80_FR_36139 80 FR 36019 - Academy Funds Trust and Innovator Management LLC; Notice of Application

80 FR 36019 - Academy Funds Trust and Innovator Management LLC; Notice of Application

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 120 (June 23, 2015)

Page Range36019-36021
FR Document2015-15384

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 120 (Tuesday, June 23, 2015)
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 120 (Tuesday, June 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36019-36021]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15384]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Investment Company Act Release No. 31679; 812-14358]


Academy Funds Trust and Innovator Management LLC; Notice of 
Application

June 17, 2015.

ACTION: Notice of an application under section 6(c) of the Investment 
Company Act of 1940 (the ``Act'') for an exemption from section 15(a) 
of the Act and rule 18f-2 under the Act.

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SUMMARY OF APPLICATION: Applicants request an order that would permit 
them to enter into and materially amend subadvisory agreements without 
shareholder approval.

APPLICANTS: Academy Funds Trust (the ``Trust'') and Innovator 
Management LLC (``Innovator'' or the ``Adviser'').

FILING DATES: The application was filed on September 12, 2014 and 
amended on January 28, 2015, May 12, 2015 and June 3, 2015.

HEARING OR NOTIFICATION OF HEARING: An order granting the application 
will be issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. Interested 
persons may request a hearing by writing to the Commission's Secretary 
and serving applicants with a copy of the request, personally or by 
mail. Hearing requests should be received by the Commission by 5:30 
p.m. on July 8, 2015, and should be accompanied by proof of service on 
the applicants, in the form of an affidavit or, for lawyers, a 
certificate of service. Pursuant to rule 0-5 under the Act, hearing 
requests should state the nature of the writer's interest, any facts 
bearing upon the desirability of a hearing on the matter, the reason 
for the request, and the issues contested. Persons who wish to be 
notified of a hearing may request notification by writing to the 
Commission's Secretary.

ADDRESSES: Secretary, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F 
Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090. Applicants: 123 South Broad 
Street, Suite 1630, Philadelphia, PA 19109.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce R. MacNeil, Senior Counsel, at 
(202) 551-6817, or James M. Curtis, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6712 
(Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel's Office).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the 
application. The complete application may be obtained via the 
Commission's Web site by searching for the file number, or an applicant 
using the Company name box, at http://www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or 
by calling (202) 551-8090.

Applicants' Representations

    1. The Trust is organized as a Delaware statutory trust and is 
registered as an open-end management investment company with multiple 
series. Each series of the Trust has its own investment objective, 
policies and restrictions, and each is managed by the Adviser and may 
be managed by various subadvisers.\1\
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    \1\ Applicants also request relief with respect to any existing 
or future series of the Trust and any other existing or future 
registered open-end management investment company or series thereof 
that: (a) Is advised by Innovator or its successors, including any 
entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with 
Innovator or its successors (included in the term ``Adviser''); (b) 
uses the manager-of-managers structure (``Manager of Managers 
Structure'') described in the application; and (c) complies with the 
terms and conditions of the application (each a ``Fund'' and 
together, the ``Funds''). The only existing investment company that 
currently intends to rely on the requested order, the Trust, is 
named as an applicant. For purposes of the requested order, 
``successor'' is limited to an entity that results from a 
reorganization into another jurisdiction or a change in the type of 
organization.
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    2. Innovator is a Delaware limited partnership registered as an 
investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 
(``Advisers Act''). Innovator provides investment management services 
to the Funds under an investment advisory agreement with the Trust (the 
``Advisory Agreement'').\2\ The terms of the Advisory Agreement comply 
or will comply with section 15(a) of the Act. Each Advisory Agreement 
was or will be approved by the board of trustees of the relevant Fund 
(the board of trustees of any Fund, a ``Board''), including by a 
majority of the trustees who are not ``interested persons'' (as defined 
in section 2(a)(19) of the Act) of the Trust or Adviser (the 
``Independent Trustees''), and by the shareholders of the respective 
Fund in the manner required by sections 15(a) and (c) of the Act and 
rule 18f-2 thereunder.\3\
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    \2\ Innovator or another Adviser will enter into substantially 
similar investment advisory agreements to provide investment 
management services to each future Fund (each included in the term 
``Advisory Agreement''). Each other Adviser will also be registered 
as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act.
    \3\ Applicants are not seeking any exemptions with respect to 
the Advisory Agreements.
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    3. Under the terms of each Advisory Agreement, Innovator is 
responsible for the overall management of the Funds' business affairs 
and selecting investments in accordance with the Funds' investment 
objectives, policies and restrictions. For the investment management 
services that it provides to the Funds, the Adviser receives the fee 
specified in the Advisory Agreements. In addition, pursuant to the 
Advisory Agreement, Innovator may retain one or more subadvisers (each, 
a ``Subadviser'') for the purpose of managing all or a portion of the 
assets of the Funds. Pursuant to its authority under the Advisory 
Agreements, the Adviser intends to enter into subadvisory agreements 
(the ``Subadvisory Agreements'') with certain unaffiliated Subadvisers 
to provide investment advisory services to the Funds. Each Subadvisory 
Agreement has been or will be approved by the Board, including by a 
majority of the Independent Trustees in accordance with Sections 15(a) 
and 15(c) of the Act. In addition, the terms of each Subadvisory 
Agreements comply or will comply fully with the requirements of 
Sections 15(a) and 15(c) of the Act other than the shareholder approval 
required under Section 15(a). Each Subadviser to a Fund will be an 
``investment adviser,'' as defined in section 2(a)(20)(B) of the Act, 
and registered as an investment adviser

[[Page 36020]]

under the Advisers Act or not subject to such registration.\4\
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    \4\ If the name of any Fund contains the name of a subadviser, 
the name of the Adviser will precede the name of the subadviser.
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    4. The Adviser will supervise the management and investment 
programs and operations of the Funds and evaluate the abilities and 
performance of other money management firms in order to identify 
appropriate Subadvisers for the Fund's investment strategy. After a 
Subadviser is selected, the Adviser will continuously supervise and 
monitor the Subadviser's performance and periodically recommend to the 
Board which Subadvisers should be retained or released. Neither the 
Trust nor the Funds will be responsible for paying subadvisory fees to 
any Subadviser. The Adviser will compensate the Subadvisers for a Fund 
out of the advisory fees that are paid to the Adviser under the 
applicable Advisory Agreement.
    5. Applicants request an order to permit the Adviser, subject to 
the approval of the Board, to do the following without obtaining 
shareholder approval: (a) Select certain unaffiliated Subadvisers to 
manage all or a portion of the assets of the Funds or future Funds 
pursuant to Subadvisory Agreements, and (b) materially amend 
Subadvisory Agreements with the Subadvisers. Each Fund's prospectus 
will contain, at all times following the approval of the Manager of 
Managers Structure, the disclosure required by condition 2 below.
    6. The requested relief will not extend to any subadviser that is 
an affiliated person, as defined in section 2(a)(3) of the Act, of the 
Trust, a Fund or the Adviser (other than by reason of serving as a 
subadviser to one or more Funds) (``Affiliated Subadviser'').
    7. The Funds will inform shareholders of the hiring of a new 
Subadviser pursuant to the following procedures (``Modified Notice and 
Access Procedures''): (a) Within 90 days after a new Subadviser is 
hired for any Fund, that Fund will send its shareholders either a 
Multi-manager Notice or a Multi-manager Notice and Multi-manager 
Information Statement, as applicable; \5\ and (b) the Fund will make 
the Multi-manager Information Statement available on the Web site 
identified in the Multi-manager Notice no later than when the Multi-
manager Notice (or Multi-manager Notice and Multi-manager Information 
Statement) is first sent to shareholders, and will maintain it on that 
Web site for at least 90 days.
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    \5\ The ``Multi-manager Notice'' will be modeled on a Notice of 
Internet Availability as defined in rule 14a-16 under the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act''), and specifically will, 
among other things: (a) Summarize the relevant information regarding 
the new Subadviser; (b) inform shareholders that the Multi-manager 
Information Statement is available on a Web site; (c) provide the 
Web site address; (d) state the time period during which the Multi-
manager Information Statement will remain available on that Web 
site; (e) provide instructions for accessing and printing the Multi-
manager Information Statement; and (f) instruct the shareholder that 
a paper or email copy of the Multi manager Information Statement may 
be obtained, without charge, by contacting the Funds. A ``Multi-
manager Information Statement'' will meet the requirements of 
Regulation 14C, Schedule 14C and Item 22 of Schedule 14A under the 
Exchange Act for an information statement. Multi-manager Information 
Statements will be filed electronically with the Commission via the 
EDGAR system.
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Applicants' Legal Analysis

    1. Section 15(a) of the Act provides, in relevant part, that it is 
unlawful for any person to act as an investment adviser to a registered 
investment company except pursuant to a written contract that has been 
approved by the vote of a majority of the company's outstanding voting 
securities. Rule 18f-2 under the Act provides that each series or class 
of securities in a series investment company affected by a matter must 
approve that matter if the Act requires shareholder approval.
    2. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that the Commission may exempt 
any person, security, or transaction or any class or classes of 
persons, securities, or transactions from any provisions of the Act, or 
from any rule thereunder, if such exemption is necessary or appropriate 
in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors 
and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the 
Act. Applicants state that the requested relief meets this standard for 
the reasons discussed below.
    3. Applicants assert that the requested relief is consistent with 
the protection of investors. Primary responsibility for management of 
the Funds, including the selection and supervision of the Subadvisers, 
is vested in the Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board. 
Applicants state that from the perspective of the investor, the role of 
the Subadvisers with respect to the Funds is substantially equivalent 
to the role of the individual portfolio managers employed by the 
Adviser for a Fund's assets managed by the Adviser. Both the portfolio 
managers and the Subadvisers are concerned principally with the 
selection of portfolio investments in accordance with each Fund's 
respective investment objectives and policies and have no significant 
supervisory, management or administrative responsibilities with respect 
to the Funds. Applicants state that requiring shareholder approval of 
each Subadvisory Agreement would impose costs and unnecessary delays on 
the Funds, and may preclude the Adviser from acting promptly in a 
manner considered advisable by the Board. Applicants note that the 
Advisory Agreements and any subadvisory agreement with an Affiliated 
Subadviser will remain subject to sections 15(a) and (c) of the Act and 
rule 18f-2 thereunder.

Applicants' Conditions

    Applicants agree that any order granting the requested relief will 
be subject to the following conditions:
    1. Before a Fund may rely on the requested order, the operation of 
the Fund in the manner described in the application will be approved by 
a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities, as defined in 
the Act, or in the case of a Fund whose public shareholders purchase 
shares on the basis of a prospectus containing the disclosure 
contemplated by condition 2 below, by the initial shareholder(s) before 
offering shares of that Fund to the public.
    2. Each Fund relying on the requested order will disclose in its 
prospectus the existence, substance, and effect of any order granted 
pursuant to the application. Each Fund will hold itself out to the 
public as utilizing the Manager of Managers Structure. The prospectus 
will prominently disclose that the Adviser has ultimate responsibility 
(subject to oversight by the Board) to oversee the Subadvisers and 
recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement.
    3. The Funds will inform shareholders of the hiring of a new 
Subadviser within 90 days after the hiring of the new Subadviser 
pursuant to the Modified Notice and Access Procedures.
    4. The Adviser will not enter into a subadvisory agreement with any 
Affiliated Subadviser without such agreement, including the 
compensation to be paid thereunder, being approved by the shareholders 
of the applicable Fund.
    5. At all times, at least a majority of the Board will be 
Independent Trustees, and the nomination of new or additional 
Independent Trustees will be placed within the discretion of the then-
existing Independent Trustees.
    6. Whenever a subadviser change is proposed for a Fund with an 
Affiliated Subadviser, the Board, including a majority of the 
Independent Trustees, will make a separate finding, reflected

[[Page 36021]]

in the Board minutes, that such change is in the best interests of the 
Fund and its shareholders, and does not involve a conflict of interest 
from which the Adviser or the Affiliated Subadviser derives an 
inappropriate advantage.
    7. The Adviser will provide general management services to each 
Fund, including overall supervisory responsibility for the general 
management and investment of each Fund's assets and, subject to review 
and approval of the Board, will: (a) Set each Fund's overall investment 
strategies; (b) evaluate, select and recommend Subadvisers to manage 
all or a part of each Fund's assets; (c) allocate and, when 
appropriate, reallocate each Fund's assets among one or more 
Subadvisers; (d) monitor and evaluate the performance of Subadvisers; 
and (e) implement procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the 
Subadvisers comply with each Fund's investment objective, policies and 
restrictions.
    8. No trustee or officer of the Trust or a Fund, or member, 
manager, or officer of the Adviser, will own, directly or indirectly 
(other than through a pooled investment vehicle that is not controlled 
by such person), any interest in a Subadviser, except for (a) ownership 
of interests in the Adviser or any entity that controls, is controlled 
by, or is under common control with the Adviser or (b) ownership of 
less than 1% of the outstanding securities of any class of equity or 
debt of any publicly traded company that is either a Subadviser or an 
entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with 
a Subadviser.
    9. Any new Subadvisory Agreement or any amendment to an existing 
Advisory Agreement or Subadvisory Agreement that directly or indirectly 
results in an increase in the aggregate advisory fee rate payable by 
the Fund will be submitted to the Fund's shareholders for approval.
    10. In the event the Commission adopts a rule under the Act 
providing substantially similar relief to that in the order requested 
in the application, the requested order will expire on the effective 
date of that rule.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, 
under delegated authority.
Brent J. Fields,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-15384 Filed 6-22-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P



                                                                                   Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 120 / Tuesday, June 23, 2015 / Notices                                                       36019

                                                  Arca has met its burden to demonstrate                    HEARING OR NOTIFICATION OF HEARING:      An                  2. Innovator is a Delaware limited
                                                  that the proposed rule change is                          order granting the application will be                    partnership registered as an investment
                                                  consistent with the requirements of the                   issued unless the Commission orders a                     adviser under the Investment Advisers
                                                  Act and the rules and regulations                         hearing. Interested persons may request                   Act of 1940 (‘‘Advisers Act’’). Innovator
                                                  thereunder, including that the rules of                   a hearing by writing to the                               provides investment management
                                                  an exchange be designed to promote just                   Commission’s Secretary and serving                        services to the Funds under an
                                                  and equitable principles of trade, to                     applicants with a copy of the request,                    investment advisory agreement with the
                                                  remove impediments to and perfect the                     personally or by mail. Hearing requests                   Trust (the ‘‘Advisory Agreement’’).2 The
                                                  mechanism of a free and open market                       should be received by the Commission                      terms of the Advisory Agreement
                                                  and a national market system, and, in                     by 5:30 p.m. on July 8, 2015, and should                  comply or will comply with section
                                                  general, to protect investors and the                     be accompanied by proof of service on                     15(a) of the Act. Each Advisory
                                                  public interest.67                                        the applicants, in the form of an                         Agreement was or will be approved by
                                                                                                            affidavit or, for lawyers, a certificate of               the board of trustees of the relevant
                                                  IV. Conclusion                                                                                                      Fund (the board of trustees of any Fund,
                                                                                                            service. Pursuant to rule 0–5 under the
                                                    For the reasons set forth above, the                    Act, hearing requests should state the                    a ‘‘Board’’), including by a majority of
                                                  Commission does not believe that NYSE                     nature of the writer’s interest, any facts                the trustees who are not ‘‘interested
                                                  Arca has met its burden to demonstrate                    bearing upon the desirability of a                        persons’’ (as defined in section 2(a)(19)
                                                  that the proposed rule change is                          hearing on the matter, the reason for the                 of the Act) of the Trust or Adviser (the
                                                  consistent with the requirements of the                   request, and the issues contested.                        ‘‘Independent Trustees’’), and by the
                                                  Act and the rules and regulations                         Persons who wish to be notified of a                      shareholders of the respective Fund in
                                                  thereunder applicable to a national                       hearing may request notification by                       the manner required by sections 15(a)
                                                  securities exchange, and in particular,                   writing to the Commission’s Secretary.                    and (c) of the Act and rule 18f–2
                                                  Section 6(b)(5) of the Act.                               ADDRESSES: Secretary, U.S. Securities
                                                                                                                                                                      thereunder.3
                                                    It is therefore ordered, pursuant to                                                                                 3. Under the terms of each Advisory
                                                                                                            and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street
                                                  Section 19(b)(2) of the Act, that the                                                                               Agreement, Innovator is responsible for
                                                                                                            NE., Washington, DC 20549–1090.
                                                  proposed rule change (SR–NYSEArca–                                                                                  the overall management of the Funds’
                                                                                                            Applicants: 123 South Broad Street,
                                                  2014–117) be, and hereby is,                                                                                        business affairs and selecting
                                                                                                            Suite 1630, Philadelphia, PA 19109.
                                                  disapproved.                                                                                                        investments in accordance with the
                                                                                                            FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                          Funds’ investment objectives, policies
                                                    For the Commission, by the Division of                  Bruce R. MacNeil, Senior Counsel, at
                                                  Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated                                                                          and restrictions. For the investment
                                                                                                            (202) 551–6817, or James M. Curtis,                       management services that it provides to
                                                  authority.68
                                                                                                            Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6712                           the Funds, the Adviser receives the fee
                                                  Brent J. Fields,                                          (Division of Investment Management,                       specified in the Advisory Agreements.
                                                  Secretary.                                                Chief Counsel’s Office).                                  In addition, pursuant to the Advisory
                                                  [FR Doc. 2015–15341 Filed 6–22–15; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                            SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The                            Agreement, Innovator may retain one or
                                                  BILLING CODE 8011–01–P                                    following is a summary of the                             more subadvisers (each, a ‘‘Subadviser’’)
                                                                                                            application. The complete application                     for the purpose of managing all or a
                                                                                                            may be obtained via the Commission’s                      portion of the assets of the Funds.
                                                  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE                                                                                             Pursuant to its authority under the
                                                                                                            Web site by searching for the file
                                                  COMMISSION                                                                                                          Advisory Agreements, the Adviser
                                                                                                            number, or an applicant using the
                                                  [Investment Company Act Release No.                       Company name box, at http://                              intends to enter into subadvisory
                                                  31679; 812–14358]                                         www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or by                       agreements (the ‘‘Subadvisory
                                                                                                            calling (202) 551–8090.                                   Agreements’’) with certain unaffiliated
                                                  Academy Funds Trust and Innovator                                                                                   Subadvisers to provide investment
                                                  Management LLC; Notice of                                 Applicants’ Representations                               advisory services to the Funds. Each
                                                  Application                                                 1. The Trust is organized as a                          Subadvisory Agreement has been or will
                                                  June 17, 2015.                                            Delaware statutory trust and is                           be approved by the Board, including by
                                                                                                            registered as an open-end management                      a majority of the Independent Trustees
                                                  ACTION: Notice of an application under                    investment company with multiple                          in accordance with Sections 15(a) and
                                                  section 6(c) of the Investment Company                    series. Each series of the Trust has its                  15(c) of the Act. In addition, the terms
                                                  Act of 1940 (the ‘‘Act’’) for an                          own investment objective, policies and                    of each Subadvisory Agreements
                                                  exemption from section 15(a) of the Act                   restrictions, and each is managed by the                  comply or will comply fully with the
                                                  and rule 18f–2 under the Act.                             Adviser and may be managed by various                     requirements of Sections 15(a) and 15(c)
                                                                                                            subadvisers.1                                             of the Act other than the shareholder
                                                  SUMMARY OF APPLICATION:     Applicants                                                                              approval required under Section 15(a).
                                                  request an order that would permit them                      1 Applicants also request relief with respect to       Each Subadviser to a Fund will be an
                                                  to enter into and materially amend                        any existing or future series of the Trust and any        ‘‘investment adviser,’’ as defined in
                                                  subadvisory agreements without                            other existing or future registered open-end
                                                                                                                                                                      section 2(a)(20)(B) of the Act, and
                                                  shareholder approval.                                     management investment company or series thereof
                                                                                                            that: (a) Is advised by Innovator or its successors,      registered as an investment adviser
                                                  APPLICANTS: Academy Funds Trust (the                      including any entity controlling, controlled by or
                                                  ‘‘Trust’’) and Innovator Management                       under common control with Innovator or its                a reorganization into another jurisdiction or a
                                                                                                            successors (included in the term ‘‘Adviser’’); (b)        change in the type of organization.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                  LLC (‘‘Innovator’’ or the ‘‘Adviser’’).
                                                                                                            uses the manager-of-managers structure (‘‘Manager            2 Innovator or another Adviser will enter into
                                                  FILING DATES: The application was filed                   of Managers Structure’’) described in the                 substantially similar investment advisory
                                                  on September 12, 2014 and amended on                      application; and (c) complies with the terms and          agreements to provide investment management
                                                  January 28, 2015, May 12, 2015 and                        conditions of the application (each a ‘‘Fund’’ and        services to each future Fund (each included in the
                                                                                                            together, the ‘‘Funds’’). The only existing               term ‘‘Advisory Agreement’’). Each other Adviser
                                                  June 3, 2015.                                             investment company that currently intends to rely         will also be registered as an investment adviser
                                                                                                            on the requested order, the Trust, is named as an         under the Advisers Act.
                                                    67 15   U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).                               applicant. For purposes of the requested order,              3 Applicants are not seeking any exemptions with
                                                    68 17   CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).                            ‘‘successor’’ is limited to an entity that results from   respect to the Advisory Agreements.



                                             VerDate Sep<11>2014     18:39 Jun 22, 2015   Jkt 235001   PO 00000   Frm 00088   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703    E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM    23JNN1


                                                  36020                          Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 120 / Tuesday, June 23, 2015 / Notices

                                                  under the Advisers Act or not subject to                make the Multi-manager Information                     management or administrative
                                                  such registration.4                                     Statement available on the Web site                    responsibilities with respect to the
                                                     4. The Adviser will supervise the                    identified in the Multi-manager Notice                 Funds. Applicants state that requiring
                                                  management and investment programs                      no later than when the Multi-manager                   shareholder approval of each
                                                  and operations of the Funds and                         Notice (or Multi-manager Notice and                    Subadvisory Agreement would impose
                                                  evaluate the abilities and performance                  Multi-manager Information Statement)                   costs and unnecessary delays on the
                                                  of other money management firms in                      is first sent to shareholders, and will                Funds, and may preclude the Adviser
                                                  order to identify appropriate                           maintain it on that Web site for at least              from acting promptly in a manner
                                                  Subadvisers for the Fund’s investment                   90 days.                                               considered advisable by the Board.
                                                  strategy. After a Subadviser is selected,                                                                      Applicants note that the Advisory
                                                                                                          Applicants’ Legal Analysis
                                                  the Adviser will continuously supervise                                                                        Agreements and any subadvisory
                                                  and monitor the Subadviser’s                               1. Section 15(a) of the Act provides,               agreement with an Affiliated Subadviser
                                                  performance and periodically                            in relevant part, that it is unlawful for              will remain subject to sections 15(a) and
                                                  recommend to the Board which                            any person to act as an investment                     (c) of the Act and rule 18f–2 thereunder.
                                                  Subadvisers should be retained or                       adviser to a registered investment
                                                                                                          company except pursuant to a written                   Applicants’ Conditions
                                                  released. Neither the Trust nor the
                                                  Funds will be responsible for paying                    contract that has been approved by the                   Applicants agree that any order
                                                  subadvisory fees to any Subadviser. The                 vote of a majority of the company’s                    granting the requested relief will be
                                                  Adviser will compensate the                             outstanding voting securities. Rule 18f–               subject to the following conditions:
                                                  Subadvisers for a Fund out of the                       2 under the Act provides that each                       1. Before a Fund may rely on the
                                                  advisory fees that are paid to the                      series or class of securities in a series              requested order, the operation of the
                                                  Adviser under the applicable Advisory                   investment company affected by a                       Fund in the manner described in the
                                                  Agreement.                                              matter must approve that matter if the                 application will be approved by a
                                                     5. Applicants request an order to                    Act requires shareholder approval.                     majority of the Fund’s outstanding
                                                  permit the Adviser, subject to the                         2. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that            voting securities, as defined in the Act,
                                                  approval of the Board, to do the                        the Commission may exempt any                          or in the case of a Fund whose public
                                                  following without obtaining shareholder                 person, security, or transaction or any                shareholders purchase shares on the
                                                  approval: (a) Select certain unaffiliated               class or classes of persons, securities, or            basis of a prospectus containing the
                                                  Subadvisers to manage all or a portion                  transactions from any provisions of the                disclosure contemplated by condition 2
                                                  of the assets of the Funds or future                    Act, or from any rule thereunder, if such              below, by the initial shareholder(s)
                                                  Funds pursuant to Subadvisory                           exemption is necessary or appropriate                  before offering shares of that Fund to the
                                                  Agreements, and (b) materially amend                    in the public interest and consistent                  public.
                                                  Subadvisory Agreements with the                         with the protection of investors and the                 2. Each Fund relying on the requested
                                                  Subadvisers. Each Fund’s prospectus                     purposes fairly intended by the policy                 order will disclose in its prospectus the
                                                  will contain, at all times following the                and provisions of the Act. Applicants                  existence, substance, and effect of any
                                                  approval of the Manager of Managers                     state that the requested relief meets this             order granted pursuant to the
                                                  Structure, the disclosure required by                   standard for the reasons discussed                     application. Each Fund will hold itself
                                                  condition 2 below.                                      below.                                                 out to the public as utilizing the
                                                     6. The requested relief will not extend                 3. Applicants assert that the requested             Manager of Managers Structure. The
                                                  to any subadviser that is an affiliated                 relief is consistent with the protection of            prospectus will prominently disclose
                                                  person, as defined in section 2(a)(3) of                investors. Primary responsibility for                  that the Adviser has ultimate
                                                  the Act, of the Trust, a Fund or the                    management of the Funds, including the                 responsibility (subject to oversight by
                                                  Adviser (other than by reason of serving                selection and supervision of the                       the Board) to oversee the Subadvisers
                                                  as a subadviser to one or more Funds)                   Subadvisers, is vested in the Adviser,                 and recommend their hiring,
                                                  (‘‘Affiliated Subadviser’’).                            subject to the oversight of the Board.                 termination, and replacement.
                                                     7. The Funds will inform                             Applicants state that from the                           3. The Funds will inform
                                                  shareholders of the hiring of a new                     perspective of the investor, the role of               shareholders of the hiring of a new
                                                  Subadviser pursuant to the following                    the Subadvisers with respect to the                    Subadviser within 90 days after the
                                                  procedures (‘‘Modified Notice and                       Funds is substantially equivalent to the               hiring of the new Subadviser pursuant
                                                  Access Procedures’’): (a) Within 90 days                role of the individual portfolio managers              to the Modified Notice and Access
                                                  after a new Subadviser is hired for any                 employed by the Adviser for a Fund’s                   Procedures.
                                                  Fund, that Fund will send its                           assets managed by the Adviser. Both the                  4. The Adviser will not enter into a
                                                  shareholders either a Multi-manager                     portfolio managers and the Subadvisers                 subadvisory agreement with any
                                                  Notice or a Multi-manager Notice and                    are concerned principally with the                     Affiliated Subadviser without such
                                                  Multi-manager Information Statement,                    selection of portfolio investments in                  agreement, including the compensation
                                                  as applicable; 5 and (b) the Fund will                  accordance with each Fund’s respective                 to be paid thereunder, being approved
                                                                                                          investment objectives and policies and                 by the shareholders of the applicable
                                                     4 If the name of any Fund contains the name of       have no significant supervisory,                       Fund.
                                                  a subadviser, the name of the Adviser will precede                                                               5. At all times, at least a majority of
                                                  the name of the subadviser.                             (e) provide instructions for accessing and printing    the Board will be Independent Trustees,
                                                     5 The ‘‘Multi-manager Notice’’ will be modeled on    the Multi-manager Information Statement; and (f)       and the nomination of new or additional
                                                  a Notice of Internet Availability as defined in rule    instruct the shareholder that a paper or email copy
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                                                                                                                                                                 Independent Trustees will be placed
                                                  14a–16 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934        of the Multi manager Information Statement may be
                                                  (‘‘Exchange Act’’), and specifically will, among        obtained, without charge, by contacting the Funds.     within the discretion of the then-
                                                  other things: (a) Summarize the relevant                A ‘‘Multi-manager Information Statement’’ will         existing Independent Trustees.
                                                  information regarding the new Subadviser; (b)           meet the requirements of Regulation 14C, Schedule        6. Whenever a subadviser change is
                                                  inform shareholders that the Multi-manager              14C and Item 22 of Schedule 14A under the              proposed for a Fund with an Affiliated
                                                  Information Statement is available on a Web site;       Exchange Act for an information statement. Multi-
                                                  (c) provide the Web site address; (d) state the time    manager Information Statements will be filed
                                                                                                                                                                 Subadviser, the Board, including a
                                                  period during which the Multi-manager Information       electronically with the Commission via the EDGAR       majority of the Independent Trustees,
                                                  Statement will remain available on that Web site;       system.                                                will make a separate finding, reflected


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                                                                                 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 120 / Tuesday, June 23, 2015 / Notices                                                    36021

                                                  in the Board minutes, that such change                  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE                                 A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                  is in the best interests of the Fund and                COMMISSION                                              Statement of the Purpose of, and
                                                  its shareholders, and does not involve a                                                                        Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
                                                  conflict of interest from which the                     [Release No. 34–75188; File No. SR–CBOE–                Change
                                                  Adviser or the Affiliated Subadviser                    2015–058]                                               1. Purpose
                                                  derives an inappropriate advantage.
                                                                                                                                                                     The Exchange proposes to make
                                                     7. The Adviser will provide general                  Self-Regulatory Organizations;
                                                                                                                                                                  certain changes to its Fees Schedule.3
                                                  management services to each Fund,                       Chicago Board Options Exchange,
                                                                                                                                                                  First, the Exchange proposes to amend
                                                  including overall supervisory                           Incorporated; Notice of Filing and                      its Volume Incentive Program (‘‘VIP’’).
                                                  responsibility for the general                          Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed                   Under VIP, the Exchange credits each
                                                  management and investment of each                       Rule Change To Amend the Fees                           Trading Permit Holder (‘‘TPH’’) the per
                                                  Fund’s assets and, subject to review and                Schedule                                                contract amount set forth in the VIP
                                                  approval of the Board, will: (a) Set each               June 17, 2015.
                                                                                                                                                                  table resulting from each public
                                                  Fund’s overall investment strategies; (b)                                                                       customer (‘‘C’’ origin code) order
                                                  evaluate, select and recommend                             Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the                  transmitted by that TPH (with certain
                                                  Subadvisers to manage all or a part of                  Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the                    exceptions) which is executed
                                                  each Fund’s assets; (c) allocate and,                   ‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2                  electronically on the Exchange in all
                                                  when appropriate, reallocate each                       notice is hereby given that on June 9,                  underlying symbols excluding
                                                  Fund’s assets among one or more                         2015, Chicago Board Options Exchange,                   Underlying Symbol List A,4 DJX,
                                                  Subadvisers; (d) monitor and evaluate                   Incorporated (the ‘‘Exchange’’ or                       MXEA, MXEF, XSP, XSPAM, and mini-
                                                                                                          ‘‘CBOE’’) filed with the Securities and                 options, provided the TPH meets certain
                                                  the performance of Subadvisers; and (e)
                                                                                                          Exchange Commission (the                                volume thresholds in a month.5 The
                                                  implement procedures reasonably
                                                                                                          ‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule                       Exchange proposes to increase the VIP
                                                  designed to ensure that the Subadvisers                                                                         credit for complex orders in Tier 2 from
                                                  comply with each Fund’s investment                      change as described in Items I, II, and
                                                                                                          III, below, which Items have been                       $0.16 per contract to $0.21 per contract,
                                                  objective, policies and restrictions.                                                                           in Tier 3 from $0.16 per contract to
                                                                                                          prepared by the Exchange. The
                                                     8. No trustee or officer of the Trust or                                                                     $0.22 per contract and in Tier 4 from
                                                                                                          Commission is publishing this notice to
                                                  a Fund, or member, manager, or officer                                                                          $0.17 per contract to $0.23 per contract.
                                                                                                          solicit comments on the proposed rule
                                                  of the Adviser, will own, directly or                                                                           The purpose of this change is to
                                                                                                          change from interested persons.                         incentivize the sending of complex
                                                  indirectly (other than through a pooled
                                                  investment vehicle that is not controlled               I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                       orders to the Exchange and to adjust the
                                                  by such person), any interest in a                      Statement of the Terms of Substance of                  incentive tiers accordingly as
                                                  Subadviser, except for (a) ownership of                 the Proposed Rule Change                                competition requires while maintaining
                                                  interests in the Adviser or any entity                                                                          an incremental incentive for TPH’s to
                                                  that controls, is controlled by, or is                    The Exchange proposes to amend its                    strive for the highest tier level.
                                                                                                          Fees Schedule. The text of the proposed                    The Exchange next proposes to amend
                                                  under common control with the Adviser
                                                                                                          rule change is available on the                         the Complex Order Book (‘‘COB’’) Taker
                                                  or (b) ownership of less than 1% of the
                                                                                                          Exchange’s Web site (http://                            Surcharge. By way of background, the
                                                  outstanding securities of any class of
                                                                                                          www.cboe.com/AboutCBOE/                                 COB Taker Surcharge (‘‘Surcharge’’) is a
                                                  equity or debt of any publicly traded                                                                           $0.05 per contract per side surcharge for
                                                  company that is either a Subadviser or                  CBOELegalRegulatoryHome.aspx), at
                                                                                                          the Exchange’s Office of the Secretary,                 non-customer complex order executions
                                                  an entity that controls, is controlled by,                                                                      that take liquidity from the COB in all
                                                  or is under common control with a                       and at the Commission’s Public
                                                                                                          Reference Room.                                         underlying classes except Underlying
                                                  Subadviser.                                                                                                     Symbol List A and mini-options.
                                                     9. Any new Subadvisory Agreement                     II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                      Additionally, the Surcharge is not
                                                  or any amendment to an existing                         Statement of the Purpose of, and                        assessed on non-customer complex
                                                  Advisory Agreement or Subadvisory                       Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule                  order executions in the Complex Order
                                                  Agreement that directly or indirectly                   Change                                                  Auction (‘‘COA’’), the Automated Aim
                                                  results in an increase in the aggregate                                                                         Mechanism (‘‘AIM’’), orders originating
                                                                                                            In its filing with the Commission, the                from a Floor Broker PAR, electronic
                                                  advisory fee rate payable by the Fund
                                                                                                          Exchange included statements                            executions against single leg markets, or
                                                  will be submitted to the Fund’s
                                                                                                          concerning the purpose of and basis for                 stock-option order executions. The
                                                  shareholders for approval.
                                                                                                          the proposed rule change and discussed
                                                     10. In the event the Commission                      any comments it received on the                            3 The Exchange initially filed the proposed fee

                                                  adopts a rule under the Act providing                   proposed rule change. The text of these                 changes on June 1, 2015 (SR–CBOE–2015–054). On
                                                  substantially similar relief to that in the                                                                     June 9, 2015, the Exchange withdrew that filing and
                                                                                                          statements may be examined at the                       submitted this filing.
                                                  order requested in the application, the                 places specified in Item IV below. The                     4 The following products are included in
                                                  requested order will expire on the                      Exchange has prepared summaries, set                    ‘‘Underlying Symbol List A’’: OEX, XEO, RUT, SPX
                                                  effective date of that rule.                            forth in sections A, B, and C below, of                 (including SPXw), SPXpm, SRO, VIX, VXST,
                                                                                                                                                                  VOLATILITY INDEXES and binary options.
                                                    For the Commission, by the Division of                the most significant aspects of such                       5 Excluded from the VIP credit are options in
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                                                  Investment Management, under delegated                  statements.                                             Underlying Symbol List A, DJX, MXEA, MXEF,
                                                  authority.                                                                                                      XSP, XSPAM, mini-options, QCC trades, public
                                                                                                                                                                  customer to public customer electronic complex
                                                  Brent J. Fields,                                                                                                order executions, and executions related to
                                                  Secretary.                                                                                                      contracts that are routed to one or more exchanges
                                                  [FR Doc. 2015–15384 Filed 6–22–15; 8:45 am]                                                                     in connection with the Options Order Protection
                                                                                                                                                                  and Locked/Crossed Market Plan referenced in Rule
                                                                                                            1 15   U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
                                                  BILLING CODE 8011–01–P                                                                                          6.80 (see CBOE Fees Schedule, Volume Incentive
                                                                                                            2 17   CFR 240.19b–4.                                 Program).



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Document Created: 2018-02-22 11:15:04
Document Modified: 2018-02-22 11:15:04
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice of an application under section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the ``Act'') for an exemption from section 15(a) of the Act and rule 18f-2 under the Act.
DatesThe application was filed on September 12, 2014 and amended on January 28, 2015, May 12, 2015 and June 3, 2015.
ContactBruce R. MacNeil, Senior Counsel, at (202) 551-6817, or James M. Curtis, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6712 (Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel's Office).
FR Citation80 FR 36019 

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