the market
price volatility of the cryptocurrency, and it may miss opportunities to sell
the staked cryptocurrency during opportune times. Staking a cryptocurrency may
involve the risk of slashing and concentration risk. Slashing is a penalty
imposed on network validators for actions that threaten the blockchain’s
integrity. For example, slashing can result from isolated validator mistakes,
malicious activity, coordinated attacks, software bugs, or provider failures.
Slashing serves as an enforcement mechanism to ensure network resilience, but
correlated slashing events can be catastrophic. Penalties can scale
aggressively, potentially leading to a significant loss of staked principal.
Concentration risks associated with staking include staking activities occurring
through a concentrated group of software providers and cloud infrastructure
providers. There are a limited number of staking software providers, and
over-allocating to validators using the same software increases the risk of a
single issue impacting a large amount of staked assets. Similarly, complications
in specific cloud regions (i.e.,
a particular geographical area where a cloud provider’s data centers are
located) can create outages that impact validators. Such complications may
include, but are not limited to, compliance and regulatory issues, security
breaches such as ransomware threats and attacks, data breaches, and malicious
actors, and cloud network and infrastructure performance issues (e.g.,
network latency and service outages). Staked cryptocurrencies are also subject
to security breaches, network downtime or attacks, smart contract
vulnerabilities, and validator or custodian failure or compromise, which can
result in a complete loss of the staked cryptocurrency or a loss of any rewards.
The loss of the staked cryptocurrency (either in whole or partially) during the
staking period will have an adverse effect on the Cryptocurrency ETF, and in
turn, the Fund.
•Currency
Exchange Rate Risk.
Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies
will affect the value of a Fund’s investments and the value of your Shares.
Because a Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, the U.S. dollar
value of your investment in a Fund may go down if the value of the local
currency of the non-U.S. markets in which a Fund invests depreciates against the
U.S. dollar. This is true even if the local currency value of securities in a
Fund’s holdings goes up. Conversely, the dollar value of your investment in a
Fund may go up if the value of the local currency appreciates against the U.S.
dollar. The value of the U.S. dollar measured against other currencies is
influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include: national debt levels
and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and
foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, economic or
financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential
government intervention, and global energy prices. Political instability, the
possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and
investment policies also may reduce the value of a country’s currency.
Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a
country’s government also may influence exchange rates. Currency exchange rates
can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the
value of an investment in a Fund may change quickly and without warning, and you
may lose money.
•Cybersecurity
Risk.
With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence
on computer systems to perform business and operational functions, funds (such
as a Fund) and their service providers may be prone to operational and
information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks and/or technological
malfunctions. In general, cyber-attacks are deliberate, but unintentional events
may have similar effects. Cyber-attacks include, among others, stealing or
corrupting data maintained online or digitally, preventing legitimate users from
accessing information or services on a website, releasing confidential
information without authorization, and causing operational disruption.
Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund
assets or proprietary information, or cause a Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser
and/or other service providers (including custodians and financial
intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption. Additionally,
cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of a Fund, the
Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or a Fund’s other service providers, market makers,
APs, a Fund’s primary listing exchange or the issuers of securities in which
such Fund invests have the ability to disrupt and negatively affect the Fund’s
business operations, including the ability to purchase and sell Shares,
potentially resulting in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders. For
instance, cyber-attacks or technical malfunctions may interfere with the
processing of shareholder or other transactions, affect a Fund’s ability to
calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or
confidential Fund information, impede trading, cause reputational damage, and
subject a Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement
or other compensation costs, and additional compliance costs. Cyber-attacks or
technical malfunctions may render records of Fund assets and transactions,
shareholder ownership of Shares, and other data integral to the functioning of a
Fund inaccessible or inaccurate or incomplete. A Fund also may incur substantial
costs for cybersecurity risk management to prevent cyber incidents in the
future. A Fund and its respective shareholders could be negatively impacted as a
result.
•Depositary
Receipt Risk.
Each
Fund may hold the securities of non-U.S. companies in the form of depositary
receipts, including ADRs and GDRs. ADRs are negotiable certificates issued by a
U.S. financial institution that represent a specified number of shares in a
foreign stock and trade on a U.S. national securities exchange, such as the New
York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”). Sponsored ADRs are issued with the support of
the issuer of the foreign stock underlying the ADRs and carry all of the rights
of common shares, including voting rights. GDRs are similar to ADRs, but may be
issued in bearer form and are typically offered for sale globally and held by a
foreign branch of an international bank. The underlying issuers of certain
depositary receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered depositary
receipts, are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to
the
holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with
respect to the deposited securities. Issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts
are not contractually obligated to disclose material information in the U.S.
and, therefore, such information may not correlate to the market value of the
unsponsored depositary receipt. The Underlying Shares in a Fund’s portfolio are
usually denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar. As a
result, changes in foreign currency exchange rates may affect the value of such
Fund’s portfolio. In addition, because the Underlying Shares trade on foreign
exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of
the Underlying Shares may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are
not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for
Shares.
•Derivatives
Risk.
Each
Fund intends to invest in total return swaps, which are a type of derivative. A
Fund may invest in swap agreements to pursue its investment objective and to
create economic leverage in a Fund; to seek to enhance total return; to seek to
hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates, currency rates,
etc.; to seek to change the effective duration of a Fund’s portfolio; to seek to
manage certain investment risks; as a substitute for the purchase or sale of
securities or currencies; and/or to obtain or replicate market exposure. The use
of such derivatives may expose a Fund to risks in addition to and greater than
those associated with investing directly in the instruments underlying those
derivatives, including risks relating to leverage, correlation (imperfect
correlations with underlying instruments or a Fund’s other portfolio holdings),
high price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty credit, liquidity,
valuation and legal restrictions. The use of such derivatives also may expose a
Fund to the performance of securities that a Fund does not own. The skills
necessary to successfully execute derivatives strategies may be different from
those for more traditional portfolio management techniques, and if the Adviser
and Sub-Adviser are incorrect about their expectations of market conditions, the
use of derivatives also could result in a loss, which in some cases may be
unlimited. Use of derivatives also may cause a Fund to be subject to additional
regulations, which may generate additional Fund expenses. These practices also
entail transactional expenses and may cause a Fund to realize higher amounts of
short-term capital gains than if the Fund had not engaged in such transactions.
The markets for certain derivatives, including those located in certain foreign
countries, are relatively new and still developing, which may expose a Fund to
increased counterparty credit and liquidity risks.
Certain
of the derivatives in which a Fund invests are traded (and privately negotiated)
in the OTC market. OTC derivatives are complex and often valued subjectively,
which exposes a Fund to heightened liquidity, mispricing and valuation risks.
Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to
counterparties or a loss of value to a Fund. In addition, OTC derivative
instruments are often highly customized and tailored to meet the needs of a Fund
and its trading counterparties. If a derivative transaction is particularly
large or if the relevant market is illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate
a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price. As a
result and similar to other privately negotiated contracts, a Fund is subject to
counterparty credit risk with respect to such derivative contracts. Certain
derivatives are subject to mandatory exchange trading and/or clearing, which
exposes a Fund to the credit risk of the clearing broker or clearinghouse. While
exchange trading and central clearing are intended to reduce counterparty credit
risk and to increase liquidity, they do not make derivatives transactions
risk-free. Certain risks also are specific to the derivatives in which a Fund
invests.
◦Swap
Agreements Risk. Swap
agreements are contracts for periods ranging from one day to more than one year
and may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between two parties or, for
certain standardized swaps, must be exchange-traded through a futures commission
merchant or swap execution facility and/or cleared through a clearinghouse that
serves as a central counterparty. In a standard swap transaction, two parties
agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or
realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. Each Fund may
enter into swap agreements, including, but not limited to total return swaps,
index swaps, interest rate swaps, municipal market data rate locks, and credit
default swaps. Each Fund may utilize swap agreements in an attempt to gain
exposure to certain securities without purchasing those securities to speculate
on the movement of such securities or to hedge a position. Risks associated with
the use of swap agreements are different from those associated with ordinary
portfolio securities transactions, largely due to the fact they could be
considered illiquid and many swaps currently trade on the OTC market. Swaps are
particularly subject to counterparty credit, correlation, valuation, liquidity
and leveraging risks and could result in substantial losses to a
Fund.
As
noted above, certain standardized swaps are subject to mandatory exchange
trading and central clearing. While exchange trading and central clearing are
intended to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, they do not
make swap transactions risk-free. Additionally, the CFTC and other applicable
regulators have adopted rules imposing certain margin requirements, including
minimums, on OTC swaps, which may result in a Fund and its counterparties
posting higher margin amounts for OTC swaps, which could increase the cost of
swap transactions to the Fund and impose added operational complexity. The
Dodd-Frank Act and related regulatory developments require the clearing and
exchange-trading of many OTC derivative instruments that the CFTC and the SEC
have defined as “swaps.” Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing are occurring
on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC approval
of contracts for central clearing. The Advisor will continue to monitor
developments in this area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect
a Fund’s ability to enter into swap agreements.
◦Forwards
Contracts. The
primary risks associated with the use of forwards contracts, which may adversely
affect the Fund’s NAV and total return, are: (a) the imperfect correlation
between the change in market value of the forward contract and the
price
of underlying asset; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a
forwards contract and the resulting inability to close a forwards contract when
desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are
potentially unlimited; (d) the possibility that the counterparty will default in
the performance of its obligations; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash,
it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin
requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it maybe
disadvantageous to do so.
Each
Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and related regulations
will impact the way the Fund operates, increase the particular costs of a Fund’s
operation and/or change the competitive landscape. In October 2020, the SEC
adopted a new rule governing a fund’s use of derivatives. The new rule, among
other things, generally requires a fund to adopt a derivatives risk management
program, appoint a derivatives risk manager to oversee the program and comply
with an outer limit on fund leverage risk based on value at risk, or “VaR.”
Certain funds may be exempted from these requirements if they use derivatives
only to a limited extent and in a limited manner and comply with certain other
conditions set forth in the new rule. The new rule significantly changes the
regulatory framework applicable to a fund’s use of derivatives, including by
replacing the existing asset segregation regulatory framework in its entirety.
The new rule may influence the extent to which a Fund uses derivatives,
adversely affect the Fund’s performance, and increase costs related to a Fund’s
use of derivatives.
•Emerging
and Developing Markets Risk. Emerging
markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume,
political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of
trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than
more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be
subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets.
Differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and
recordkeeping standards could impede the Adviser’s ability to evaluate local
companies and impact a Fund’s performance. There also may be limitations on the
rights and remedies available to investors in emerging market companies compared
to those associated with U.S. companies. In addition, brokerage and other
transaction costs on foreign securities exchanges are often higher than in the
U.S. and there is generally less government supervision and regulation of
exchanges, brokers and issuers in foreign countries.
•Equity
Securities Risk. The
Funds are designed for investors who can accept the risks of investing in a
portfolio with significant equity holdings. Equity holdings tend to be more
volatile than other investment choices such as bonds and money market
instruments because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests,
generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison
with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders and other creditors of
such issuers. The value of a Fund’s Shares will fluctuate as a result of the
movement of the overall stock market or of the value of the individual
securities held by the Fund, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, resulting in
losses. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity
securities markets generally or particular industries represented in those
markets. The value of an equity security may also decline for a number of
reasons, which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance,
changed investor perception financial leverage, and reduced demand for the
issuer’s goods or services. Investor perceptions are based on various and
unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic,
monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion
or contraction; and global or regional political, economic and banking
crises.
•ETF
Risks.
Each Fund is an ETF and, as a result of its structure, is exposed to the
following risks:
◦Authorized
Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration
Risk.
Each Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In
addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity
providers in the marketplace. Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and
possibly face delisting if either: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become
unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step
forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity
providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities
and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
◦Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares Risk.
Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage
commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker.
Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant
proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts
of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors also will incur the cost of
the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares
(the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares
(the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as
the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Shares
based on trading volume and market liquidity and is generally lower if Shares
have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little
trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base
in a Fund, asset swings in a Fund and/or increased market volatility may cause
increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares,
including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent
trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment
in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making
small investments.
◦Shares
May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk.
As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at
market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will
approximate a Fund’s NAV, there may be times
when
the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than
the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during
periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market
volatility or periods of steep market declines and periods when there is limited
trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums
or discounts may be significant. The market price of Shares during the trading
day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread
charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other participants that
trade Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can
increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a
discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of
Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your
Shares. The Adviser believes that, under normal market conditions, large market
price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be sustained because of arbitrage
opportunities. Because securities held by a Fund may trade on foreign exchanges
that are closed when such Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, such Fund is
likely to experience premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that
invest in and hold only securities and other investments that are listed and
trade in the U.S.
◦Trading
Risk.
Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or
traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can
be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be
maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for
reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable.
In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts
caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker”
rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the
S&P 500®
Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g.,
7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading
in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the
market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with
any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the
liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of a Fund’s underlying
portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares.
•Ether
Risk. Ether
is a relatively new innovation, and the ether market is subject to rapid price
swings, changes and uncertainty and is a largely unregulated marketplace, which
may be attributable to a possible lack of regulatory compliance. The value of
ether has been and may continue to be, substantially dependent on speculation,
such that trading and investing ether generally may not be based on fundamental
analysis. The further development of the Ethereum Network and the acceptance and
use of ether are subject to various factors that are difficult to evaluate. The
slowing, stopping, or reversing of the development of the Ethereum Network or
the acceptance of ether may adversely affect the price of ether. Ether is
subject to the risk of fraud, theft, manipulation or security failures,
operational, or other problems that impact ether trading venues. Unlike the
exchanges for more traditional assets, such as equity securities and futures
contracts, ether and ether trading platforms are largely unregulated. As a
result of the lack of regulation, individuals or groups may engage in fraud or
market manipulation, and investors may be more exposed to the risk of theft,
fraud, and market manipulation than when investing in more traditional asset
classes. Legal or regulatory changes may negatively impact the operation of the
Ethereum Network or restrict the use of ether. Realizing any of these risks
could result in a decline in the acceptance of ether and, consequently, a
reduction in the value of ether, ether futures, and the Fund.
Investors
should also know that the Ethereum blockchain faces increased vulnerability to
attacks if ownership or staking of ether becomes concentrated in one
participant. Like the Bitcoin blockchain, the Ethereum blockchain may be at risk
of attacks if there is a high concentration of ether ownership or staking. If an
entity controls 33% or more of staked ether, it could execute attacks, with
greater risks, including transaction censorship and block reordering, occurring
if more than 50% is controlled. Such attacks could negatively impact ether
futures and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s investments. The risk of such
attacks increases as the concentration of staked ether grows. Whales could
manipulate transactions, halt payments and fraudulently obtain
ether.
Although
the price movements of ether and bitcoin have generally been correlated, with
both assets experiencing similar trends, ether has historically been more
volatile. This means that it tends to rise more than bitcoin during market
upswings and fall more sharply during downturns. The differences in the design
and use cases of the bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains contribute to these
distinct risk profiles. Bitcoin is more established as a store of value and
crypto assets, while ether’s value is closely tied to its broader use in
powering decentralized applications and smart contracts.
•Fixed
Income Risk.
Fixed
income securities are debt obligations issued by corporations, municipalities
and other borrowers and are subject to various risks, including call, credit,
extension and interest rate risks. Fixed income securities typically do not
provide any voting rights, except in cases when interest payments have not been
made and the issuer is in default. Fixed income securities with longer
maturities or durations may be subject to greater price fluctuations due to
interest rate, tax law, and general market changes than securities with shorter
maturities or durations. Coupons may be fixed or adjustable, based on a pre-set
formula. The prices of high-yield bonds, unlike those of investment-grade bonds,
may fluctuate unpredictably and not necessarily inversely with changes in
interest rates. Changes in the value of portfolio securities will not affect
cash income derived from these securities but will affect a Fund’s
NAV.
◦Call
Risk.
During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable bond held by a
Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, and the Fund
may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a
decline in the Fund’s income.
◦Credit
Risk.
Credit risk is the risk that a Fund could lose money if an issuer or guarantor
of a debt instrument in which the Fund invests becomes unwilling or unable to
make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise meet its
obligations. To the extent a Fund has short exposure to the issuers of certain
fixed income securities, the Fund is subject to the risk that its investment in
a debt instrument could decline because of concerns about the issuer’s credit
quality or perceived financial condition. Fixed income securities are subject to
varying degrees of credit risk, which are sometimes reflected in credit
ratings.
◦Extension
Risk.
During periods of rising interest rates, certain debt obligations will be paid
off substantially more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of those
securities may fall sharply, resulting in a decline in a Fund’s income and
potentially in the value of the Fund’s investments.
◦Income
Risk.
Each Fund’s income may decline if interest rates fall. The risk of decline in
income is heightened when fixed income instruments held by a Fund have floating
or variable interest rates.
◦Interest
Rate Risk.
The values of debt securities usually rise and fall in response to changes in
interest rates. An increase in interest rates may cause the value of
fixed-income securities held by a Fund to decline. Changes in a debt
instrument’s value usually will not affect the amount of interest income paid to
a Fund, but will affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is
generally greater for investments with longer maturities. Certain securities pay
interest at variable or floating rates. Variable rate securities reset at
specified intervals, while floating rate securities reset whenever there is a
change in a specified index rate. In most cases, these reset provisions reduce
the effect of changes in market interest rates on the value of the security.
However, some securities do not track the underlying index directly, but reset
based on formulas that can produce an effect similar to leveraging; others also
may provide for interest payments that vary inversely with market rates. The
market prices of these securities may fluctuate significantly when interest
rates change. Interest rate changes can be sudden and unpredictable, and are
influenced by a number of factors, including government policy, monetary policy,
inflation expectations, perceptions of risk, and supply and demand for bonds.
Changes in government or central bank policy, including changes in tax policy or
changes in a central bank’s implementation of specific policy goals, may have a
substantial impact on interest rates. This could lead to heightened levels of
interest rate, volatility and liquidity risks for the fixed income markets
generally and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of a
Fund's investments. There can be no guarantee that any particular government or
central bank policy will be continued, discontinued or changed, nor that any
such policy will have the desired effect on interest rates. A Fund may be
subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the current period of
historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy
initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives.
◦Prepayment
Risk.
The risk that changes in interest rates, credit spreads or other factors will
result in the call (repayment) of a debt instrument before it is expected. A
Fund may have to invest the proceeds in lower yielding securities or that
expectations of such early call will negatively impact the market price of the
security.
•Foreign
Securities Risk.
Investments
in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with
investments in U.S. securities. These include risks of adverse changes in
foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, or changes in
currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations
on currency movements and exchanges). The securities of some foreign companies
may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable
U.S. companies. There may be less information publicly available about a
non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different
accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than
U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding
or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial,
and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is the
possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of
assets. Because legal systems differ, there also is the possibility that it will
be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since
foreign exchanges may be open on days when a Fund does not price its shares, the
value of the securities in a Fund’s portfolio may change on days when
shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell a Fund’s shares. Conversely,
Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these
factors can make investments in a Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid
than other types of investments.
•Geographic
Investment Risk.
To the extent that a Fund invests, directly or indirectly, a significant portion
of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it
is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or
region. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in
regulatory, tax, or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the
market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a
negative impact on a Fund’s performance. Currency developments or restrictions,
political and social instability, and changing economic conditions have resulted
in significant market volatility.
◦Risks
Related to Investing in Asia.
Investment in securities of issuers in Asia involves risks and special
considerations not typically associated with investment in the US securities
markets. Certain Asian economies have experienced over-extension of credit,
currency devaluations and restrictions, high unemployment, high inflation,
decreased exports and economic recessions. Economic events in any one Asian
country can have a significant effect on the entire Asian region as well as on
major
trading partners outside Asia, and any adverse effect on some or all of the
Asian countries and regions in which a Fund invests. The securities markets in
some Asian economies are relatively underdeveloped and may subject the Fund to
higher action costs or greater uncertainty than investments in more developed
securities markets. Such risks may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s
investments.
Governments
of many Asian countries have implemented significant economic reforms in order
to liberalize trade policy, promote foreign investment in their economies,
reduce government control of the economy and develop market mechanisms. There
can be no assurance these reforms will continue or that they will be effective.
Despite recent reform and privatizations, significant regulation of investment
and industry is still pervasive in many Asian countries and may restrict foreign
ownership of domestic corporations and repatriation of assets, which may
adversely affect Fund investments. Governments in some Asian countries are
authoritarian in nature, have been installed or removed as a result of military
coups or have periodically used force to suppress civil dissent. Disparities of
wealth, the pace and success of democratization, and ethnic, religious and
racial disaffection have led to social turmoil, violence and labor unrest in
some countries. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may
result in sudden and significant investment losses. Investing in certain Asian
countries involves risk of loss due to expropriation, nationalization, or
confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign
investments and on repatriation of capital invested.
Some
countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced acts of
terrorism or strained international relations due to territorial disputes,
historical animosities or other defense concerns. For example, North and South
Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical local tensions
between the two countries present the risk of war. Any outbreak of hostilities
between the two countries could have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean
economy and securities markets. These and other security situations may cause
uncertainty in the markets of these geographic areas and may adversely affect
the performance of local economies.
◦Risks
Related to Investing in China.
The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such
respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth
distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and
capital reinvestment, among others. Under China’s political and economic system,
the central government has historically exercised substantial control over
virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation
and/or state ownership. Since 1978, the Chinese government has been, and is
expected to continue, reforming its economic policies, which has resulted in
less direct central and local government control over the business and
production activities of Chinese enterprises and companies. Notwithstanding the
economic reforms instituted by the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist
Party, actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue
to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China, which could affect
the public and private sector companies in which the Fund may invest. In the
past, the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence
the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or
concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in
certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their
securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, and control the
rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion and it may take such
actions in the future as well. Such actions and a variety of other centrally
planned or determined activities by the Chinese government could have a
significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China and the economic
prospects for, and the market prices and liquidity of, the securities of Chinese
companies and the payments of dividends and interest by Chinese companies. In
addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation,
political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely
affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which
the Fund may invest. Additionally, from time to time, China has experienced
outbreaks of infectious illnesses, including COVID-19, and the country may be
subject to other public health threats, diseases or similar issues in the
future. The Fund may invest in shares of Chinese companies traded on stock
markets in Mainland China or Hong Kong. These stock markets have experienced
high levels of volatility, which may continue in the future. The Hong Kong stock
market may behave differently from the Mainland China stock market and there may
be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock
market and the Mainland China stock market. From time to time, certain of the
companies in the Fund’s portfolio may operate in, or have dealings with,
countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and
the United Nations and/or in countries identified by the U.S. government as
state sponsors of terrorism. One or more of these companies may be subject to
constraints under U.S. law or regulations which could negatively affect the
company’s performance. Additionally, one or more of these companies may suffer
damage to its reputation if it is identified as a company which invests or deals
with countries which are identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of
terrorism or subject to sanctions. As an investor in such companies, an
investing fund will be indirectly subject to these risks.
◦Risks
Related to Investing in Hong Kong.
Investments in Hong Kong issuers will subject the Fund to legal, regulatory,
political, currency, security, and economic risk specific to Hong Kong. China is
Hong Kong’s largest trading partner, both in terms of exports and imports. Any
changes in the Chinese economy, trade regulations or currency exchange rates, or
a tightening of China’s control over Hong Kong, may have an adverse impact on
Hong Kong’s economy. Additionally, Hong Kong is a small island state with few
raw material resources and limited land area and is reliant on imports for its
commodity needs. Any fluctuations or shortages in the commodity markets could
have a negative impact on the Hong Kong economy.
◦Risks
Related to Investing in Japan.
The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic,
political and social instability, which could have a negative impact on Japanese
securities. Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low for an
extended period of time and it may remain low in the future. In addition, Japan
is subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes,
typhoons and tsunamis. Additionally, decreasing U.S. imports, new trade
regulations, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rates, a recession in the
United States or continued increases in foreclosure rates may have an adverse
impact on the economy of Japan. Japan also has few natural resources, and any
fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on
Japanese securities.
◦Risks
of Investing in South Korea.
Investments in South Korean issuers involve risks that are specific to South
Korea, including legal, regulatory, political, currency, security and economic
risks. Substantial political tensions exist between North Korea and South Korea
and recently these political tensions have escalated. The outbreak of
hostilities between the two nations, or even the threat of an outbreak of
hostilities, will likely adversely impact the South Korean economy. In addition,
South Korea’s economic growth potential has recently been on a decline, mainly
because of a rapidly aging population and structural problems.
•Illiquidity
Risk.
Illiquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or
sell, possibly preventing a Fund from selling these illiquid investments at an
advantageous price or at the time desired. A lack of liquidity may also cause
the value of investments to decline. Illiquid investments may also be difficult
to value.
•Index
Provider Risk.
There is no assurance that the Index Provider, or any agents that act on its
behalf, will compile the Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined,
constructed, reconstituted, rebalanced, composed, calculated or disseminated
accurately. The Adviser relies upon the Index Provider and its agents to
compile, determine, construct, reconstitute, rebalance, compose, calculate, and
disseminate the Index accurately. Any losses or costs associated with errors
made by the Index Provider or its agents generally will be borne by a Fund and
its shareholders. To correct any such error, the Index Provider or its agents
may carry out an unscheduled rebalance of the Index or other modification of
Index constituents or weightings. When a Fund in turn rebalances its portfolio,
any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio
rebalancing will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders. Unscheduled
rebalances also expose a Fund to additional tracking error risk. Errors in
respect of the quality, accuracy, and completeness of the data used to compile
the Index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by
the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, particularly where the Index
is less commonly used as a benchmark by funds or advisors. For example, during a
period where the Index contains incorrect constituents, a Fund tracking the
Index would have market exposure to such constituents and would be underexposed
to the Index’s other constituents. Such errors may negatively impact a Fund and
its shareholders. The Index Provider and its agents rely on various sources of
information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including
information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither a Fund nor
the Adviser can offer assurances that the Index’s calculation methodology or
sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included
issuers.
•Investment
Company Risk.
A Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies, such as ETFs. The
risks of investment in these securities typically reflect the risks of the types
of instruments in which the investment company invests. When a Fund invests in
investment company securities, shareholders of such Fund bear indirectly their
proportionate share of their fees and expenses, as well as their share of such
Fund’s fees and expenses. As a result, an investment by a Fund in an investment
company could cause such Fund’s operating expenses (taking into account indirect
expenses such as the fees and expenses of the investment company) to be higher
and, in turn, performance to be lower than if it were to invest directly in the
instruments underlying the investment company. Investments in ETFs are also
subject to the “ETF Risks” described above.
•Limited
Issuer Risk.
Because a Fund may invest in a limited number of issuers, it is subject to the
risk that the value of a Fund’s portfolio may decline due to a decline in value
of the equity securities of particular issuers. The value of an issuer’s equity
securities may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as
management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or
services.
•Liquidity
and Valuation Risk.
It may be difficult for a Fund to purchase and sell particular investments
within a reasonable time at a favorable price. As a result, a Fund may be unable
to achieve its desired level of investment exposure. In addition, a Fund may be
unable to pay redemption proceeds within the requisite time period because of
adverse market conditions, an unusually high volume of redemption requests or
other reasons, unless it sells other portfolio investments under unfavorable
conditions, thereby adversely affecting the Fund. A Fund’s ability to sell an
instrument under favorable conditions also may be negatively impacted by, among
other things, other market participants selling the same or similar instruments
at the same time. If a Fund is unable to sell an investment at its desired time,
the Fund may miss other investment opportunities while it holds investments it
would prefer to sell, which could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. In
addition, the liquidity of any Fund investment may change significantly over
time as a result of market, economic, trading, issuer-specific and other
factors. Dislocations in certain parts of markets are resulting in reduced
liquidity for certain investments. It is uncertain when financial markets will
improve and economic conditions will stabilize. Liquidity of financial markets
also may be affected by government intervention and political, social, public
health, economic or market developments.
In
addition, during periods of reduced market liquidity, market turmoil or in the
absence of readily available market quotations for particular investments in a
Fund’s portfolio, the ability of the Fund to assign an accurate daily value to
these investments may be difficult and the Adviser may be required to fair value
the investments. Fair value determinations are inherently subjective and reflect
good faith judgments based on available information. Accordingly, there can be
no assurance that the determination of an investment’s fair value in accordance
with a Fund’s valuation procedures will in fact approximate the price at which
the Fund could sell that investment at that time (i.e.,
the sale price could differ, sometimes significantly, from the Fund’s last
valuation for the investment). The Adviser) relies on various sources of
information to value investments and calculate NAV. The Adviser may obtain
pricing information from third parties that are believed to be reliable. In
certain cases, this information may be unavailable or this information may be
inaccurate because of errors by the third parties, technological issues, absence
of current market data, or otherwise. As a result, the Adviser’s ability to
effectively value a Fund’s investments or calculate NAV may be adversely
affected.
Investors
who purchase or redeem Shares of a Fund on days when the Fund is holding fair
valued investments may receive fewer or more Shares or lower or higher
redemption proceeds than they would have received if the Adviser had not fair
valued the investment or had used a different valuation methodology. These risks
may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment and, if a Fund holds a
significant percentage of fair valued or otherwise difficult to value
investments, the Fund may be particularly susceptible to the risks associated
with valuation. Proportions of a Fund’s investments that are fair valued or
difficult to value vary from time to time. In addition, during periods of market
stress, a large portion of a Fund’s assets could potentially experience
significant levels of illiquidity. A Fund’s shareholder reports contain more
information about the Fund’s holdings that are fair valued or difficult to
value. Investors should consider consulting these reports for additional
information.
•Management
Risk.
Each Fund is actively managed and may not meet their investment objectives based
on the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s success or failure to implement the Funds’
strategies and to efficiently execute investment transactions, respectively. The
Funds invest in derivatives instruments, which may create enhanced risks for
each Fund and the Adviser’s ability to control a Fund’s level of risk will
depend on the Adviser’s skill in managing such instruments. In addition, the
Adviser’s evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, interest rates,
inflation, and other factors may not successfully achieve each Fund’s investment
objective given actual market conditions.
•Market
Capitalization Risk.
◦Large-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The
securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared
to smaller companies and, therefore, subject to slower growth during times of
economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies also may be unable to respond
quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and
consumer tastes.
◦Mid-Capitalization
Investing Risk.
The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse
issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies
generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more
unpredictable price changes than large-capitalization stocks or the stock market
as a whole. Some mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines,
markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate
on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies.
◦Small-Capitalization
Investing Risk. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more
vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than
securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of
small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject
to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization
stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small-capitalization companies have
limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend
to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization
companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning
smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies.
Small-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in
interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs and earnings.
•Market
Risk. Market
risks, including political, regulatory, market, and economic or other
developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries
or segments of the market, can affect the value of a Fund’s Shares. Each Fund is
subject to the risk that the prices of, and the income generated by, securities
held by the Fund may decline significantly and/or rapidly in response to adverse
conditions or other developments affecting (or that are perceived to affect)
individual companies or issuers, particular industries, or the market generally.
Such developments may include real or perceived changes in prevailing interest
rates, changes in inflation rates or expectations about inflation rates,
deflation, adverse investor confidence or sentiment, general outlook for
corporate earnings, changing economic, political (including geopolitical),
social or financial market conditions, bank failures, actual or threatened
imposition of tariffs (which may be imposed by U.S. and foreign governments) and
trade disruptions, recession, changes in currency and inflation rates, increased
instability or general uncertainty, environmental or natural disasters, extreme
weather or geological events, governmental actions, public health emergencies
(such as the spread of infectious diseases, pandemics and epidemics), debt
crises, terrorism, actual or threatened wars or other armed conflicts (such as
the
armed conflicts across the Middle East and ongoing Russia-Ukraine war in Europe,
and the risk of expansion or collateral economic and other effects thereof) or
ratings downgrades, technological developments (including those related to
artificial intelligence) or failures (for example, widespread system outages or
disruptions or faulty updates to software applications) and other similar
events, each of which may be temporary or last for extended periods. For
example, the threat or actual imposition of tariffs, trade restrictions,
currency restrictions or similar actions (or retaliatory measures taken in
response to such actions) could adversely affect a Fund’s investments, including
by leading to price volatility, overall declines in the U.S. and global
investment markets, reduced liquidity and investment losses. These events have
caused, and may in the future cause, significant disruptions to business
operations, strained healthcare systems, disruptions to supply chains, large
expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to
mitigate the effects of such events, and widespread uncertainty regarding the
long-term effects of such events. Such events may cause the value of securities
owned by a Fund to go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. There also
is a risk that policy and legislative changes by the U.S. Government and/or
Federal Reserve, or certain foreign governments and central banks, could cause
increased volatility in financial markets and higher levels of Fund redemptions,
which could have a negative impact on a Fund. These events may lead to periods
of volatility and increased redemptions, which could cause a Fund to experience
a loss when selling securities to meet redemption requests by shareholders. The
risk of loss increases if the redemption requests are unusually large or
frequent. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and
falling prices. If there is a general decline in the securities and other
markets, your investment in a Fund may lose value, regardless of the individual
results of the securities and other instruments in which a Fund
invests.
These
or similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and
liquidity of a Fund’s investments, impair a Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption
requests, and negatively impact a Fund’s performance. Furthermore, economies and
financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected.
As a result, whether or not a Fund invests in securities of issuers located in
or with significant exposure to countries experiencing economic and financial
difficulties, the value and liquidity of a Fund’s investments may be negatively
affected.
•Models
and Data Risk.
When models and data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in
reliance thereon expose the Index and the Fund to potential risks. The model
used to construct the Index is predictive in nature. The use of predictive
models has inherent risks. For example, such models may incorrectly forecast
future behavior, leading to potential losses. In addition, in unforeseen or
certain low-probability scenarios (often involving a market disruption of some
kind), such models may produce unexpected results, which can result in losses
for the Fund. Furthermore, because predictive models are usually constructed
based on historical data supplied by third parties, the success of relying on
such models may depend heavily on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied
historical data. In addition, data and
information
on non-U.S. countries may be unreliable or outdated or there may be less
publicly available data or information about non-U.S. countries due to
differences in registration, accounting, audit and financial record keeping
standards which creates the potential for errors in Index data, Index
computation and/or Index construction and could have an adverse effect on the
Fund’s performance.
•Money
Market Instrument Risk.
A Fund may use a variety of money market instruments for cash management
purposes, including money market funds, depositary accounts and repurchase
agreements. Money market funds may be subject to credit risk with respect to the
debt instruments in which they invest. Depository accounts may be subject to
credit risk with respect to the financial institution in which the depository
account is held. Money market instruments may lose money.
•Non-Diversification
Risk.
Each Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that they may invest
a greater percentage of their assets in the securities of a single issuer or a
lesser number of issuers than if they were diversified funds. As a result, a
Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting
an individual issuer or a lesser number of issuers than a fund that invests more
widely. This may increase a Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a
relatively small number of issuers to have a greater impact on such Fund’s
performance.
•Non-U.S.
Regulatory Risks of the Cannabis Industry.
Laws and regulations related to the possession, use (medical and recreational),
sale, transport and cultivation of marijuana vary throughout the world, and the
Fund will only invest in non-U.S. Cannabis Companies if such companies are
operating legally in the relevant jurisdiction. Even if a company's operations
are permitted under current law, they may not be permitted in the future, in
which case such company may not be in a position to carry on its operations in
its current locations. Additionally, controlled substance legislation differs
between countries and legislation in certain countries may restrict or limit the
ability of certain companies in which the Fund invests to sell their
products.
•Operational
Risks of the Cannabis Industry.
Companies
involved in the cannabis industry face intense competition, may have limited
access to the services of banks, may have substantial burdens on company
resources due to litigation, complaints or enforcement actions, and are heavily
dependent on receiving necessary permits and authorizations to engage in medical
cannabis research or to otherwise cultivate, possess or distribute cannabis.
Because the cultivation, possession, and distribution of cannabis is in all
circumstances illegal under United States federal law, federally regulated
banking institutions may be unwilling to make financial services available to
growers and sellers of cannabis.
•Passive
Investment Risk.
Each Fund invests in the securities included in, or representative of, its Index
regardless of its investment merit. Each Fund does not attempt to outperform its
respective Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. As a result,
a Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the
market segments relating to its Index. The returns from the types of securities
in which a Fund invests may underperform returns from the various general
securities markets or different asset classes. This may cause a Fund to
underperform other investment vehicles that invest in different asset classes.
Different types of securities (for example, large-, mid- and
small-capitalization stocks) tend to go through cycles of doing better or worse
than the general securities markets. In the past, these periods have lasted for
as long as several years.
•Real
Estate Companies Risk.
The Fund invests in real estate companies, including REITs and real estate
holdings companies, which will expose investors to the risks of owning real
estate directly, as well as to the risks that relate specifically to the way in
which such companies are organized and operated. Real estate is highly sensitive
to general and local economic conditions and developments. The U.S. real estate
market may, in the future, experience and has, in the past, experienced a
decline in value, with certain regions experiencing significant losses in
property values. Many real estate companies, including REITs, utilize leverage
(and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk and the risk
normally associated with debt financing, and could potentially increase the
Fund’s volatility and losses. Exposure to such real estate may adversely affect
Fund performance.
•REITs
Risk.
Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial
resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, and may be more
volatile than other securities. In addition, to the extent the Fund holds
interests in REITs, it is expected that investors in the Fund will bear two
layers of asset-based management fees and expenses (directly at the Fund level
and indirectly at the REIT level). The risks of investing in REITs include
certain risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate and the real
estate industry in general. These include risks related to general, regional and
local economic conditions; fluctuations in interest rates and property tax
rates; shifts in zoning laws, environmental regulations and other governmental
action such as the exercise of eminent domain; increased operating expenses;
lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limits to accessing the credit
or capital markets; losses due to natural disasters; overbuilding; losses due to
casualty or condemnation; changes in property values and rental rates; and other
factors.
In
addition to these risks, residential/diversified REITs and commercial equity
REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned
by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit
extended. Further, REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may
not be diversified. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency,
defaults by borrowers or lessees and self-liquidation. In addition, U.S. REITs
are subject to special U.S. federal tax requirements. A U.S. REIT that fails to
comply with such tax requirements may be subject to U.S. federal income
taxation, which may affect the value of the REIT and the characterization of the
REIT’s distributions. The U.S. federal tax requirement that a REIT distributes
substantially all of its net income to its shareholders may result in the REIT
having insufficient capital for future expenditures. A REIT that successfully
maintains its qualification may still become subject to U.S. federal, state and
local taxes, including excise, penalty, franchise, payroll, mortgage recording,
and transfer taxes, both directly and indirectly through its subsidiaries. In
the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays
in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs
associated with protecting investments.
•Risks
Related to Investing in Canada.
The Canadian and U.S. economies are closely integrated. The United States is
Canada's largest trading partner and foreign investor and the Canadian economy
is significantly affected by developments in the U.S. economy. Canada is a major
producer of forest products, metals, agricultural products, and energy-related
products, such as oil, gas, and hydroelectricity. As a result, the Canadian
economy is very dependent on the demand for, and supply and price of, natural
resources, and the Canadian market is relatively concentrated in issuers
involved in the production and distribution of natural resources. Canada's
economic growth may be significantly affected by disruptions in its relationship
with major trading partners, fluctuations in currency, and global demand for
commodities.
•Sector
Risk. To
the extent a Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its
performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly
affect those sectors. A Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in
the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be
negatively impacted by events affecting each of these sectors.
◦Communications
Service Sector Risk.
Market or economic factors impacting communication services companies and
companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect
on the value of a Fund’s investments. Communication services companies are
particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services
due to technological advancement and the innovation of competitors. Companies in
the Communication Services Sector may also be affected by other competitive
pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development
costs, substantial capital requirements and government regulation. Additionally,
fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics and often
unpredictable changes in consumer tastes can drastically affect a communication
services company’s profitability. Stocks of communication services companies and
companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller,
less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market.
Additionally, companies in the Communication Services Sector may face dramatic
and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services
of qualified personnel. While all companies may be susceptible to network
security breaches, certain companies in
the
Communication Services Sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential
theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which
could have a material adverse effect on their businesses.
◦Consumer
Discretionary Sector Risk.
Consumer discretionary companies are companies that provide non-essential goods
and services, such as retailers, media companies and consumer services. These
companies manufacture products and provide discretionary services directly to
the consumer, and the success of these companies is tied closely to the
performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates,
competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable
household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer
tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary
products in the marketplace.
◦Health
Care Sector Risk.
Health
care companies are subject to extensive government regulation and their
profitability can be significantly affected by restrictions on government
reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and
services, pricing pressure (including price discounting), limited product lines,
and an increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient
services. Health care companies are heavily dependent on obtaining and defending
patents, which may be time consuming and costly, and the expiration of patents
may also adversely affect the profitability of the companies. Health care
companies are also subject to extensive litigation based on product liability
and similar claims. In addition, their products can become obsolete due to
industry innovation, changes in technologies, or other market developments. Many
new products in the health care field require significant research and
development and may be subject to regulatory approvals, all of which may be time
consuming and costly with no guarantee that any product will come to
market.
◦Information
Technology Sector Risk. The
Information Technology sector includes companies engaged in internet software
and services, technology hardware and storage peripherals, electronic equipment
instruments and components, and semiconductors and semiconductor equipment.
Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and
internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Information
technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial
resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may
face rapid product obsolescence due to technological developments and frequent
new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition
for the services of qualified personnel. Failure to introduce new products,
develop and maintain a loyal customer base, or achieve general market acceptance
for their products could have a material adverse effect on a company’s business.
Companies in the Information Technology Sector are heavily dependent on
intellectual property and the loss of patent, copyright and trademark
protections may adversely affect the profitability of these
companies.
◦Technology
Sector Risk.
Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that
rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of
the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of technology companies and
companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid
changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government
regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including
competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Technology
companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or
personnel. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely
heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies,
tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Technology companies are
heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or
impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies
in the Technology Sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in
growth rates and competition for the services of qualified
personnel.
•Securities
Lending Risk.
To the extent a Fund engages
in
securities lending, there are certain risks associated with securities lending,
including the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities on a
timely basis or even the loss of rights in the collateral deposited by the
borrower, if the borrower should fail financially. As a result, the Fund may
lose money. A Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value
of collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any
investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse
tax consequences for a Fund.
•Solana
Risk.
Similar to bitcoin and ether, SOL and its supporting Solana Network are
relatively new innovations. The Solana Network and SOL publicly launched in
2020. SOL has increased in popularity and market value since its inception,
however it is not as established or widely accepted as bitcoin or ether. Like
other cryptocurrencies, SOL is subject to rapid price swings, uncertainty
related to demand, and a largely unregulated but rapidly evolving ecosystem. SOL
is also subject to the risks of access loss as it is dependent on the use of
private keys and theft. While the Fund will seek to invest in Cryptocurrency
ETFs that have adopted security procedures intended to protect its assets, there
can be no assurance that those procedures will be successful in preventing such
loss, theft or restriction on access. Security breaches, cyber-attacks, computer
malware and computer hacking attacks have also been a prevalent concern for
digital asset trading platforms on which SOL trades. The further development and
acceptance of Solana is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to
evaluate, and the delayed development or a cessation of the development of the
Solana Network and SOL may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments
and its performance. A contraction in the use of SOL or its blockchain may
result in increased volatility or a reduction in the price of SOL which could
have a material adverse effect on the value of a Cryptocurrency ETF held by the
Fund.
In
addition to utilizing the proof-of-stake mechanism, the Solana Network is unique
in that it also uses proof-of-history (“PoH”), which is a new timekeeping
blockchain technology created to address scalability limitations associated with
certain other cryptocurrency networks. PoH is not widely used, and as such may
be more susceptible to undiscovered flaws than more broadly adopted
technologies. In the future, there may be network-scale attacks against the
Solana Network protocol, which could result in a loss of some or all of the SOL
held by a Cryptocurrency ETF in which the Fund may invest. At its current early
stage of development and adoption, the Solana Network may be particularly
susceptible to such network-scale attacks. On September 14, 2021, the Solana
Network was offline for an extended period of time due to what was later
attributed to a type of denial of service attack. Any similar attacks could have
a material adverse effect on the value of SOL held by a Cryptocurrency ETF in
which the Fund invests.
As
a result of the lack of regulation, individuals or groups may engage in fraud or
market manipulation, and investors, including the Fund, may be more exposed to
the risk of theft, fraud, and market manipulation than when investing in more
traditional asset classes. Legal or regulatory changes also may negatively
affect the operation of the Solana Network and/or restrict the use and trading
of SOL. The realization of any of these risks could result in a decline in the
acceptance of SOL and, consequently, a reduction in the value of the Fund’s
indirect investments in SOL and the value of the Fund.
•Tax
Risk.
◦(Ball
Metaverse ETF only).
The Fund may invest in certain non-U.S. entities that own cryptocurrency. Direct
and indirect investments in cryptocurrencies introduce complexities beyond
typical equity investments and may subject the Fund to certain tax risks. The
Fund’s investment exposure to cryptocurrencies is expected to be obtained
primarily through its investments in non-U.S. ETFs treated as PFICs under the
Code, thereby subjecting the Fund to special tax rules applicable to PFIC
holdings. If the Fund holds an equity investment in an entity treated as a PFIC,
such as investments in certain non-U.S. ETFs that own cryptocurrency, the Fund
may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess
distribution” or gain from the disposition of shares in the PFIC even if such
income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders.
Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in
respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains unless the
Fund makes certain elections.
In
addition, for the Fund to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company
(“RIC”), at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be
derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities
loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or
foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from
options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of
investing in such stock, securities, or currencies, and net income derived from
an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership. Income from a PFIC is
generally expected to be qualifying income for purposes of this requirement. If
certain of the Fund’s investments were deemed to be direct investments in
cryptocurrencies, such investments may not produce qualifying income. The Fund
intends to seek to restrict its income from investments that do not generate
qualifying income to a maximum of 10% of its gross income (when combined with
its other investments that produce non-qualifying income).
◦(Magnificent
Seven ETF and Cannabis ETF only).
In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to a
RIC, a Fund must satisfy certain diversification and other requirements. In
particular, at each quarter end (a) at least 50% of the value of a Fund’s total
assets must generally be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government
securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other
securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than
5% of the value of a Fund’s total assets and that does not represent more than
10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than
25% of the value of a Fund’s total assets is invested in the securities (other
than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one
issuer or the securities (other than the securities of another RIC) of two or
more issuers that a Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar
trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one
or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (i.e.,
the Diversification Requirement). The Funds anticipate gaining exposure to seven
Underlying Issuers. To satisfy the Diversification Requirement, the Funds will
gain exposure to the Underlying Issuers by entering into swap agreements and
forward contracts (derivatives instruments) or by investing in equity securities
of an Underlying Issuer. The determination of the value and the identity of the
issuer of derivative investments is often unclear for purposes of the
Diversification Requirement described above. Although the Funds intend to
carefully monitor its investments to ensure that it is adequately diversified
under the Diversification Requirement, there are no assurances that the Internal
Revenue Service (“IRS”) will agree with a Fund’s determination of the issuer and
valuation under the Diversification Requirement with respect to such derivatives
instruments as the application of the Diversification Requirements to derivative
investments is often unclear. A Fund’s efforts to satisfy the Diversification
Requirement may affect the Fund’s execution of its investment strategy. If the
Fund fails to qualify as a RIC, it would be taxed in the same manner as an
ordinary corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax on all its income at the
fund level (unless certain relief provisions are available.) The resulting taxes
could substantially reduce the Fund’s net assets and the amount of income
available for distribution to shareholders. In addition, in order to requalify
as a RIC, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay
substantial taxes and interest, and make certain distributions. In addition, a
Fund’s use of derivatives may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of
short-term capital gains or otherwise affect
Fund’s
ability to pay out dividends subject to preferential rates or the dividends
received deduction, thereby increasing
the
amount of taxes payable by some shareholders. Please
see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes – Taxation of the Funds in the
SAI for more information.
•Tracking
Error Risk.
As with all index funds, the performance of each Fund and its Index may differ
from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, a Fund incurs operating
expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by its Index. In addition,
a Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of its Index at all times or
may hold securities not included in the Index. The use of sampling techniques
may affect a Fund’s ability to achieve close correlation with its Index. Each
Fund may use a representative sampling strategy to achieve its investment
objective, if the Sub-Adviser believes it is in the best interest of the Fund,
which generally can be expected to produce a greater non-correlation
risk.
•U.S.
Government Securities Risk.
Different types of U.S. government securities have different relative levels of
credit risk depending on the nature of the particular government support for
that security. U.S. government securities may be supported by: (i) the full
faith and credit of the United States government; (ii) the ability of the issuer
to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (iii) the credit of the issuing agency,
instrumentality or government-sponsored entity (“GSE”); (iv) pools of assets
(e.g.,
mortgage-backed securities); or (v) the United States in some other way. The
U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the
market value of their securities, which may fluctuate in value and are subject
to investment risks, and certain U.S. government securities may not be backed by
the full faith and credit of the United States government. The value of U.S.
government obligations may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates.
It is possible that the issuers of some U.S. government securities will not have
the funds to timely meet their payment obligations in the future and there is a
risk of default. For certain agency and GSE issued securities, there is no
guarantee the U.S. government or GSE will support the agency if it is unable to
meet its obligations.
•United
States Regulatory Risks of Hemp. “Hemp,”
as defined in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the “Farm Bill”), refers
to cannabis plants with a tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) concentration of not more
than 0.3% on a dry weight basis, as well as derivatives thereof, whereas
“marijuana” refers to all other cannabis plants and derivatives thereof. The
Farm Bill effectively removes hemp from the list of controlled substances and
allows states to regulate its production, commerce and research with approval
from the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”). Certain portfolio
holdings may sell dietary supplements and/or foods containing CBD within the
United States. While the Farm Bill removes hemp and hemp-derived products from
the controlled substances list under the CSA, it does not legalize CBD in every
circumstance. CBD, depending on the source from which it was derived, can still
be classified as a Schedule I substance under the CSA’s definition of
“marihuana.” The exception for CBD from the definition of “marihuana” only
applies if the CBD is derived from “hemp.” U.S. federal law also requires that:
(i) the hemp is produced by a licensed producer; and (ii) in a manner consistent
with the applicable federal and state regulations. CBD and other cannabinoids
produced from marijuana as defined by the CSA remain an illegal Schedule I
substance under federal law. In addition, many state laws include all CBD within
definitions of marijuana and some states have policies or laws that otherwise
prohibit or restrict CBD sales.
The
Farm Bill delegates to the FDA responsibility for regulating products containing
hemp or derivatives thereof (including CBD) under the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (the “FD&C”). Under the FD&C, if a substance (such as CBD)
is an active ingredient in a drug product that has been approved by the FDA,
then the substance cannot be sold in dietary supplements or foods without FDA
approval, unless the substance was marketed as a dietary supplement or as a
conventional food before the drug was approved or before the new drug
investigations were authorized. The FDA has publicly taken the position that CBD
cannot be sold in dietary supplements or foods because CBD is an active
ingredient in an FDA-approved drug. Future federal and/or state laws or
regulations could drastically curtail permissible uses of hemp, which could have
an adverse effect of the value of the Fund’s investments in companies with
business interests in hemp and hemp-based products.
•United
States Regulatory Risks of the Cannabis Industry. The
possession and use of marijuana, even for medical purposes, is illegal under
federal and certain states’ laws, which may negatively impact the value of the
Fund’s investments. Use of marijuana is regulated by both the federal government
and state governments, and state and federal laws regarding marijuana often
conflict. Even in those states in which the use of marijuana has been legalized,
its possession and use remains a violation of federal law. Federal law
criminalizing the use of marijuana pre-empts state laws that legalize its use
for medicinal and recreational purposes.
Actions
by federal agencies, such as increased enforcement of current federal marijuana
laws and the prosecution of nonviolent federal drug crimes by the U.S.
Department of Justice (“DOJ”), could produce a chilling effect on the industry’s
growth and discourage banks from expanding their services to Cannabis Companies
where such services are currently limited. Any of these outcomes would
negatively affect the profitability and value of the Fund’s investments and even
its ability to pursue its stated investment objective. The conflict between the
regulation of marijuana under federal and state law creates volatility and risk
for all Cannabis Companies.
Because
marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances
Act (“CSA”), meaning that it has a high potential for abuse, has no currently
“accepted medical use” in the United States, lacks accepted safety for use under
medical supervision, and may not be prescribed, marketed or sold in the United
States, few drug products containing cannabis or cannabis extracts have been
approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) or obtained
registrations for commercial production from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
(“DEA”), and there is no guarantee that such products will ever be legally
produced
or sold in the U.S. Cannabis Companies in the U.S. that engage in
research,
manufacturing, distributing, importing or exporting, or dispensing controlled
substances must be registered (licensed) to perform these activities and have
the security, control, recordkeeping, reporting and inventory mechanisms
required by the DEA to prevent drug loss and diversion. Failure to obtain the
necessary registrations or comply with necessary regulatory requirements may
significantly impair the ability of certain companies in which the Fund invests
to pursue medical marijuana research or to otherwise cultivate, possess or
distribute marijuana. In addition, because cannabis is a Schedule I controlled
substance, Section 280E of the Code applies by its terms to the purchase and
sale of medical-use cannabis products and provides that no deduction or credit
is allowed for expenses incurred during a taxable year “in carrying on any trade
or business if such trade or business (or the activities which comprise such
trade or business) consists of trafficking in controlled substances (within the
meaning of Schedules I and II of the CSA) which is prohibited by federal law or
the law of any state in which such trade or business is conducted.” The
disallowance of such tax deductions will likely affect the value of Cannabis
Companies.
•XRP
Risk. XRP
is a cryptocurrency and, like other cryptocurrencies, operates without central
authority or banks and is not backed by any government. XRP can be highly
volatile compared to investments in traditional securities and the markets for
XRP and XRP-related investments may become illiquid. XRP is a relatively new
technological innovation with a limited operating history. There is a limited
established performance record for the price of XRP and, in turn, a limited
basis for evaluating an investment in XRP.
Unlike
other digital assets such as bitcoin or ether, XRP is not and was not mined
gradually over time. Instead, all 100 billion XRP tokens were created at the
time of the XRP Ledger’s launch in 2012. This means that every XRP token that
exists today, or will ever exist, was generated from the outset of the XRP
Ledger. As a result, there is no ability for the supply of XRP to be adjusted in
response to economic conditions. For instance, there is no ability for the
supply of XRP to be increased to meet rising demand, which could lead to price
volatility. In addition, unlike blockchains that utilize “proof-of-work” or
“proof-of-stake” where miners or stakers are rewarded with newly minted coins or
tokens, XRP validators are not incentivized by block rewards since there is no
new issuance of XRP. Additionally, the fixed supply of XRP, combined with the
burning of XRP (permanently destroyed) as transaction fees, could create
deflationary pressure over time. A small amount of XRP is burned with every
transaction to prevent spam on the network. While the amount of XRP burned per
transaction is minuscule, over time, the total supply of XRP will slowly
decrease. This could lead to a deflationary environment where the decreasing
supply drives up the price of XRP, making it less practical as a medium of
exchange. Additionally, as the total supply of XRP slowly shrinks due to
burning, liquidity could become an issue in the distant future, potentially
making it harder for businesses and users to access sufficient XRP for their
transactions.
The
fixed supply of XRP could also contribute to price volatility, especially if
demand fluctuates significantly. Since the supply of XRP is fixed, any
significant surge in demand can result in large price spikes. For example,
during periods of high market activity or speculation, the price of XRP could
rapidly increase due to the inability to expand supply to match demand. This
volatility could make XRP less predictable for businesses that rely on it for
payments. Digital assets with a flexible supply, such as stablecoins, can adjust
to maintain a stable value. XRP, however, could experience price swings that
make it less attractive for everyday transactions or long-term financial
planning.
The
fixed supply of XRP may also not scale well with rapidly expanding use cases. To
the extent more businesses, financial institutions, and payment providers adopt
XRP for cross-border transactions and other use cases, there is a risk that the
fixed supply may not meet such growing demand, leading to supply shortages and
further price volatility. In the case of massive adoption, the scarcity of XRP
could raise its value too much, making it less appealing for day-to-day
transactions or use as a liquidity bridge in cross-border payments, as
businesses might prefer a more stable and widely available
currency.
Ripple
Labs holds a large portion of the XRP supply, which has led to concerns about
centralization. Despite escrow mechanisms that gradually release XRP into the
market, Ripple Labs still retains control over a significant portion of XRP,
which can impact market dynamics if large amounts are sold. The concentration of
XRP in the hands of Ripple Labs and early stakeholders could affect the market’s
confidence in XRP as a decentralized asset.
The
continued adoption of XRP will require growth in its usage as a means of
exchange and payment. Even if growth in XRP adoption continues in the near or
medium-term, there is no assurance that XRP usage will continue to grow over the
long-term. A contraction in the use of XRP may result in a lack of liquidity,
increased volatility in and a reduction to the price of XRP.
PORTFOLIO
HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information
about each Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at
www.roundhillinvestments.com. A complete description of the Funds’ policies and
procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings is
available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).
MANAGEMENT
Investment
Adviser
Roundhill
Financial Inc., a Delaware corporation located at 154 West 14th Street, 2nd
Floor, New York, New York 10011, serves as the investment adviser to the Funds.
The Adviser oversees the day-to-day operations of the Funds, subject to the
general supervision and oversight of the Board. The Adviser continuously
reviews, supervises, and administers each Fund’s investment program. In
particular, the Adviser provides investment and operational oversight of the
Sub-Adviser. The Adviser also arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency,
custody, fund administration, distribution and all other services necessary for
the Funds to operate. The Adviser is an SEC-registered investment adviser.
For
the services it provides to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to a unified
management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate
based on each Fund’s average daily net assets as set forth in the table below.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Fund |
Management
Fee |
|
Roundhill
Video Games ETF |
0.50% |
|
Roundhill
Sports Betting & iGaming ETF |
0.75% |
|
Roundhill
Ball Metaverse ETF |
0.59% |
|
Roundhill
Cannabis ETF |
0.39% |
|
Roundhill
Magnificent Seven ETF |
0.29% |
Pursuant
to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of each Fund,
and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser has agreed to pay all
expenses of the Funds except the fee payable to the Adviser under the Advisory
Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends, and other expenses on
securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred
in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment
instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability,
extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust
under the distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
The Adviser, in turn, compensates the Sub-Adviser from the management fee it
receives.
The
Adviser has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse expenses to ensure
the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do
not exceed 0.30%. The waiver and/or reimbursement may not be terminated prior to
May 1, 2027 except by the Board.
A
discussion of the basis for the Board’s approval of the continuation of the
Advisory Agreement, relating to each Fund is available in the Funds’
Form
N-CSR
filing for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2025.
Sub-Adviser
Exchange
Traded Concepts, LLC, an Oklahoma limited liability company located at 10900
Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, is responsible
for the day-to-day management of the Funds. An SEC-registered investment adviser
formed in 2018, the Sub-Adviser is majority owned by Cottonwood ETF Holdings
LLC.
Pursuant
to an investment sub-advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of each
Fund, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), the
Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for each Fund,
including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions or
in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of each respective Index,
subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. For its services, the
Sub-Adviser is entitled to a fee paid by the Adviser from its management fee,
which fee is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on the
accumulative average daily net assets of each fund advised (or sponsored) by the
Adviser and sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser, and subject to a minimum annual fee
as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Minimum
Annual Fee* |
Asset-Based
Fee |
| $15,000 |
4
bps (0.04%) on the first $200 million 3.5 bps (0.035%) on the next $800
million 3 bps (0.03%) on the next $1 billion 2.5 bps (0.025%) on the
balance over $2 billion |
A
discussion of the basis for the Board’s approval of the continuation of the
Sub-Advisory Agreement, relating to each Fund is available in the Funds’
Form
N-CSR
filing for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2025.
Portfolio
Managers
William
Hershey, Timothy Maloney and David Mazza, each a portfolio manager of the
Adviser, and Andrew Serowik, Todd Alberico, Gabriel Tan and Brian Cooper, each a
portfolio manager of the Sub-Adviser, are jointly and primarily responsible for
the day-to-day management of the investment portfolios of the
Funds.
Mr.
Hershey co-founded the Adviser in late 2018. He began his career at Yorkville
ETF Advisors, continuing with Yorkville Capital Management after the sale of
Yorkville’s ETF business. During his career, he held various roles, including
Head Trader for a Yorkville’s long/short energy hedge fund. He graduated from
Vanderbilt University with a degree in Economics. Mr. Hershey is a CFA
Charterholder.
Mr.
Maloney co-founded the Adviser in late 2018. He began his career at Morgan
Stanley as a Foreign-Exchange and Emerging Markets salesperson. He later joined
Wells Capital, where he traded investment grade bonds for a $35 billion
fixed-income portfolio. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in
Economics and a Masters of Science in Finance (MSF). Mr. Maloney is a CFA
Charterholder.
Mr.
Mazza joined the Adviser in 2023. He began his career at State Street Global
Advisors and had various research, portfolio management, and product development
responsibilities including leading the strategy and research team for SPDR ETFs.
He later worked in leadership roles at OppenheimerFunds and Rafferty Asset
Management. He graduated from the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University
with his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance and Boston College
with a degree in Political Science and Philosophy.
Mr.
Serowik joined the Sub-Adviser from Goldman Sachs. He began his career at Spear,
Leeds & Kellogg, continuing with Goldman after its acquisition of SLK.
During his career of more than 18 years at the combined companies, he held
various roles, including managing the global Quant ETF Strats team and One Delta
ETF Strats. He designed and developed systems for portfolio risk calculation,
algorithmic ETF trading, and execution monitoring, with experience across all
asset classes. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of
Business Administration degree in Finance.
Mr.
Alberico joined the Sub-Adviser in November 2020, having spent the past 14 years
in ETF trading at Goldman Sachs, Cantor Fitzgerald, and, most recently, Virtu
Financial. He spent most of that time focused on the Trading and Portfolio Risk
Management of ETFs exposed to international and domestic equity. He has worked
on several different strategies including lead market-making and electronic
trading, to customer facing institutional business developing models for block
trading as well as transitional trades. Mr. Alberico graduated from St.
John’s University in New York with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Finance.
Mr.
Tan joined the Sub-Adviser in May 2019 as an Associate Portfolio Manager and was
promoted to Portfolio Manager in December 2020. He began his career at UBS and
BBR Partners where he worked as a financial planning analyst and a portfolio
strategist for over four years. During his time there, he developed
comprehensive wealth management solutions focused on portfolio optimization,
trust and estate planning, and tax planning. Mr. Tan graduated from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science in
Business Administration with a concentration in Investments, a Bachelor of Arts
in Economics, and a Minor in Chinese.
Mr.
Cooper joined the Sub-Adviser in November 2021, having spent the previous 14
years working in various operational roles for Falcon Management Corporation, a
global macro family office, gaining exposure to a variety of asset classes with
a focus on operations, accounting, and technology. He has also had roles in
trade operations for Constellation Advisers and QFR Capital Management, and with
Elliot Capital Management in their middle office derivatives group. Mr. Cooper
graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science
in Finance and a Minor in Business Law.
The
Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’
compensation structure, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and
the portfolio managers’ ownership of Shares.
Other
Service Providers
Foreside
Fund Services, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC
(doing business as ACA Group) (the “Distributor”), serves as the principal
underwriter and distributor of each Fund’s Shares. The Distributor’s principal
address is 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor
will not distribute Shares in less than whole Creation Units, and it does not
maintain a secondary market in the Shares. The Distributor is a broker-dealer
registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). The Distributor has no
role in determining the policies of the Funds or the securities that are
purchased or sold by a Fund and is not affiliated with the Adviser, Sub-Adviser,
or any of their respective affiliates.
U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services,
located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the
administrator and transfer agent (as applicable) for the Funds.
U.S.
Bank National Association, located at 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as the custodian for the Funds.
Morgan,
Lewis & Bockius LLP, located at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20004, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.
Cohen
& Company, Ltd., located at 1835 Market Street, Suite 310, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the Funds’ independent registered public
accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm is
responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Funds.
HOW
TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
Each
Fund issues and redeems Shares only in Creation Units at the NAV per share next
determined after receipt of an order from an AP. Only APs may acquire Shares
directly from a Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption
directly to a Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing
agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has
been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Funds’
transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units.
Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a
Creation Unit.
Most
investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers.
Individual Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange
and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded
securities.
When
buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage
commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the
bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip
(purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market
transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy
Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book
Entry
Shares
are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued.
The Depository Trust Company (the “DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of
all outstanding Shares.
Investors
owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its
participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s
participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies,
clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly
maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you
are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have
Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of
Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely
upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same
as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or
“street name” through your brokerage account.
Frequent
Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The
Funds impose no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of
Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board
evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases
and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem
Shares directly from the Funds, are an essential part of the ETF process and
help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Funds accommodate
frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, frequent purchases and
redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs
and lead to the realization of capital gains. The Funds’ fair valuation of their
holdings consistent with the 1940 Act and Rule 2a-5 thereunder and their ability
to impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to
cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Funds in effecting trades
help to minimize the potential adverse consequences of frequent purchases and
redemptions.
Determination
of Net Asset Value
Each
Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New
York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, each day the
NYSE is open for business. The NAV for a Fund is calculated by dividing the
applicable Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.
In
calculating its NAV, each Fund generally values its assets on the basis of
market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a
pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. For example, a
Fund generally values equity securities at their readily available market
quotations. If such information is not available for an investment held by a
Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the investment will be valued by the
Adviser at fair value pursuant to procedures established by the Adviser and
approved by the Board (as described below).
Fair
Value Pricing
The
Adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Funds
pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee,
the Adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund
investments whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be
unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) an investment
has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) an
investment’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price;
(iii) an investment’s primary trading market is closed during regular market
hours; or (iv) an investment’s value is
materially
affected by events occurring after the close of the investment’s primary trading
market. Generally, when fair valuing an investment held by a Fund, the Adviser
will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant
to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical
data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent
trades or offers of the investment, general and/or specific market conditions
and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the investment.
Fair value determinations are made in good faith and in accordance with the fair
value methodologies established by the Adviser. Due to the subjective and
variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment,
there can be no assurance that the Adviser’s determined fair value will match or
closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or
the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, a Fund may not be
able to obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if the Fund were to sell
such investment at or near the time its fair value is determined.
Investments
by Registered Investment Companies
Section
12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder limit investments by
registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies.
Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in a Fund beyond the
limits set forth in section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions,
including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with such Fund.
Delivery
of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding
is an option available to certain investors of the Funds. Householding is a
method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which
a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who
share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different
names. Householding for the Funds is available through certain broker-dealers.
If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy
of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your
broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change
your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
DIVIDENDS,
DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES
Dividends
and Distributions
Each
Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, in cash, and distribute any net
realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. Each Fund will
declare and pay capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in
cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the
broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your
broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions
to you.
Taxes
The
following discussion is a summary of certain important U.S. federal income tax
considerations generally applicable to investments in the Funds. Your investment
in a Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about
the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible
application of foreign, state, and local tax laws. This summary does not apply
to Shares held in an IRA or other tax-qualified plans, which are generally not
subject to current tax. Transactions relating to Shares held in such accounts
may, however, be taxable at some time in the future. This summary is based on
current tax laws, which may change.
Each
Fund intends to qualify each year for treatment as a RIC within the meaning of
Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If
it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax
at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely
distributed to shareholders. However, a Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to
meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief
provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a
reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless
your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged
account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences
when the Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on an
Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
Taxes
on Distributions
Each
Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net
investment income and net capital gains. The distributions you receive may be
subject to federal, state, and local taxation depending on your tax situation.
For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are
generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on
distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long a Fund owned
the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has
owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year
generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held
by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and
losses. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term
capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by such Fund
as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as
long-term capital gains, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to tax
at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax
brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as
ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you
whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional
Shares.
Distributions
reported by a Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to
non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains,
provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend
income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or
certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession
or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In
addition, dividends that a Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign
corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable
on an established U.S. securities market. A Fund’s investment strategies may
limit its ability to make distributions of qualified dividend income. Corporate
shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion
of dividends they receive from a Fund that are attributable to dividends
received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. A
Fund’s investment strategies may limit its ability to make distributions
eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate
shareholders.
Shortly
after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and
character of any distributions received from a Fund.
In
general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in
which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be
treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally
taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before your
investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your
Shares).
You
may wish to avoid investing in a Fund shortly before a dividend or other
distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though
it may economically represent a return of a portion of your
investment.
If
you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a
foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by
a Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%,
unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of
your Shares from non-U.S. shareholders generally are not subject to U.S.
taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically
present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. A Fund may, under certain
circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related
dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be
exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements
are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder
engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty
applies.
Under
legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act),
a Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to
shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed
information reporting or certification requirements.
A
Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder
owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a
percentage of the taxable distributions and sale proceeds paid to any
shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification
number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to
certify that the shareholder is not subject to such withholding.
Taxes
When Shares Are Sold on the Exchange
Assuming
you hold your Shares as a capital asset, any gain or loss realized upon a sale
of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares
have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss
if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a
sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss
to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any
loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of a Fund are
acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period
beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The
ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The
cost basis of Shares of a Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on
the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other
applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the
selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of
the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the
broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect
to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of a Fund
are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day
period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of
Shares.
Taxes
on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An
AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax
purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain
or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of
the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate
basis in the securities delivered plus the amount of any cash paid for the
Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally
recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s
basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the
securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The
Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) may assert, however, that a loss that is
realized upon
an
exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under
the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their
holdings) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic
position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with
respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be
deductible.
A
Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery
of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. A Fund may sell
portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption
proceeds. This may cause a Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital
gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied
the redemption in kind. As a result, a Fund may be less tax efficient if it
includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of
Creation Units.
Net
Investment Income Tax
U.S.
individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax
on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest,
dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains
distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax
also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of
certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
Foreign
Investments by a Fund
The
Funds invest in foreign securities. Interest and other income received by a Fund
with respect to foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes
imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the
United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If as of the close of a
taxable year more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s assets consists of certain
foreign stock or securities, each such Fund will be eligible to elect to “pass
through” to investors the amount of foreign income and similar taxes (including
withholding taxes) paid by such Fund during that taxable year. This means that
investors would be considered to have received as additional income their
respective shares of such foreign taxes but may be entitled to either a
corresponding tax deduction in calculating taxable income, or, subject to
certain limitations, a credit in calculating federal income tax. If a Fund does
not so elect, each such Fund will be entitled to claim a deduction for certain
foreign taxes incurred by such Fund. A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such
as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) will notify you if it
makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect
foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.
Taxation
of REIT Investments
The
Cannabis ETF invests in U.S. REITs. “Qualified REIT dividends” (i.e.,
ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT
dividends designated as qualified dividend income eligible for capital gain tax
rates) are eligible for a 20% deduction by non-corporate taxpayers. This
deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6%
(37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). Distributions by the Fund
to its shareholders that are attributable to qualified REIT dividends received
by the Fund and which the Fund properly reports as “section 199A dividends,” are
treated as “qualified REIT dividends” in the hands of non-corporate
shareholders. A section 199A dividend is treated as a qualified REIT dividend
only if the shareholder receiving such dividend holds the dividend-paying RIC
shares for at least 46 days of the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the
shares become ex-dividend, and is not under an obligation to make related
payments with respect to a position in substantially similar or related
property. The Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as section
199A dividends as are eligible but is not required to do so.
REITs
in which the Fund invests often do not provide complete and final tax
information to the Fund until after the time that the Fund issues a tax
reporting statement. As a result, the Fund may at times find it necessary to
reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues
your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the Fund
(or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns
Shares) will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the
reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the
information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously
issued tax reporting statement, in completing your tax returns.
Taxation
of Cryptocurrency
The
Ball Metaverse ETF is expected to make certain investments that indirectly own
cryptocurrencies.
While
the Fund’s investments in cryptocurrency are expected to be held through
entities treated as passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”) which would
generally be expected to produce qualifying income for purposes of ensuring that
the Fund maintains its status as a RIC, to the extent that such investments are
not treated as PFICs, those investments may not produce qualifying
income.
The
Fund intends to seek to restrict its income from such instruments that do not
generate qualifying income to a maximum of 10% of its gross income (when
combined with its other investments that produce non-qualifying
income).
The
foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current
federal tax law of an investment in each Fund. It is not a substitute for
personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund
distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the
potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares
under
all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled
“Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
DISTRIBUTION
PLAN
The
Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule
12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is authorized
to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for
certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.
No
Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no plans to
impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the
future, because the fees are paid out of Fund assets, over time these fees will
increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other
types of sales charges.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT
INFORMATION
Information
regarding how often each Fund’s Shares traded on the Exchange at a price above
(i.e.,
at a premium) or below (i.e.,
at a discount) its NAV is available on the Funds’ website at
www.roundhillinvestments.com.
ADDITIONAL
NOTICES
Shares
are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no
representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any
member of the public regarding the ability of a Fund to track the total return
performance of its Index or the ability of the Index identified herein to track
the performance of its constituent securities. The Exchange is not responsible
for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or the
calculation of the Index, nor in the determination of the timing, prices, or
quantities of Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of
the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation
or liability to owners of Shares in connection with the administration,
marketing, or trading of Shares.
The
Exchange does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Index or
the data included therein. The Exchange makes no warranty, express or implied,
as to results to be obtained by the Fund, owners of Shares, or any other person
or entity from the use of the Index or the data included therein. The Exchange
makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect
to the Index or the data included therein. Without limiting any of the
foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost
profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if
notified of the possibility thereof.
The
Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Exchange, and the Funds make no representation or
warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the
public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in a
Fund particularly or the ability of an Index to track general stock market
performance. Each Fund, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser do not guarantee the
accuracy, completeness, or performance of an Index or the data included therein
and shall have no liability in connection with the Index or Index calculation.
Each Index calculation agent maintains and calculates the Index used by the
respective Fund and shall have no liability for any errors or omissions in
calculating such Index.
FINANCIAL
HIGHLIGHTS
The
following financial highlights table shows the financial performance information
for each Fund’s five most recent fiscal years (or the life of a Fund, if
shorter). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share of a
Fund. The total returns in the table represent the rate that you would have
earned or lost on an investment in a Fund (assuming you reinvested all
distributions). This information has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd.,
the independent registered public accounting firm of the Funds, whose report,
along with each Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Funds’ most
recent
Form N-CSR
filing, which is available upon request and can be found on the SEC’s website.
Roundhill
Sports Betting & iGaming ETF
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| Year
Ended December 31, |
|
| 2025 |
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
|
| PER
SHARE DATA: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$19.03 |
|
| $17.41 |
|
| $14.35 |
|
| $24.88 |
|
| $25.86 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| INVESTMENT
OPERATIONS: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Net
investment income(a) |
0.83 |
|
| 0.05 |
|
| 0.08 |
|
| 0.07 |
|
| 0.08 |
| |
|
Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments(b) |
2.22 |
|
| 1.73 |
|
| 2.98 |
|
| (10.51) |
|
| (1.06) |
| |
| Total
from investment operations |
3.05 |
|
| 1.78 |
|
| 3.06 |
|
| (10.44) |
|
| (0.98) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| LESS
DISTRIBUTIONS FROM: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
investment income |
(0.96) |
|
| (0.16) |
|
| — |
|
| (0.04) |
|
| — |
| |
| Return
of capital |
— |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
| (0.05) |
|
| — |
| |
| Total
distributions |
(0.96) |
|
| (0.16) |
|
| — |
|
| (0.09) |
|
| — |
| |
|
ETF
transaction fees per share(a) |
— |
|
| — |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(c) |
— |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(c) |
| Net
asset value, end of year |
$21.12 |
| $19.03 |
| $17.41 |
| $14.35 |
| $24.88 |
|
| Total
return |
16.02 |
% |
| 10.24 |
% |
| 21.30 |
% |
| -41.99 |
% |
| -3.78 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| SUPPLEMENTAL
DATA AND RATIOS: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
assets, end of year (in thousands) |
$63,363 |
| $73,252 |
| $100,523 |
| $118,028 |
| $290,507 |
|
| Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
0.75 |
% |
| 0.75 |
% |
| 0.75 |
% |
| 0.75 |
% |
| 0.75 |
% |
|
| Ratio
of tax expenses to average net assets |
0.00 |
% |
(d) |
0.00 |
% |
(d) |
— |
% |
| — |
% |
| — |
% |
|
| Ratio
of net investment income to average net assets |
3.83 |
% |
| 0.30 |
% |
| 0.46 |
% |
| 0.38 |
% |
| 0.26 |
% |
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate(e) |
26 |
% |
| 20 |
% |
| 64 |
% |
| 43 |
% |
| 52 |
% |
|
(a)Calculated
based on average shares outstanding during the years.
(b)Realized
and unrealized gains and losses per share in the caption are balancing amounts
necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the periods,
and may not reconcile with the aggregate gains and losses in the Statement of
Operations due to share transactions for the periods.
(c)Amount
represents less than $0.005 per share.
(d)Amount
represents less than 0.005%.
(e)Portfolio
turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions.
Roundhill
Ball Metaverse ETF
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| Year
Ended December 31, |
| Period
Ended December 31, |
|
|
| 2025 |
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 2022 |
|
2021(a) |
|
| PER
SHARE DATA: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
Asset Value, Beginning of Period |
$14.43 |
|
| $11.54 |
|
| $7.21 |
|
| $15.17 |
|
| $15.07 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| INVESTMENT
OPERATIONS: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Net
investment income (loss)(b) |
0.02 |
|
| (0.00) |
(c) |
0.02 |
|
| 0.01 |
|
| (0.01) |
| |
|
Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments(d) |
4.40 |
|
| 2.89 |
|
| 4.33 |
|
| (7.96) |
|
| 0.10 |
| |
|
Total
from investment operations
|
4.42 |
|
| 2.89 |
|
| 4.35 |
|
| (7.95) |
|
| 0.09 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| LESS
DISTRIBUTIONS FROM: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
investment income |
(0.03) |
|
| — |
|
| (0.02) |
|
| (0.01) |
|
| — |
| |
|
Total
distributions
|
(0.03) |
|
| — |
|
| (0.02) |
|
| (0.01) |
|
| — |
| |
|
ETF
transaction fees per share(b) |
0.00 |
|
(c) |
0.00 |
|
(c) |
0.00 |
|
(c) |
0.00 |
|
(c) |
0.01 |
| |
|
Net
Asset Value, End of Period
|
$18.82 |
|
| $14.43 |
|
| $11.54 |
|
| $7.21 |
|
| $15.17 |
| |
|
Total
return(e)
|
30.69 |
% |
| 25.05 |
% |
| 60.37 |
% |
| −52.44% |
| 0.63 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
SUPPLEMENTAL
DATA AND RATIOS:(f) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$277,167 |
| $330,767 |
| $463,556 |
| $370,242 |
| $933,059 |
|
|
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Before
expense reimbursement(g) |
0.59 |
% |
| 0.59 |
% |
| 0.59 |
% |
| 0.60 |
% |
| 0.75 |
% |
|
|
After
expense reimbursement(g) |
0.58 |
% |
| 0.59 |
% |
| 0.59 |
% |
| 0.60 |
% |
| 0.75 |
% |
|
|
Ratio
of tax expenses to average net assets(g) |
0.00 |
% |
(h) |
0.00 |
% |
(h) |
— |
% |
| — |
% |
| — |
% |
|
|
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets(g) |
0.09 |
% |
| (0.02) |
% |
| 0.19 |
% |
| 0.06 |
% |
| (0.13) |
% |
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate(e)(i) |
55 |
% |
| 46 |
% |
| 30 |
% |
| 47 |
% |
| 41 |
% |
|
(a)Inception
date of the Fund was June 29, 2021.
(b)Calculated
based on average shares outstanding during the periods.
(c)Amount
represents less than $0.005 per share.
(d)Realized
and unrealized gains and losses per share in the caption are balancing amounts
necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the periods,
and may not reconcile with the aggregate gains and losses in the Statement of
Operations due to share transactions for the periods.
(e)Not
annualized for periods less than one year.
(f)Ratios
do not include the income and expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund
invests.
(g)Annualized
for periods less than one year.
(h)Amount
represents less than 0.005%.
(i)Portfolio
turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions.
Roundhill
Video Games ETF
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| Year
Ended December 31, |
|
| 2025 |
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
|
| PER
SHARE DATA: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$19.93 |
|
| $15.73 |
|
| $14.03 |
|
| $24.99 |
|
| $30.09 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| INVESTMENT
OPERATIONS: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Net
investment income(a) |
0.10 |
|
| 0.07 |
|
| 0.11 |
|
| 0.14 |
|
| 0.05 |
| |
|
Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments(b) |
4.38 |
|
| 4.47 |
|
| 1.75 |
|
| (11.01) |
|
| (5.17) |
| |
| Total
from investment operations |
4.48 |
|
| 4.54 |
|
| 1.86 |
|
| (10.87) |
|
| (5.12) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| LESS
DISTRIBUTIONS FROM: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
investment income |
(0.15) |
|
| (0.34) |
|
| (0.17) |
|
| (0.10) |
|
| (0.01) |
| |
| Total
distributions |
(0.15) |
|
| (0.34) |
|
| (0.17) |
|
| (0.10) |
|
| (0.01) |
| |
|
ETF
transaction fees per share(a) |
0.00 |
|
(c) |
0.00 |
|
(c) |
0.01 |
|
| 0.01 |
|
| 0.03 |
| |
| Net
asset value, end of year |
$24.26 |
|
| $19.93 |
|
| $15.73 |
|
| $14.03 |
|
| $24.99 |
| |
| Total
return |
22.47 |
% |
| 28.86 |
% |
| 13.35 |
% |
| -43.49 |
% |
| -16.93 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| SUPPLEMENTAL
DATA AND RATIOS: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
assets, end of year (in thousands) |
$19,407 |
| $19,931 |
| $20,844 |
| $25,250 |
| $62,475 |
|
| Ratio
of expenses to average net assets |
0.50 |
% |
| 0.50 |
% |
| 0.50 |
% |
| 0.50 |
% |
| 0.50 |
% |
|
| Ratio
of tax expenses to average net assets |
0.00 |
% |
(d) |
0.00 |
% |
(d) |
— |
% |
| — |
% |
| — |
% |
|
| Ratio
of net investment income to average net assets |
0.40 |
% |
| 0.39 |
% |
| 0.76 |
% |
| 0.78 |
% |
| 0.16 |
% |
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate(e) |
64 |
% |
| 30 |
% |
| 17 |
% |
| 83 |
% |
| 52 |
% |
|
(a)Calculated
based on average shares outstanding during the years.
(b)Realized
and unrealized gains and losses per share in the caption are balancing amounts
necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the periods,
and may not reconcile with the aggregate gains and losses in the Statement of
Operations due to share transactions for the periods.
(c)Amount
represents less than $0.005 per share.
(d)Amount
represents less than 0.005%.
(e)Portfolio
turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions.
Roundhill
Cannabis ETF
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| Year
Ended December 31, |
Period
Ended December 31, |
|
|
| 2025 |
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
|
2022(a) |
|
| PER
SHARE DATA: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
Asset Value, Beginning of Period |
$16.28 |
|
| $30.14 |
|
| $29.95 |
|
| $76.60 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| INVESTMENT
OPERATIONS: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Net
investment income(b) |
0.50 |
|
| 1.61 |
|
| 1.18 |
|
| 0.45 |
| |
|
Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments(c) |
3.16 |
|
| (15.59) |
|
| (0.99) |
|
| (47.15) |
| |
|
Total
from investment operations
|
3.66 |
|
| (13.98) |
|
| 0.19 |
|
| (46.70) |
| |
|
ETF
transaction fees per share(b) |
0.03 |
|
| 0.12 |
|
| — |
|
| 0.05 |
| |
| Net
asset value, end of period |
$19.97 |
| $16.28 |
| $30.14 |
| $29.95 |
|
|
Total
return(d)(h) |
22.64 |
% |
| −45.98% |
| 0.71 |
% |
| −60.93% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| SUPPLEMENTAL
DATA AND RATIOS: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$9,485 |
|
| $4,966 |
|
| $3,165 |
|
| $1,496 |
| |
| Ratio
of expenses to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Before
expense reimbursement(e) |
0.39 |
% |
| 0.39 |
% |
| 0.48 |
% |
| 0.75 |
% |
|
|
After
expense reimbursement(e) |
(0.01) |
% |
| 0.22 |
% |
| 0.39 |
% |
| 0.52 |
% |
|
|
Ratio
of tax expenses to average net assets(e) |
0.00 |
% |
(f) |
— |
% |
| — |
% |
| — |
% |
|
|
Ratio
of net investment income to average net assets(e) |
3.19 |
% |
| 5.06 |
% |
| 4.58 |
% |
| 1.32 |
% |
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate(d)(g) |
23 |
% |
| — |
% |
| — |
% |
| 65 |
% |
|
(a)Inception
date of the Fund was April 19, 2022.
(b)Calculated
based on average shares outstanding during the periods.
(c)Realized
and unrealized gains and losses per share in the caption are balancing amounts
necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the periods,
and may not reconcile with the aggregate gains and losses in the Statement of
Operations due to share transactions for the periods.
(d)Not
annualized for periods less than one year.
(e)Annualized
for periods less than one year.
(f)Amount
represents less than 0.005%.
(g)Portfolio
turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions.
(h)In
2025, 0.33% of the Fund’s total return consists of voluntary reimbursements by
the Sub-adviser for a realized investment loss incurred from trade errors.
Excluding these items, total return would have been 22.31%.
Roundhill
Magnificent Seven ETF
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| Year
Ended December 31, |
Period
Ended December 31, |
|
|
| 2025 |
| 2024 |
|
2023(a) |
|
| PER
SHARE DATA: |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
Asset Value, Beginning of Period |
$54.45 |
|
| $33.35 |
|
| $24.77 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| INVESTMENT
OPERATIONS: |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Net
investment income(b) |
1.30 |
|
| 1.22 |
|
| 0.67 |
| |
|
Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments(c) |
11.22 |
|
| 20.32 |
|
| 8.05 |
| |
|
Total
from investment operations
|
12.52 |
|
| 21.54 |
|
| 8.72 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| LESS
DISTRIBUTIONS FROM: |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
investment income |
(0.98) |
|
| (0.43) |
|
| (0.14) |
| |
| Net
realized gains |
— |
|
| (0.01) |
|
|
(0.00) |
(d) |
| Total
distributions |
(0.98) |
|
| (0.44) |
|
| (0.14) |
| |
| Net
asset value, end of period |
$65.99 |
| $54.45 |
| $33.35 |
|
|
Total
return(e) |
22.96 |
% |
| 64.59 |
% |
| 35.21 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| SUPPLEMENTAL
DATA AND RATIOS: |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net
assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$3,966,415 |
| $1,768,590 |
| $37,349 |
|
|
Ratio
of expenses to average net assets(f) |
0.29 |
% |
| 0.29 |
% |
| 0.29 |
% |
|
|
Ratio
of interest expense to average net assets(f) |
0.00 |
% |
(g) |
0.00 |
% |
(g) |
— |
% |
|
|
Ratio
of net investment income (loss) to average net assets(f) |
2.25 |
% |
| 2.59 |
% |
| 2.92 |
% |
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate(e)(h) |
27 |
% |
| 40 |
% |
| 81 |
% |
|
(a)Inception
date of the Fund was April 10, 2023.
(b)Net
investment income per share has been calculated based on average shares
outstanding during the periods.
(c)Realized
and unrealized gains and losses per share in the caption are balancing amounts
necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the periods,
and may not reconcile with the aggregate gains and losses in the Statement of
Operations due to share transactions for the periods.
(d)Amount
represents less than $0.005 per share.
(e)Not
annualized for periods less than one year.
(f)Annualized
for periods less than one year.
(g)Amount
represents less than 0.005%.
(h)Portfolio
turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions.
Roundhill
Video Games ETF
Roundhill
Sports Betting & iGaming ETF
Roundhill
Ball Metaverse ETF
Roundhill
Cannabis ETF
Roundhill
Magnificent Seven ETF
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Adviser |
Roundhill
Financial Inc.
154
West 14th Street, 2nd Floor
New
York, New York 10011 |
Transfer
Agent, Index Receipt Agent, and Administrator |
U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
d/b/a
U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615
East Michigan Street
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin 53202 |
|
Sub-Adviser |
Exchange
Traded Concepts, LLC
10900
Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400
Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma 73120 |
Distributor |
Foreside
Fund Services, LLC
190
Middle Street, Suite 301
Portland,
Maine 04101 |
|
Custodian |
U.S.
Bank National Association
1555
North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin 53212 |
Legal
Counsel |
Morgan,
Lewis & Bockius LLP
1111
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington,
DC 20004-2541 |
|
Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm |
Cohen
& Company, Ltd.
1835
Market Street, Suite 310
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania 19103 |
| |
Investors
may find more information about a Fund in the following documents:
Statement
of Additional Information: The
Funds’ SAI provides additional details about the investments of each Fund and
certain other additional information. The SAI is on file with the SEC and is
incorporated herein by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered
a part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual
Reports and Form N-CSR: Additional
information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Funds’ Annual and
Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders and in Form
N-CSR.
In the Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and
investment strategies that significantly affected a Fund’s performance. In Form
N-CSR, you will find the Funds’ annual and semi-annual financial statements.
You
can obtain free copies of these documents, request other information or make
general inquiries about the Funds by calling 1-800-617-0004.
Shareholder
reports and other information about the Funds also are available:
•Free
of charge from the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at
http://www.sec.gov;
•Free
of charge from the Funds’ Internet web site at www.roundhillinvestments.com;
or
(SEC
Investment Company Act File No. 811-23226)