80_FR_62067 80 FR 61869 - ARK ETF Trust, et al.; Notice of Application

80 FR 61869 - ARK ETF Trust, et al.; Notice of Application

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 198 (October 14, 2015)

Page Range61869-61879
FR Document2015-26030

Summary of Application: Applicants request an order that would permit (a) series of certain open-end management investment companies to issue shares (``Shares'') redeemable in large aggregations only (``Creation Units''); (b) secondary market transactions in Shares to occur at negotiated market prices rather than at net asset value (``NAV''); (c) certain series to pay redemption proceeds, under certain circumstances, more than seven days after the tender of Shares for redemption; (d) certain affiliated persons of the series to deposit securities into, and receive securities from, the series in connection with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units; (e) certain registered management investment companies and unit investment trusts outside of the same group of investment companies as the series to acquire Shares; and (f) certain series to perform creations and redemptions of Creation Units in-kind in a master-feeder structure. Applicants: ARK ETF Trust (the ``Trust''), ARK Investment Management LLC (the ``Initial Adviser''), and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the ``Distributor'').

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 198 (Wednesday, October 14, 2015)
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 198 (Wednesday, October 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61869-61879]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26030]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Investment Company Act Release No. IC-31864; File No. 812-14479]


ARK ETF Trust, et al.; Notice of Application

October 7, 2015.
AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'').

ACTION: Notice of an application for an order under section 6(c) of the 
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the ``Act'') for an exemption from 
sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d), and 22(e) of the Act and rule 22c-1 
under the Act, under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an

[[Page 61870]]

exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act, and under 
section 12(d)(1)(J) for an exemption from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and 
12(d)(1)(B) of the Act.

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SUMMARY: Summary of Application: Applicants request an order that would 
permit (a) series of certain open-end management investment companies 
to issue shares (``Shares'') redeemable in large aggregations only 
(``Creation Units''); (b) secondary market transactions in Shares to 
occur at negotiated market prices rather than at net asset value 
(``NAV''); (c) certain series to pay redemption proceeds, under certain 
circumstances, more than seven days after the tender of Shares for 
redemption; (d) certain affiliated persons of the series to deposit 
securities into, and receive securities from, the series in connection 
with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units; (e) certain 
registered management investment companies and unit investment trusts 
outside of the same group of investment companies as the series to 
acquire Shares; and (f) certain series to perform creations and 
redemptions of Creation Units in-kind in a master-feeder structure.
    Applicants: ARK ETF Trust (the ``Trust''), ARK Investment 
Management LLC (the ``Initial Adviser''), and Foreside Fund Services, 
LLC (the ``Distributor'').

DATES: Filing Dates: The application was filed on June 3, 2015, and 
amended on September 16, 2015.
    Hearing or Notification of Hearing: An order granting the requested 
relief 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 November 2, 2015, and should be accompanied by proof of 
service on 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: The Commission: Secretary, U.S. Securities and Exchange 
Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090; Applicants: 
The Trust and the Initial Adviser, 155 West 19th Street, 5th Floor, New 
York, New York 10011; The Distributor, Three Canal Plaza, Portland, 
Maine 04101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth G. Miller, Senior Counsel at 
(202) 551-8707, or Holly L. Hunter-Ceci, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-
6825 (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 for an 
applicant using the Company name box, at http://www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or by calling (202) 551-8090.

Applicants' Representations

    1. ARK ETF Trust is organized as a Delaware statutory trust. The 
Trust is registered under the Act as an open-end management investment 
company.
    2. The Initial Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under 
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the ``Advisers Act'') and will be 
the investment adviser to the initial series of the Trust (the 
``Initial Funds''). Any other Adviser (defined below) will also be 
registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Each 
Adviser may enter into sub-advisory agreements with one or more 
investment advisers to act as sub-advisers to particular Funds, or 
their respective Master Funds, (each, a ``Sub-Adviser''). Any Sub-
Adviser will either be registered under the Advisers Act or will not be 
required to register thereunder.
    3. The Trust has entered into a distribution agreement with the 
Distributor. The distributor for the Initial Funds will be the 
Distributor. The Distributor is a broker-dealer (``Broker'') registered 
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Exchange Act'') and 
will act as distributor and principal underwriter of one or more of the 
Funds. The distributor of any Fund may be an affiliated person, as 
defined in section 2(a)(3) of the Act (``Affiliated Person''), or an 
affiliated person of an Affiliated Person (``Second-Tier Affiliate''), 
of that Fund's Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers. No distributor will be 
affiliated with any Exchange (defined below).
    4. Applicants request that the order apply to the Initial Funds and 
any additional series of the Trust, and any other open-end management 
investment company or series thereof, that may be created in the future 
that operate as an exchanged-traded fund (``ETF'') and that track a 
specified index comprised of domestic or foreign equity and/or fixed 
income securities (each, an ``Underlying Index'') (together, the 
``Future Funds''). Any Future Fund will (a) be advised by the Initial 
Adviser or an entity controlling, controlled by, or under common 
control with the Initial Adviser (each, an ``Adviser'') and (b) comply 
with the terms and conditions of the application. The Initial Funds and 
Future Funds, together, are the ``Funds.'' \1\
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    \1\ All existing entities that intend to rely on the requested 
order have been named as applicants. Any other existing or future 
entity that subsequently relies on the order will comply with the 
terms and conditions of the order. A Fund of Funds (as defined 
below) may rely on the order only to invest in Funds and not in any 
other registered investment company.
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    5. Applicants state that a Fund may operate as a feeder fund in a 
master-feeder structure (``Feeder Fund''). Applicants request that the 
order permit a Feeder Fund to acquire shares of another registered 
investment company in the same group of investment companies having 
substantially the same investment objectives as the Feeder Fund 
(``Master Fund'') beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 
Act and permit the Master Fund, and any principal underwriter for the 
Master Fund, to sell shares of the Master Fund to the Feeder Fund 
beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act (``Master-
Feeder Relief''). Applicants may structure certain Feeder Funds to 
generate economies of scale and incur lower overhead costs.\2\ There 
would be no ability by Fund shareholders to exchange Shares of Feeder 
Funds for shares of another feeder series of the Master Fund.
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    \2\ Operating in a master-feeder structure could also impose 
costs on a Feeder Fund and reduce its tax efficiency. The Feeder 
Fund's Board will consider any such potential disadvantages against 
the benefits of economies of scale and other benefits of operating 
within a master-feeder structure. In a master-feeder structure, the 
Master Fund--rather than the Feeder Fund--would generally invest its 
portfolio in compliance with the requested order.
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    6. Each Fund, or its respective Master Fund, will hold certain 
securities, currencies, other assets and other investment positions 
(``Portfolio Holdings'') selected to correspond generally to the 
performance of its Underlying Index. Certain of the Funds will be based 
on Underlying Indexes that will be comprised solely of equity and/or 
fixed income securities issued by one or more of the following 
categories of issuers: (i) Domestic issuers and (ii) non-domestic 
issuers meeting the requirements for trading in U.S. markets. Other 
Funds will be based on Underlying Indexes that will be comprised solely 
of foreign and domestic, or solely foreign, equity and/

[[Page 61871]]

or fixed income securities (``Foreign Funds'').
    7. Applicants represent that each Fund, or its respective Master 
Fund, will invest at least 80% of its assets (excluding securities 
lending collateral) in the component securities of its respective 
Underlying Index (``Component Securities'') and TBA Transactions,\3\ 
and in the case of Foreign Funds, Component Securities and Depositary 
Receipts \4\ representing Component Securities. Each Fund, or its 
respective Master Fund, may also invest up to 20% of its assets in 
certain index futures, options, options on index futures, swap 
contracts or other derivatives, as related to its respective Underlying 
Index and its Component Securities, cash and cash equivalents, other 
investment companies, as well as in securities and other instruments 
not included in its Underlying Index but which the applicable Adviser 
believes will help the Fund, or its respective Master Fund, track its 
Underlying Index. A Fund may also engage in short sales in accordance 
with its investment objective.
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    \3\ A ``to-be-announced transaction'' or ``TBA Transaction'' is 
a method of trading mortgage-backed securities. In a TBA 
Transaction, the buyer and seller agree upon general trade 
parameters such as agency, settlement date, par amount and price. 
The actual pools delivered generally are determined two days prior 
to settlement date.
    \4\ Depositary receipts representing foreign securities 
(``Depositary Receipts'') include American Depositary Receipts and 
Global Depositary Receipts. The Funds, or their respective Master 
Funds, may invest in Depositary Receipts representing foreign 
securities in which they seek to invest. Depositary Receipts are 
typically issued by a financial institution (a ``depositary bank'') 
and evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of 
securities that have been deposited with the depositary bank. A 
Fund, or its respective Master Fund, will not invest in any 
Depositary Receipts that the Adviser or any Sub-Adviser deems to be 
illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. 
No affiliated person of a Fund, the Adviser or any Sub-Adviser will 
serve as the depositary bank for any Depositary Receipts held by a 
Fund, or its respective Master Fund.
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    8. Future Funds may seek to track Underlying Indexes constructed 
using 130/30 investment strategies (``130/30 Funds'') or other long/
short investment strategies (``Long/Short Funds''). Each Long/Short 
Fund will establish (i) exposures equal to approximately 100% of the 
long positions specified by the Long/Short Index \5\ and (ii) exposures 
equal to approximately 100% of the short positions specified by the 
Long/Short Index. Each 130/30 Fund will include strategies that: (i) 
Establish long positions in securities so that total long exposure 
represents approximately 130% of a Fund's net assets; and (ii) 
simultaneously establish short positions in other securities so that 
total short exposure represents approximately 30% of such Fund's net 
assets. Each Business Day, the Adviser for each Long/Short Fund and 
130/30 Fund will provide full portfolio transparency on the Fund's 
publicly available Web site (``Web site'') by making available the 
Long/Short Fund or 130/30 Fund's, or its respective Master Fund's, 
Portfolio Holdings before the commencement of trading of Shares on the 
Listing Exchange (defined below).\6\ The information provided on the 
Web site will be formatted to be reader-friendly.
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    \5\ Underlying Indexes that include both long and short 
positions in securities are referred to as ``Long/Short Indexes.''
    \6\ Under accounting procedures followed by each Fund, trades 
made on the prior Business Day (``T'') will be booked and reflected 
in NAV on the current Business Day (T+1). Accordingly, the Funds 
will be able to disclose at the beginning of the Business Day the 
portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV calculation at the 
end of the Business Day.
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    9. A Fund, or its respective Master Fund, will utilize either a 
replication or representative sampling strategy to track its Underlying 
Index. A Fund, or its respective Master Fund, using a replication 
strategy will invest in the Component Securities of its Underlying 
Index in the same approximate proportions as in such Underlying Index. 
A Fund, or its respective Master Fund, using a representative sampling 
strategy will hold some, but not necessarily all of the Component 
Securities of its Underlying Index. Applicants state that a Fund, or 
its respective Master Fund, using a representative sampling strategy 
will not be expected to track the performance of its Underlying Index 
with the same degree of accuracy as would an investment vehicle that 
invested in every Component Security of the Underlying Index with the 
same weighting as the Underlying Index. Applicants expect that the 
returns of each Fund will have an annual tracking error relative to the 
performance of its Underlying Index of less than 5%.
    10. Each Fund will be entitled to use its Underlying Index pursuant 
to either a licensing agreement with the entity that compiles, creates, 
sponsors or maintains the Underlying Index (each, an ``Index 
Provider'') or a sub-licensing arrangement with the applicable Adviser, 
which will have a licensing agreement with such Index Provider.\7\ A 
``Self-Indexing Fund'' is a Fund for which an Affiliated Person, or a 
Second-Tier Affiliate, of the Trust or a Fund, of the Advisers, of any 
Sub-Adviser to or promoter of a Fund, or of the Distributor (each, an 
``Affiliated Index Provider'') will serve as the Index Provider. In the 
case of Self-Indexing Funds, an Affiliated Index Provider will create a 
proprietary, rules-based methodology to create Underlying Indexes (each 
an ``Affiliated Index'').\8\ Except with respect to the Self-Indexing 
Funds, no Index Provider is or will be an Affiliated Person, or a 
Second-Tier Affiliate, of the Trust or a Fund, of an Adviser, of any 
Sub-Adviser to or promoter of a Fund, or of the Distributor.
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    \7\ The licenses for the Self-Indexing Funds will specifically 
state that the Affiliated Index Provider (or in case of a sub-
licensing agreement, the Adviser) must provide the use of the 
Underlying Indexes and related intellectual property at no cost to 
the Trust and the Self-Indexing Funds.
    \8\ The Affiliated Indexes may be made available to registered 
investment companies, as well as separately managed accounts of 
institutional investors and privately offered funds that are not 
deemed to be ``investment companies'' in reliance on section 3(c)(1) 
or 3(c)(7) of the Act for which the Adviser acts as adviser or 
subadviser (``Affiliated Accounts'') as well as other such 
registered investment companies, separately managed accounts and 
privately offered funds for which it does not act either as adviser 
or subadviser (``Unaffiliated Accounts''). The Affiliated Accounts 
and the Unaffiliated Accounts, like the Funds, would seek to tract 
the performance of one or more Underlying Index(es) by investing in 
the constituents of such Underlying Indexes or a representative 
sample of such constituents of the Underlying Index. Consistent with 
the relief requested from section 17(a), the Affiliated Accounts 
will not engage in Creation Unit transactions with a Fund.
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    11. Applicants recognize that Self-Indexing Funds could raise 
concerns regarding the potential ability of the Affiliated Index 
Provider to manipulate the Underlying Index to the benefit or detriment 
of the Self-Indexing Fund. Applicants further recognize the potential 
for conflicts that may arise with respect to the personal trading 
activity of personnel of the Affiliated Index Provider who have 
knowledge of changes to an Underlying Index prior to the time that 
information is publicly disseminated.
    12. Applicants propose that each day that a Fund, the NYSE and the 
national securities exchange (as defined in section 2(a)(26) of the 
Act) (an ``Exchange'') on which the Fund's Shares are primarily listed 
(``Listing Exchange'') are open for business, including any day that a 
Fund is required to be open under section 22(e) of the Act (a 
``Business Day''), each Self-Indexing Fund will post on its Web site, 
before commencement of trading of Shares on the Listing Exchange, the 
identities and quantities of the Portfolio Holdings that will form the 
basis for the Fund's calculation of its NAV at the end of the Business 
Day. Applicants believe that requiring Self-Indexing Funds, and their 
respective Master Funds, to maintain full portfolio transparency will 
provide an additional alternative mechanism for addressing any such 
potential conflicts of interest.

[[Page 61872]]

    13. Applicants do not believe the potential for conflicts of 
interest raised by an Adviser's use of the Underlying Indexes in 
connection with the management of the Self Indexing Funds, their 
respective Master Funds, and the Affiliated Accounts will be 
substantially different from the potential conflicts presented by an 
adviser managing two or more registered funds. Both the Act and the 
Advisers Act contain various protections to address conflicts of 
interest where an adviser is managing two or more registered funds and 
these protections will also help address these conflicts with respect 
to the Self-Indexing Funds.\9\
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    \9\ See, e.g., Rule 17j-1 under the Act and Section 204A under 
the Advisers Act and Rules 204A-1 and 206(4)-7 under the Advisers 
Act.
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    14. Each Adviser and any Sub-Adviser has adopted or will adopt, 
pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act, written policies and 
procedures designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act and the 
rules thereunder. These include policies and procedures designed to 
minimize potential conflicts of interest among the Self-Indexing Funds, 
their respective Master Funds, and the Affiliated Accounts, such as 
cross trading policies, as well as those designed to ensure the 
equitable allocation of portfolio transactions and brokerage 
commissions. In addition, the Initial Adviser has adopted policies and 
procedures as required under section 204A of the Advisers Act, which 
are reasonably designed in light of the nature of its business to 
prevent the misuse, in violation of the Advisers Act or the Exchange 
Act or the rules thereunder, of material non-public information by the 
Adviser or an associated person (``Inside Information Policy''). Any 
other Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser will be required to adopt and maintain 
a similar Inside Information Policy. In accordance with the Code of 
Ethics \10\ and Inside Information Policy of each Adviser and Sub-
Adviser, personnel of those entities with knowledge about the 
composition of the Portfolio Deposit \11\ will be prohibited from 
disclosing such information to any other person, except as authorized 
in the course of their employment, until such information is made 
public. In addition, an Index Provider will not provide any information 
relating to changes to an Underlying Index's methodology for the 
inclusion of component securities, the inclusion or exclusion of 
specific component securities, or methodology for the calculation or 
the return of component securities, in advance of a public announcement 
of such changes by the Index Provider. Each Adviser will also include 
under Item 10.C. of Part 2 of its Form ADV a discussion of its 
relationship to any Affiliated Index Provider and any material 
conflicts of interest resulting therefrom, regardless of whether the 
Affiliated Index Provider is a type of affiliate specified in Item 10.
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    \10\ Each Adviser has also adopted or will adopt a code of 
ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the Act and Rule 204A-1 under 
the Advisers Act, which contains provisions reasonably necessary to 
prevent Access Persons (as defined in Rule 17j-1) from engaging in 
any conduct prohibited in Rule 17j-1 (``Code of Ethics'').
    \11\ The instruments and cash that the purchaser is required to 
deliver in exchange for the Creation Units it is purchasing is 
referred to as the ``Portfolio Deposit.''
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    15. To the extent the Self-Indexing Funds or their respective 
Master Funds transact with an Affiliated Person of an Adviser or Sub-
Adviser, such transactions will comply with the Act, the rules 
thereunder and the terms and conditions of the requested order. In this 
regard, each Self-Indexing Fund's board of directors or trustees 
(``Board'') will periodically review the Self-Indexing Fund's use of an 
Affiliated Index Provider. Subject to the approval of the Self-Indexing 
Fund's Board, an Adviser, Affiliated Persons of the Adviser (``Adviser 
Affiliates'') and Affiliated Persons of any Sub-Adviser (``Sub-Adviser 
Affiliates'') may be authorized to provide custody, fund accounting and 
administration and transfer agency services to the Self-Indexing Funds. 
Any services provided by an Adviser, Adviser Affiliates, Sub-Adviser 
and Sub-Adviser Affiliates will be performed in accordance with the 
provisions of the Act, the rules under the Act and any relevant 
guidelines from the staff of the Commission.
    16. The Shares of each Fund will be purchased and redeemed in 
Creation Units and generally on an in-kind basis. Except where the 
purchase or redemption will include cash under the limited 
circumstances specified below, purchasers will be required to purchase 
Creation Units by making an in-kind deposit of specified instruments 
(``Deposit Instruments''), and shareholders redeeming their Shares will 
receive an in-kind transfer of specified instruments (``Redemption 
Instruments'').\12\ On any given Business Day, the names and quantities 
of the instruments that constitute the Deposit Instruments and the 
names and quantities of the instruments that constitute the Redemption 
Instruments will be identical, unless the Fund is Rebalancing (as 
defined below). In addition, the Deposit Instruments and the Redemption 
Instruments will each correspond pro rata to the positions in the 
Fund's portfolio (including cash positions) \13\ except: (a) In the 
case of bonds, for minor differences when it is impossible to break up 
bonds beyond certain minimum sizes needed for transfer and settlement; 
(b) for minor differences when rounding is necessary to eliminate 
fractional shares or lots that are not tradeable round lots; \14\ (c) 
TBA Transactions, short positions, derivatives and other positions that 
cannot be transferred in kind \15\ will be excluded from the Deposit 
Instruments and the Redemption Instruments; \16\ (d) to the extent the 
Fund determines, on a given Business Day, to use a representative 
sampling of the Fund's portfolio; \17\ or (e) for temporary periods, to 
effect changes in the Fund's portfolio as a result of the rebalancing 
of its Underlying Index (any such change, a ``Rebalancing''). If there 
is a difference between the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit and the 
aggregate market value of the Deposit Instruments or Redemption 
Instruments exchanged for the Creation Unit, the party conveying 
instruments with the lower value will also pay to the other an amount 
in cash equal to that difference (the ``Cash Amount'').
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    \12\ The Funds must comply with the federal securities laws in 
accepting Deposit Instruments and satisfying redemptions with 
Redemption Instruments, including that the Deposit Instruments and 
Redemption Instruments are sold in transactions that would be exempt 
from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (``Securities 
Act''). In accepting Deposit Instruments and satisfying redemptions 
with Redemption Instruments that are restricted securities eligible 
for resale pursuant to rule 144A under the Securities Act, the Funds 
will comply with the conditions of rule 144A.
    \13\ The portfolio used for this purpose will be the same 
portfolio used to calculate the Fund's NAV for the Business Day.
    \14\ A tradeable round lot for a security will be the standard 
unit of trading in that particular type of security in its primary 
market.
    \15\ This includes instruments that can be transferred in kind 
only with the consent of the original counterparty to the extent the 
Fund does not intend to seek such consents.
    \16\ Because these instruments will be excluded from the Deposit 
Instruments and the Redemption Instruments, their value will be 
reflected in the determination of the Cash Amount (as defined 
below).
    \17\ A Fund may only use sampling for this purpose if the 
sample: (i) Is designed to generate performance that is highly 
correlated to the performance of the Fund's portfolio; (ii) consists 
entirely of instruments that are already included in the Fund's 
portfolio; and (iii) is the same for all Authorized Participants (as 
defined below) on a given Business Day.
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    17. Purchases and redemptions of Creation Units may be made in 
whole or in part on a cash basis, rather than in kind, solely under the 
following circumstances: (a) To the extent there is a Cash Amount; (b) 
if, on a given

[[Page 61873]]

Business Day, the Fund announces before the open of trading that all 
purchases, all redemptions or all purchases and redemptions on that day 
will be made entirely in cash; (c) if, upon receiving a purchase or 
redemption order from an Authorized Participant, the Fund determines to 
require the purchase or redemption, as applicable, to be made entirely 
in cash; \18\ (d) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund requires all 
Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Shares on that day to 
deposit or receive (as applicable) cash in lieu of some or all of the 
Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments, respectively, solely 
because: (i) Such instruments are not eligible for transfer through 
either the NSCC or DTC (defined below); or (ii) in the case of Foreign 
Funds holding non-U.S. investments, such instruments are not eligible 
for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on 
securities transfers or other similar circumstances; or (e) if the Fund 
permits an Authorized Participant to deposit or receive (as applicable) 
cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Instruments or Redemption 
Instruments, respectively, solely because: (i) Such instruments are, in 
the case of the purchase of a Creation Unit, not available in 
sufficient quantity; (ii) such instruments are not eligible for trading 
by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the 
Authorized Participant is acting; or (iii) a holder of Shares of a 
Foreign Fund holding non-U.S. investments would be subject to 
unfavorable income tax treatment if the holder receives redemption 
proceeds in kind.\19\
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    \18\ In determining whether a particular Fund will sell or 
redeem Creation Units entirely on a cash or in-kind basis (whether 
for a given day or a given order), the key consideration will be the 
benefit that would accrue to the Fund and its investors. For 
instance, in bond transactions, the Adviser may be able to obtain 
better execution than Share purchasers because of the Adviser's 
size, experience and potentially stronger relationships in the fixed 
income markets. Purchases of Creation Units either on an all cash 
basis or in-kind are expected to be neutral to the Funds from a tax 
perspective. In contrast, cash redemptions typically require selling 
portfolio holdings, which may result in adverse tax consequences for 
the remaining Fund shareholders that would not occur with an in-kind 
redemption. As a result, tax consideration may warrant in-kind 
redemptions.
    \19\ A ``custom order'' is any purchase or redemption of Shares 
made in whole or in part on a cash basis in reliance on clause 
(e)(i) or (e)(ii).
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    18. Creation Units will consist of specified large aggregations of 
Shares, e.g., at least 25,000 Shares, and it is expected that the 
initial price of a Creation Unit will range from $1 million to $10 
million. All orders to purchase Creation Units must be placed with the 
Distributor by or through an ``Authorized Participant'' which is either 
(1) a ``Participating Party,'' i.e., a broker-dealer or other 
participant in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National 
Securities Clearing Corporation (``NSCC''), a clearing agency 
registered with the Commission, or (2) a participant in The Depository 
Trust Company (``DTC'') (``DTC Participant''), which, in either case, 
has signed a participant agreement with the Distributor. The 
Distributor will be responsible for transmitting the orders to the 
Funds and will furnish to those placing such orders confirmation that 
the orders have been accepted, but applicants state that the 
Distributor may reject any order which is not submitted in proper form.
    19. Each Business Day, before the open of trading on the Listing 
Exchange, each Fund will cause to be published through the NSCC the 
names and quantities of the instruments comprising the Deposit 
Instruments and the Redemption Instruments, as well as the estimated 
Cash Amount (if any), for that day. The list of Deposit Instruments and 
Redemption Instruments will apply until a new list is announced on the 
following Business Day, and there will be no intra-day changes to the 
list except to correct errors in the published list. Each Listing 
Exchange or other major market data provider will disseminate, every 15 
seconds during regular Exchange trading hours, through the facilities 
of the Consolidated Tape Association, an amount for each Fund stated on 
a per individual Share basis representing the sum of (i) the estimated 
Cash Amount and (ii) the current value of the Deposit Instruments.
    20. Transaction expenses, including operational processing and 
brokerage costs, will be incurred by a Fund when investors purchase or 
redeem Creation Units in-kind and such costs have the potential to 
dilute the interests of the Fund's existing shareholders. Each Fund 
will impose purchase or redemption transaction fees (``Transaction 
Fees'') in connection with effecting such purchases or redemptions of 
Creation Units. With respect to Feeder Funds, the Transaction Fee would 
be paid indirectly to the Master Fund.\20\ In all cases, such 
Transaction Fees will be limited in accordance with requirements of the 
Commission applicable to management investment companies offering 
redeemable securities. Since the Transaction Fees are intended to 
defray the transaction expenses as well as to prevent possible 
shareholder dilution resulting from the purchase or redemption of 
Creation Units, the Transaction Fees will be borne only by such 
purchasers or redeemers.\21\ The Distributor will be responsible for 
delivering the Fund's prospectus to those persons acquiring Shares in 
Creation Units and for maintaining records of both the orders placed 
with it and the confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. In 
addition, the Distributor will maintain a record of the instructions 
given to the applicable Fund to implement the delivery of its Shares.
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    \20\ Applicants are not requesting relief from section 18 of the 
Act. Accordingly, a Master Fund may require a Transaction Fee 
payment to cover expenses related to purchases or redemptions of the 
Master Fund's shares by a Feeder Fund only if it requires the same 
payment for equivalent purchases or redemptions by any other feeder 
fund. Thus, for example, a Master Fund may require payment of a 
Transaction Fee by a Feeder Fund for transactions for 20,000 or more 
shares so long as it requires payment of the same Transaction Fee by 
all feeder funds for transactions involving 20,000 or more shares.
    \21\ Where a Fund permits an ``in-kind'' purchaser to substitute 
cash in lieu of depositing one or more of the requisite Deposit 
Instruments, the purchaser may be assessed a higher Transaction Fee 
to cover the cost of purchasing such Deposit Instruments.
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    21. Shares of each Fund will be listed and traded individually on 
an Exchange. It is expected that one or more member firms of an 
Exchange will be designated to act as a market maker (each, a ``Market 
Maker'') and maintain a market for Shares trading on the Exchange. 
Prices of Shares trading on an Exchange will be based on the current 
bid/offer market. Transactions involving the sale of Shares on an 
Exchange will be subject to customary brokerage commissions and 
charges.
    22. Applicants expect that purchasers of Creation Units will 
include institutional investors and arbitrageurs. Market Makers, acting 
in their roles to provide a fair and orderly secondary market for the 
Shares, may from time to time find it appropriate to purchase or redeem 
Creation Units. Applicants expect that secondary market purchasers of 
Shares will include both institutional and retail investors.\22\ The 
price at which Shares trade will be disciplined by arbitrage 
opportunities created by the option continually to purchase or redeem 
Shares in Creation Units, which should help prevent Shares from trading 
at a material discount or premium in relation to their NAV.
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    \22\ Shares will be registered in book-entry form only. DTC or 
its nominee will be the record or registered owner of all 
outstanding Shares. Beneficial ownership of Shares will be shown on 
the records of DTC or the DTC Participants.
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    23. Shares will not be individually redeemable, and owners of 
Shares may acquire those Shares from the Fund, or tender such Shares 
for redemption to

[[Page 61874]]

the Fund, in Creation Units only. To redeem, an investor must 
accumulate enough Shares to constitute a Creation Unit. Redemption 
requests must be placed by or through an Authorized Participant. A 
redeeming investor will pay a Transaction Fee, calculated in the same 
manner as a Transaction Fee payable in connection with purchases of 
Creation Units.
    24. Neither the Trust nor any Fund will be advertised or marketed 
or otherwise held out as a traditional open-end investment company or a 
``mutual fund.'' Instead, each such Fund will be marketed as an 
``ETF.'' All marketing materials that describe the features or method 
of obtaining, buying or selling Creation Units, or Shares traded on an 
Exchange, or refer to redeemability, will prominently disclose that 
Shares are not individually redeemable and will disclose that the 
owners of Shares may acquire those Shares from the Fund or tender such 
Shares for redemption to the Fund in Creation Units only. The Funds 
will provide copies of their annual and semi-annual shareholder reports 
to DTC Participants for distribution to beneficial owners of Shares.

Applicants' Legal Analysis

    1. Applicants request an order under section 6(c) of the Act for an 
exemption from sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d), and 22(e) of the Act 
and rule 22c-1 under the Act, under section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act for 
an exemption from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the Act, and under 
sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an exemption from sections 
17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act.
    2. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that the Commission may exempt 
any person, security or transaction, or any class of persons, 
securities or transactions, from any provision of the Act, if and to 
the extent that 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. 
Section 17(b) of the Act authorizes the Commission to exempt a proposed 
transaction from section 17(a) of the Act if evidence establishes that 
the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid or 
received, are reasonable and fair and do not involve overreaching on 
the part of any person concerned, and the proposed transaction is 
consistent with the policies of the registered investment company and 
the general provisions of the Act. Section 12(d)(1)(J) 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 section 12(d)(1) if the exemption 
is consistent with the public interest and the protection of investors.

Sections 5(a)(1) and 2(a)(32) of the Act

    3. Section 5(a)(1) of the Act defines an ``open-end company'' as a 
management investment company that is offering for sale or has 
outstanding any redeemable security of which it is the issuer. Section 
2(a)(32) of the Act defines a redeemable security as any security, 
other than short-term paper, under the terms of which the owner, upon 
its presentation to the issuer, is entitled to receive approximately a 
proportionate share of the issuer's current net assets, or the cash 
equivalent. Because Shares will not be individually redeemable, 
applicants request an order that would permit the Funds to register as 
open-end management investment companies and issue Shares that are 
redeemable in Creation Units only.\23\ Applicants state that investors 
may purchase Shares in Creation Units and redeem Creation Units from 
each Fund. Applicants further state that because Creation Units may 
always be purchased and redeemed at NAV, the price of Shares on the 
secondary market should not vary materially from NAV.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \23\ The Master Funds will not require relief from sections 
2(a)(32) and 5(a)(1) because the Master Funds will issue 
individually redeemable securities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 22(d) of the Act and Rule 22c-1 under the Act

    4. Section 22(d) of the Act, among other things, prohibits a dealer 
from selling a redeemable security that is currently being offered to 
the public by or through an underwriter, except at a current public 
offering price described in the prospectus. Rule 22c-1 under the Act 
generally requires that a dealer selling, redeeming or repurchasing a 
redeemable security do so only at a price based on its NAV. Applicants 
state that secondary market trading in Shares will take place at 
negotiated prices, not at a current offering price described in a 
Fund's prospectus, and not at a price based on NAV. Thus, purchases and 
sales of Shares in the secondary market will not comply with section 
22(d) of the Act and rule 22c-1 under the Act. Applicants request an 
exemption under section 6(c) from these provisions.
    5. Applicants assert that the concerns sought to be addressed by 
section 22(d) of the Act and rule 22c-1 under the Act with respect to 
pricing are equally satisfied by the proposed method of pricing Shares. 
Applicants maintain that while there is little legislative history 
regarding section 22(d), its provisions, as well as those of rule 22c-
1, appear to have been designed to (a) prevent dilution caused by 
certain riskless-trading schemes by principal underwriters and contract 
dealers, (b) prevent unjust discrimination or preferential treatment 
among buyers, and (c) ensure an orderly distribution of investment 
company shares by eliminating price competition from dealers offering 
shares at less than the published sales price and repurchasing shares 
at more than the published redemption price.
    6. Applicants believe that none of these purposes will be thwarted 
by permitting Shares to trade in the secondary market at negotiated 
prices. Applicants state that (a) secondary market trading in Shares 
does not involve a Fund as a party and will not result in dilution of 
an investment in Shares, and (b) to the extent different prices exist 
during a given trading day, or from day to day, such variances occur as 
a result of third-party market forces, such as supply and demand. 
Therefore, applicants assert that secondary market transactions in 
Shares will not lead to discrimination or preferential treatment among 
purchasers. Finally, applicants contend that the price at which Shares 
trade will be disciplined by arbitrage opportunities created by the 
option continually to purchase or redeem Shares in Creation Units, 
which should help prevent Shares from trading at a material discount or 
premium in relation to their NAV.

Section 22(e)

    7. Section 22(e) of the Act generally prohibits a registered 
investment company from suspending the right of redemption or 
postponing the date of payment of redemption proceeds for more than 
seven days after the tender of a security for redemption. Applicants 
state that settlement of redemptions for Foreign Funds will be 
contingent not only on the settlement cycle of the United States 
market, but also on current delivery cycles in local markets for the 
underlying foreign securities held by a Foreign Fund. Applicants state 
that the delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring 
Redemption Instruments to redeeming investors, coupled with local 
market holiday schedules, may require a delivery process of up to 
fifteen (15) calendar days.\24\ Accordingly, with respect to Foreign 
Funds only, applicants hereby request relief under section 6(c) from

[[Page 61875]]

the requirement imposed by section 22(e) to allow Foreign Funds to pay 
redemption proceeds within fifteen (15) calendar days following the 
tender of Creation Units for redemption.\25\
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    \24\ Certain countries in which a Fund may invest have 
historically had settlement periods of up to fifteen (15) calendar 
days.
    \25\ Applicants acknowledge that no relief obtained from the 
requirements of section 22(e) will affect any obligations applicants 
may otherwise have under rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act 
requiring that most securities transactions be settled within three 
business days of the trade date.
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    8. Applicants believe that Congress adopted section 22(e) to 
prevent unreasonable, undisclosed or unforeseen delays in the actual 
payment of redemption proceeds. Applicants propose that allowing 
redemption payments for Creation Units of a Foreign Fund to be made 
within fifteen calendar days would not be inconsistent with the spirit 
and intent of section 22(e). Applicants suggest that a redemption 
payment occurring within fifteen calendar days following a redemption 
request would adequately afford investor protection.
    9. Applicants are not seeking relief from section 22(e) with 
respect to Foreign Funds that do not effect creations and redemptions 
of Creation Units in-kind.\26\
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    \26\ In addition, the requested exemption from section 22(e) 
would only apply to in-kind redemptions by the Feeder Funds and 
would not apply to in-kind redemptions by other feeder funds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 12(d)(1)

    10. Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act prohibits a registered 
investment company from acquiring securities of an investment company 
if such securities represent more than 3% of the total outstanding 
voting stock of the acquired company, more than 5% of the total assets 
of the acquiring company, or, together with the securities of any other 
investment companies, more than 10% of the total assets of the 
acquiring company. Section 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act prohibits a 
registered open-end investment company, its principal underwriter and 
any other broker-dealer from knowingly selling the investment company's 
shares to another investment company if the sale will cause the 
acquiring company to own more than 3% of the acquired company's voting 
stock, or if the sale will cause more than 10% of the acquired 
company's voting stock to be owned by investment companies generally.
    11. Applicants request an exemption to permit registered management 
investment companies and unit investment trusts (``UITs'') that are not 
advised or sponsored by the Advisers and are not part of the same 
``group of investment companies,'' as defined in section 
12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Act as the Funds (such management investment 
companies are referred to as ``Investing Management Companies,'' such 
UITs are referred to as ``Investing Trusts,'' and Investing Management 
Companies and Investing Trusts are collectively referred to as ``Funds 
of Funds''), to acquire Shares beyond the limits of section 12(d)(1)(A) 
of the Act; and the Funds, and any principal underwriter for the Funds, 
and/or any Broker registered under the Exchange Act, to sell Shares to 
Funds of Funds beyond the limits of section 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act.
    12. Each Investing Management Company will be advised by an 
investment adviser within the meaning of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the Act 
(the ``Fund of Funds Adviser'') and may be sub-advised by investment 
advisers within the meaning of section 2(a)(20)(B) of the Act (each a 
``Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser''). Any investment adviser to an Investing 
Management Company will be registered under the Advisers Act. Each 
Investing Trust will be sponsored by a sponsor (``Sponsor'').
    13. Applicants submit that the proposed conditions to the requested 
relief adequately address the concerns underlying the limits in 
sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B), which include concerns about undue 
influence by a fund of funds over underlying funds, excessive layering 
of fees and overly complex fund structures. Applicants believe that the 
requested exemption is consistent with the public interest and the 
protection of investors.
    14. Applicants believe that neither a Fund of Funds nor a Fund of 
Funds Affiliate would be able to exert undue influence over a Fund.\27\ 
To limit the control that a Fund of Funds may have over a Fund, 
applicants propose a condition prohibiting a Fund of Funds Adviser or 
Sponsor, any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control 
with a Fund of Funds Adviser or Sponsor, and any investment company and 
any issuer that would be an investment company but for sections 3(c)(1) 
or 3(c)(7) of the Act that is advised or sponsored by a Fund of Funds 
Adviser or Sponsor, or any person controlling, controlled by, or under 
common control with a Fund of Funds Adviser or Sponsor (``Fund of 
Funds' Advisory Group'') from controlling (individually or in the 
aggregate) a Fund within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act. The 
same prohibition would apply to any Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, any 
person controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Fund 
of Funds Sub-Adviser, and any investment company or issuer that would 
be an investment company but for sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act 
(or portion of such investment company or issuer) advised or sponsored 
by the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser or any person controlling, controlled 
by or under common control with the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser (``Fund 
of Funds' Sub-Advisory Group'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \27\ A ``Fund of Funds Affiliate'' is a Fund of Funds Adviser, 
Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, Sponsor, promoter, and principal 
underwriter of a Fund of Funds, and any person controlling, 
controlled by, or under common control with any of those entities. A 
``Fund Affiliate'' is an investment adviser, promoter, or principal 
underwriter of a Fund and any person controlling, controlled by or 
under common control with any of these entities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    15. Applicants propose other conditions to limit the potential for 
undue influence over the Funds, including that no Fund of Funds or Fund 
of Funds Affiliate (except to the extent it is acting in its capacity 
as an investment adviser to a Fund) will cause a Fund to purchase a 
security in an offering of securities during the existence of an 
underwriting or selling syndicate of which a principal underwriter is 
an Underwriting Affiliate (``Affiliated Underwriting''). An 
``Underwriting Affiliate'' is a principal underwriter in any 
underwriting or selling syndicate that is an officer, director, member 
of an advisory board, Fund of Funds Adviser, Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, 
employee or Sponsor of the Fund of Funds, or a person of which any such 
officer, director, member of an advisory board, Fund of Funds Adviser 
or Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, employee or Sponsor is an affiliated 
person (except that any person whose relationship to the Fund is 
covered by section 10(f) of the Act is not an Underwriting Affiliate).
    16. Applicants do not believe that the proposed arrangement will 
involve excessive layering of fees. The board of directors or trustees 
of any Investing Management Company, including a majority of the 
directors or trustees who are not ``interested persons'' within the 
meaning of section 2(a)(19) of the Act (``disinterested directors or 
trustees''), will find that the advisory fees charged under the 
contract are based on services provided that will be in addition to, 
rather than duplicative of, services provided under the advisory 
contract of any Fund, or its respective Master Fund, in which the 
Investing Management Company may invest. In addition, under condition 
B.5., a Fund of Funds Adviser, or a Fund of Funds' trustee or Sponsor, 
as applicable, will waive fees otherwise payable to it by the Fund of 
Funds in an amount at least equal to any compensation (including fees 
received pursuant to any plan adopted by a

[[Page 61876]]

Fund, or its respective Master Fund, under rule 12b-1 under the Act) 
received from a Fund by the Fund of Funds Adviser, trustee or Sponsor 
or an affiliated person of the Fund of Funds Adviser, trustee or 
Sponsor, other than any advisory fees paid to the Fund of Funds 
Adviser, trustee or Sponsor or its affiliated person by a Fund, in 
connection with the investment by the Fund of Funds in the Fund. 
Applicants state that any sales charges and/or service fees charged 
with respect to shares of a Fund of Funds will not exceed the limits 
applicable to a fund of funds as set forth in NASD Conduct Rule 
2830.\28\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ Any references to NASD Conduct Rule 2830 include any 
successor or replacement FINRA rule to NASD Conduct Rule 2830.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    17. Applicants submit that the proposed arrangement will not create 
an overly complex fund structure. Applicants note that no Fund, nor its 
respective Master Fund, will acquire securities of any investment 
company or company relying on section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act in 
excess of the limits contained in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act, 
except to the extent permitted by exemptive relief from the Commission 
permitting the Fund, or its respective Master Fund, to purchase shares 
of other investment companies for short-term cash management purposes 
or pursuant to the Master-Feeder Relief. To ensure a Fund of Funds is 
aware of the terms and conditions of the requested order, the Fund of 
Funds will enter into an agreement with the Fund (``FOF Participation 
Agreement''). The FOF Participation Agreement will include an 
acknowledgement from the Fund of Funds that it may rely on the order 
only to invest in the Funds and not in any other investment company.
    18. Applicants also note that a Fund may choose to reject a direct 
purchase of Shares in Creation Units by a Fund of Funds. To the extent 
that a Fund of Funds purchases Shares in the secondary market, a Fund 
would still retain its ability to reject any initial investment by a 
Fund of Funds in excess of the limits of section 12(d)(1)(A) by 
declining to enter into a FOF Participation Agreement with the Fund of 
Funds.
    19. Applicants also are seeking the Master-Feeder Relief to permit 
the Feeder Funds to perform creations and redemptions of Shares in-kind 
in a master-feeder structure. Applicants assert that this structure is 
substantially identical to traditional master-feeder structures 
permitted pursuant to the exception provided in section 12(d)(1)(E) of 
the Act. Section 12(d)(1)(E) provides that the percentage limitations 
of section 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) shall not apply to a security issued by 
an investment company (in this case, the shares of the applicable 
Master Fund) if, among other things, that security is the only 
investment security held by the investing investment company (in this 
case, the Feeder Fund). Applicants believe the proposed master-feeder 
structure complies with section 12(d)(1)(E) because each Feeder Fund 
will hold only investment securities issued by its corresponding Master 
Fund; however, the Feeder Funds may receive securities other than 
securities of its corresponding Master Fund if a Feeder Fund accepts an 
in-kind creation. To the extent that a Feeder Fund may be deemed to be 
holding both shares of the Master Fund and other securities, applicants 
request relief from section 12(d)(1)(A) and (B). The Feeder Funds would 
operate in compliance with all other provisions of section 12(d)(1)(E).

Sections 17(a)(1) and (2) of the Act

    20. Sections 17(a)(1) and (2) of the Act generally prohibit an 
affiliated person of a registered investment company, or an affiliated 
person of such a person, from selling any security to or purchasing any 
security from the company. Section 2(a)(3) of the Act defines 
``affiliated person'' of another person to include (a) any person 
directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to 
vote 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the other 
person, (b) any person 5% or more of whose outstanding voting 
securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with 
the power to vote by the other person, and (c) any person directly or 
indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the 
other person. Section 2(a)(9) of the Act defines ``control'' as the 
power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or 
policies of a company, and provides that a control relationship will be 
presumed where one person owns more than 25% of a company's voting 
securities. The Funds may be deemed to be controlled by an Adviser or 
an entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with an 
Adviser and hence affiliated persons of each other. In addition, the 
Funds may be deemed to be under common control with any other 
registered investment company (or series thereof) advised by an Adviser 
or an entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with an 
Adviser (an ``Affiliated Fund''). Any investor, including Market 
Makers, owning 5% or holding in excess of 25% of the Trust or such 
Funds, may be deemed affiliated persons of the Trust or such Funds. In 
addition, an investor could own 5% or more, or in excess of 25% of the 
outstanding shares of one or more Affiliated Funds making that investor 
a Second-Tier Affiliate of the Funds.
    21. Applicants request an exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and 
17(a)(2) of the Act pursuant to sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act to 
permit persons that are Affiliated Persons of the Funds, or Second-Tier 
Affiliates of the Funds, solely by virtue of one or more of the 
following: (a) Holding 5% or more, or in excess of 25%, of the 
outstanding Shares of one or more Funds; (b) an affiliation with a 
person with an ownership interest described in (a); or (c) holding 5% 
or more, or more than 25%, of the shares of one or more Affiliated 
Funds, to effectuate purchases and redemptions ``in-kind.''
    22. Applicants assert that no useful purpose would be served by 
prohibiting such affiliated persons from making ``in-kind'' purchases 
or ``in-kind'' redemptions of Shares of a Fund in Creation Units. Both 
the deposit procedures for ``in-kind'' purchases of Creation Units and 
the redemption procedures for ``in-kind'' redemptions of Creation Units 
will be effected in exactly the same manner for all purchases and 
redemptions, regardless of size or number. There will be no 
discrimination between purchasers or redeemers. Deposit Instruments and 
Redemption Instruments for each Fund will be valued in the identical 
manner as those Portfolio Holdings currently held by such Fund and the 
valuation of the Deposit Instruments and Redemption Instruments will be 
made in an identical manner regardless of the identity of the purchaser 
or redeemer. Applicants do not believe that ``in-kind'' purchases and 
redemptions will result in abusive self-dealing or overreaching, but 
rather assert that such procedures will be implemented consistently 
with each Fund's objectives and with the general purposes of the Act. 
Applicants believe that ``in-kind'' purchases and redemptions will be 
made on terms reasonable to applicants and any affiliated persons 
because they will be valued pursuant to verifiable objective standards. 
The method of valuing Portfolio Holdings held by a Fund is identical to 
that used for calculating ``in-kind'' purchase or redemption values and 
therefore creates no opportunity for affiliated persons or Second-Tier 
Affiliates of applicants to effect a transaction detrimental to the 
other holders of Shares of that Fund. Similarly, applicants submit 
that, by using the same standards for valuing

[[Page 61877]]

Portfolio Holdings held by a Fund as are used for calculating ``in-
kind'' redemptions or purchases, the Fund will ensure that its NAV will 
not be adversely affected by such securities transactions. Applicants 
also note that the ability to take deposits and make redemptions ``in-
kind'' will help each Fund to track closely its Underlying Index and 
therefore aid in achieving the Fund's objectives.
    23. Applicants also seek relief under sections 6(c) and 17(b) from 
section 17(a) to permit a Fund that is an affiliated person, or an 
affiliated person of an affiliated person, of a Fund of Funds to sell 
its Shares to and redeem its Shares from a Fund of Funds, and to engage 
in the accompanying in-kind transactions with the Fund of Funds.\29\ 
Applicants state that the terms of the transactions are fair and 
reasonable and do not involve overreaching. Applicants note that any 
consideration paid by a Fund of Funds for the purchase or redemption of 
Shares directly from a Fund will be based on the NAV of the Fund.\30\ 
Applicants believe that any proposed transactions directly between the 
Funds and Funds of Funds will be consistent with the policies of each 
Fund of Funds. The purchase of Creation Units by a Fund of Funds 
directly from a Fund will be accomplished in accordance with the 
investment restrictions of any such Fund of Funds and will be 
consistent with the investment policies set forth in the Fund of Funds' 
registration statement. Applicants also state that the proposed 
transactions are consistent with the general purposes of the Act and 
are appropriate in the public interest.
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    \29\ Although applicants believe that most Funds of Funds will 
purchase Shares in the secondary market and will not purchase 
Creation Units directly from a Fund, a Fund of Funds might seek to 
transact in Creation Units directly with a Fund that is an 
affiliated person of a Fund of Funds. To the extent that purchases 
and sales of Shares occur in the secondary market and not through 
principal transactions directly between a Fund of Funds and a Fund, 
relief from section 17(a) would not be necessary. However, the 
requested relief would apply to direct sales of Shares in Creation 
Units by a Fund to a Fund of Funds and redemptions of those Shares. 
Applicants are not seeking relief from section 17(a) for, and the 
requested relief will not apply to, transactions where a Fund could 
be deemed an affiliated person, or an affiliated person of an 
affiliated person of a Fund of Funds because an Adviser or an entity 
controlling, controlled by or under common control with an Adviser 
provides investment advisory services to that Fund of Funds.
    \30\ Applicants acknowledge that the receipt of compensation by 
(a) an affiliated person of a Fund of Funds, or an affiliated person 
of such person, for the purchase by the Fund of Funds of Shares of a 
Fund or (b) an affiliated person of a Fund, or an affiliated person 
of such person, for the sale by the Fund of its Shares to a Fund of 
Funds, may be prohibited by section 17(e)(1) of the Act. The FOF 
Participation Agreement also will include this acknowledgment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    24. To the extent that a Fund operates in a master-feeder 
structure, applicants also request relief permitting the Feeder Funds 
to engage in in-kind creations and redemptions with the applicable 
Master Fund. Applicants state that the customary section 17(a)(1) and 
17(a)(2) relief would not be sufficient to permit such transactions 
because the Feeder Funds and the applicable Master Fund could also be 
affiliated by virtue of having the same investment adviser. However, 
applicants believe that in-kind creations and redemptions between a 
Feeder Fund and a Master Fund advised by the same investment adviser do 
not involve ``overreaching'' by an affiliated person. Such transactions 
will occur only at the Feeder Fund's proportionate share of the Master 
Fund's net assets, and the distributed securities will be valued in the 
same manner as they are valued for the purposes of calculating the 
applicable Master Fund's NAV. Further, all such transactions will be 
effected with respect to pre-determined securities and on the same 
terms with respect to all investors. Finally, such transaction would 
only occur as a result of, and to effectuate, a creation or redemption 
transaction between the Feeder Fund and a third-party investor. 
Applicants believe that the terms of the proposed transactions are 
reasonable and fair and do not involve overreaching on the part of any 
person concerned, the proposed transactions are consistent with the 
policy of each Fund and will be consistent with the investment 
objectives and policies of each Fund of Funds, and the proposed 
transactions are consistent with the general purposes of the Act.

Applicants' Conditions

    Applicants agree that any order of the Commission granting the 
requested relief will be subject to the following conditions:

A. ETF Relief

    1. The requested relief, other than the section 12(d)(1) Relief and 
the section 17 relief related to a master-feeder structure, will expire 
on the effective date of any Commission rule under the Act that 
provides relief permitting the operation of index-based ETFs.
    2. As long as a Fund operates in reliance on the requested order, 
the Shares of such Fund will be listed on an Exchange.
    3. Neither the Trust nor any Fund will be advertised or marketed as 
an open-end investment company or a mutual fund. Any advertising 
material that describes the purchase or sale of Creation Units or 
refers to redeemability will prominently disclose that Shares are not 
individually redeemable and that owners of Shares may acquire those 
Shares from the Fund and tender those Shares for redemption to a Fund 
in Creation Units only.
    4. Each Fund's Web site, which is and will be publicly accessible 
at no charge, will contain, on a per Share basis for the Fund, the 
prior Business Day's NAV and the market closing price or the midpoint 
of the bid/ask spread at the time of the calculation of such NAV 
(``Bid/Ask Price''), and a calculation of the premium or discount of 
the market closing price or Bid/Ask Price against such NAV.
    5. Each Self-Indexing, Long/Short and 130/30 Fund will post on its 
Web site on each Business Day, before commencement of trading of Shares 
on the Exchange, the Fund's, or its respective Master Fund's, Portfolio 
Holdings.
    6. Neither Adviser nor any Sub-Adviser to a Self-Indexing Fund, 
directly or indirectly, will cause any Authorized Participant (or any 
investor on whose behalf an Authorized Participant may transact with 
the Self-Indexing Fund) to acquire any Deposit Instrument for a Self-
Indexing Fund, or its respective Master Fund, through a transaction in 
which the Self-Indexing Fund, or its respective Master Fund, could not 
engage directly.

B. Section 12(d)(1) Relief

    1. The members of a Fund of Funds' Advisory Group will not control 
(individually or in the aggregate) a Fund, or its respective Master 
Fund, within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act. The members of 
a Fund of Funds' Sub-Advisory Group will not control (individually or 
in the aggregate) a Fund, or its respective Master Fund, within the 
meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act. If, as a result of a decrease in 
the outstanding voting securities of a Fund, the Fund of Funds' 
Advisory Group or the Fund of Funds' Sub-Advisory Group, each in the 
aggregate, becomes a holder of more than 25 percent of the outstanding 
voting securities of a Fund, it will vote its Shares of the Fund in the 
same proportion as the vote of all other holders of the Fund's Shares. 
This condition does not apply to the Fund of Funds' Sub-Advisory Group 
with respect to a Fund, or its respective Master Fund, for which the 
Fund of Funds' Sub-Adviser or a person controlling, controlled by or 
under common control with the Fund of Funds' Sub-Adviser acts as the

[[Page 61878]]

investment adviser within the meaning of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the 
Act.
    2. No Fund of Funds or Fund of Funds Affiliate will cause any 
existing or potential investment by the Fund of Funds in a Fund to 
influence the terms of any services or transactions between the Fund of 
Funds or Fund of Funds Affiliate and the Fund, or its respective Master 
Fund, or a Fund Affiliate.
    3. The board of directors or trustees of an Investing Management 
Company, including a majority of the disinterested directors or 
trustees, will adopt procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the 
Fund of Funds Adviser and Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser are conducting the 
investment program of the Investing Management Company without taking 
into account any consideration received by the Investing Management 
Company or a Fund of Funds Affiliate from a Fund, or its respective 
Master Fund, or Fund Affiliate in connection with any services or 
transactions.
    4. Once an investment by a Fund of Funds in the securities of a 
Fund exceeds the limits in section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, the Board 
of the Fund, or its respective Master Fund, including a majority of the 
directors or trustees who are not ``interested persons'' within the 
meaning of section 2(a)(19) of the Act (``non-interested Board 
members''), will determine that any consideration paid by the Fund, or 
its respective Master Fund, to the Fund of Funds or a Fund of Funds 
Affiliate in connection with any services or transactions: (i) Is fair 
and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services 
and benefits received by the Fund, or its respective Master Fund; (ii) 
is within the range of consideration that the Fund would be required to 
pay to another unaffiliated entity in connection with the same services 
or transactions; and (iii) does not involve overreaching on the part of 
any person concerned. This condition does not apply with respect to any 
services or transactions between a Fund, or its respective Master Fund, 
and its investment adviser(s), or any person controlling, controlled by 
or under common control with such investment adviser(s).
    5. The Fund of Funds Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor of an Investing 
Trust, as applicable, will waive fees otherwise payable to it by the 
Fund of Funds in an amount at least equal to any compensation 
(including fees received pursuant to any plan adopted by a Fund, or its 
respective Master Fund, under rule 12b-l under the Act) received from a 
Fund, or its respective Master Fund, by the Fund of Funds Adviser, or 
trustee or Sponsor of the Investing Trust, or an affiliated person of 
the Fund of Funds Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor of the Investing 
Trust, other than any advisory fees paid to the Fund of Funds Adviser, 
trustee or Sponsor of an Investing Trust, or its affiliated person by 
the Fund, or its respective Master Fund, in connection with the 
investment by the Fund of Funds in the Fund. Any Fund of Funds Sub-
Adviser will waive fees otherwise payable to the Fund of Funds Sub-
Adviser, directly or indirectly, by the Investing Management Company in 
an amount at least equal to any compensation received from a Fund, or 
its respective Master Fund, by the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, or an 
affiliated person of the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, other than any 
advisory fees paid to the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser or its affiliated 
person by the Fund, or its respective Master Fund, in connection with 
the investment by the Investing Management Company in the Fund made at 
the direction of the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser. In the event that the 
Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser waives fees, the benefit of the waiver will 
be passed through to the Investing Management Company.
    6. No Fund of Funds or Fund of Funds Affiliate (except to the 
extent it is acting in its capacity as an investment adviser to a Fund) 
will cause a Fund, or its respective Master Fund, to purchase a 
security in any Affiliated Underwriting.
    7. The Board of a Fund, or its respective Master Fund, including a 
majority of the non-interested Board members, will adopt procedures 
reasonably designed to monitor any purchases of securities by a Fund, 
or its respective Master Fund, in an Affiliated Underwriting, once an 
investment by a Fund of Funds in the securities of the Fund exceeds the 
limit of section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, including any purchases 
made directly from an Underwriting Affiliate. The Board will review 
these purchases periodically, but no less frequently than annually, to 
determine whether the purchases were influenced by the investment by 
the Fund of Funds in the Fund. The Board will consider, among other 
things: (i) Whether the purchases were consistent with the investment 
objectives and policies of the Fund, or its respective Master Fund; 
(ii) how the performance of securities purchased in an Affiliated 
Underwriting compares to the performance of comparable securities 
purchased during a comparable period of time in underwritings other 
than Affiliated Underwritings or to a benchmark such as a comparable 
market index; and (iii) whether the amount of securities purchased by 
the Fund, or its respective Master Fund, in Affiliated Underwritings 
and the amount purchased directly from an Underwriting Affiliate have 
changed significantly from prior years. The Board will take any 
appropriate actions based on its review, including, if appropriate, the 
institution of procedures designed to ensure that purchases of 
securities in Affiliated Underwritings are in the best interest of 
shareholders of the Fund.
    8. Each Fund, or its respective Master Fund, will maintain and 
preserve permanently in an easily accessible place a written copy of 
the procedures described in the preceding condition, and any 
modifications to such procedures, and will maintain and preserve for a 
period of not less than six years from the end of the fiscal year in 
which any purchase in an Affiliated Underwriting occurred, the first 
two years in an easily accessible place, a written record of each 
purchase of securities in Affiliated Underwritings once an investment 
by a Fund of Funds in the securities of the Fund exceeds the limit of 
section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, setting forth from whom the 
securities were acquired, the identity of the underwriting syndicate's 
members, the terms of the purchase, and the information or materials 
upon which the Board's determinations were made.
    9. Before investing in a Fund in excess of the limit in section 
12(d)(1)(A), a Fund of Funds and the Trust will execute a FOF 
Participation Agreement stating without limitation that their 
respective boards of directors or trustees and their investment 
advisers, or trustee and Sponsor, as applicable, understand the terms 
and conditions of the order, and agree to fulfill their 
responsibilities under the order. At the time of its investment in 
Shares of a Fund in excess of the limit in section 12(d)(1)(A)(i), a 
Fund of Funds will notify the Fund of the investment. At such time, the 
Fund of Funds will also transmit to the Fund a list of the names of 
each Fund of Funds Affiliate and Underwriting Affiliate. The Fund of 
Funds will notify the Fund of any changes to the list of the names as 
soon as reasonably practicable after a change occurs. The Fund and the 
Fund of Funds will maintain and preserve a copy of the order, the FOF 
Participation Agreement, and the list with any updated information for 
the duration of the investment and for a period of not less than six 
years thereafter, the first two years in an easily accessible place.
    10. Before approving any advisory contract under section 15 of the 
Act, the board of directors or trustees of each Investing Management 
Company

[[Page 61879]]

including a majority of the disinterested directors or trustees, will 
find that the advisory fees charged under such contract are based on 
services provided that will be in addition to, rather than duplicative 
of, the services provided under the advisory contract(s) of any Fund, 
or its respective Master Fund, in which the Investing Management 
Company may invest. These findings and their basis will be fully 
recorded in the minute books of the appropriate Investing Management 
Company.
    11. Any sales charges and/or service fees charged with respect to 
shares of a Fund of Funds will not exceed the limits applicable to a 
fund of funds as set forth in NASD Conduct Rule 2830.
    12. No Fund, or its respective Master Fund, will acquire securities 
of any other investment company or company relying on section 3(c)(1) 
or 3(c)(7) of the Act in excess of the limits contained in section 
12(d)(1)(A) of the Act, except to the extent (i) the Fund, or its 
respective Master Fund, acquires securities of another investment 
company pursuant to exemptive relief from the Commission permitting the 
Fund, or its respective Master Fund, to acquire securities of one or 
more investment companies for short-term cash management purposes or 
(ii) the Fund acquires securities of the Master Fund pursuant to the 
Master-Feeder Relief.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, 
under delegated authority.
Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-26030 Filed 10-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P



                                                                        Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices                                                  61869

                                              credits for all contracts executed in                   volume to the Exchange. Given the                       All submissions should refer to File
                                              Select Symbols in tiers 3 and 4 are                     robust competition for volume among                     Number SR–MIAX–2015–58. This file
                                              equitable and not unfairly                              options markets, many of which offer                    number should be included on the
                                              discriminatory because the proposed                     the same products, enhancing the                        subject line if email is used. To help the
                                              rates and changes encourage Members                     existing volume based customer rebate                   Commission process and review your
                                              to direct increased amounts of Priority                 program to attract a higher volume of                   comments more efficiently, please use
                                              Customer contracts in Select Symbols to                 order flow is consistent with the goals                 only one method. The Commission will
                                              the Exchange in order to achieve the                    of the Act. The Exchange believes that                  post all comments on the Commission’s
                                              highest volume threshold thereby                        the proposal will enhance competition,                  Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/
                                              receiving the largest per contract credit.              because market participants will have                   rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the
                                              Market participants want to trade with                  another additional pricing consideration                submission, all subsequent
                                              Priority Customer order flow. To the                    in determining where to execute orders                  amendments, all written statements
                                              extent Priority Customer order flow is                  and post liquidity if they factor the                   with respect to the proposed rule
                                              increased by the proposal, market                       benefits of the proposed rebate program                 change that are filed with the
                                              participants will increasingly compete                  into the determination.                                 Commission, and all written
                                              for the opportunity to trade on the                                                                             communications relating to the
                                              Exchange including sending more                         C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                                                                                                                              proposed rule change between the
                                              orders and providing narrower and                       Statement on Comments on the
                                                                                                                                                              Commission and any person, other than
                                              larger sized quotations in the effort to                Proposed Rule Change Received From
                                                                                                                                                              those that may be withheld from the
                                              trade with such Priority Customer order                 Members, Participants, or Others
                                                                                                                                                              public in accordance with the
                                              flow. The resulting increased volume                      Written comments were neither                         provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be
                                              and liquidity will benefit all Exchange                 solicited nor received.                                 available for Web site viewing and
                                              participants by providing more trading                                                                          printing in the Commission’s Public
                                              opportunities and tighter spreads.                      III. Date of Effectiveness of the
                                                                                                      Proposed Rule Change and Timing for                     Reference Room, 100 F Street NE.,
                                              B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                       Commission Action                                       Washington, DC 20549, on official
                                              Statement on Burden on Competition                                                                              business days between the hours of
                                                                                                         The foregoing rule change has become                 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the
                                                 The Exchange does not believe that                   effective pursuant to Section                           filing also will be available for
                                              the proposed rule change will result in                 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act,16 and Rule                  inspection and copying at the principal
                                              any burden on competition that is not                   19b–4(f)(2) 17 thereunder. At any time                  office of the Exchange. All comments
                                              necessary or appropriate in furtherance                 within 60 days of the filing of the                     received will be posted without change;
                                              of the purposes of the Act. The                         proposed rule change, the Commission                    the Commission does not edit personal
                                              Exchange believes that the proposed                     summarily may temporarily suspend                       identifying information from
                                              change would increase both intermarket                  such rule change if it appears to the                   submissions. You should submit only
                                              and intramarket competition by                          Commission that such action is                          information that you wish to make
                                              encouraging Members to direct their                     necessary or appropriate in the public                  available publicly. All submissions
                                              Priority Customer orders in Select                      interest, for the protection of investors,              should refer to File Number SR–MIAX–
                                              Symbols to the Exchange, which should                   or otherwise in furtherance of the                      2015–58 and should be submitted on or
                                              enhance the quality of quoting and                      purposes of the Act. If the Commission
                                              increase the volume of contracts traded                                                                         before November 4, 2015.
                                                                                                      takes such action, the Commission shall
                                              on MIAX. Respecting the competitive                                                                               For the Commission, by the Division of
                                                                                                      institute proceedings to determine
                                              position of non-Priority Customers, the                                                                         Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
                                                                                                      whether the proposed rule should be                     authority.18
                                              Exchange believes that this rebate                      approved or disapproved.
                                              program should provide additional                                                                               Robert W. Errett,
                                              liquidity that enhances the quality of its              IV. Solicitation of Comments                            Deputy Secretary.
                                              markets and increases the number of                       Interested persons are invited to                     [FR Doc. 2015–26027 Filed 10–13–15; 8:45 am]
                                              trading opportunities on MIAX for all                   submit written data, views, and                         BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
                                              participants, including non-Priority                    arguments concerning the foregoing,
                                              Customers, who will be able to compete                  including whether the proposed rule
                                              for such opportunities. This should                     change is consistent with the Act.                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
                                              benefit all market participants and                     Comments may be submitted by any of                     COMMISSION
                                              improve competition on the Exchange.                    the following methods:                                  [Investment Company Act Release No.
                                                 The Exchange notes that it operates in                                                                       IC–31864; File No. 812–14479]
                                              a highly competitive market in which                    Electronic Comments
                                              market participants can readily favor                     • Use the Commission’s Internet                       ARK ETF Trust, et al.; Notice of
                                              competing venues if they deem fee                       comment form (http://www.sec.gov/                       Application
                                              levels at a particular venue to be                      rules/sro.shtml); or
                                              excessive. In such an environment, the                    • Send an email to rule-comments@                     October 7, 2015.
                                              Exchange must continually adjust its                    sec.gov. Please include File Number SR–                 AGENCY:    Securities and Exchange
                                              fees and rebates to remain competitive                  MIAX–2015–58 on the subject line.                       Commission (‘‘Commission’’).
                                              with other exchanges and to attract                                                                             ACTION: Notice of an application for an
                                              order flow to the Exchange. The                         Paper Comments                                          order under section 6(c) of the
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                              Exchange believes that the proposed                       • Send paper comments in triplicate                   Investment Company Act of 1940 (the
                                              rule change reflects this competitive                   to Brent J. Fields, Secretary, Securities               ‘‘Act’’) for an exemption from sections
                                              environment because it encourages                       and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street                   2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d), and 22(e) of the
                                              market participants to direct an                        NE., Washington, DC 20549–1090.                         Act and rule 22c–1 under the Act, under
                                              increased volume of customer order                                                                              sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an
                                              flow, to provide liquidity, and as a                      16 15   U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
                                              result to attract additional transaction                  17 17   CFR 240.19b–4(f)(2).                            18 17   CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).



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                                              61870                     Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices

                                              exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and                    Floor, New York, New York 10011; The                  income securities (each, an ‘‘Underlying
                                              17(a)(2) of the Act, and under section                  Distributor, Three Canal Plaza, Portland,             Index’’) (together, the ‘‘Future Funds’’).
                                              12(d)(1)(J) for an exemption from                       Maine 04101.                                          Any Future Fund will (a) be advised by
                                              sections 12(d)(1)(A) and 12(d)(1)(B) of                 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                      the Initial Adviser or an entity
                                              the Act.                                                Elizabeth G. Miller, Senior Counsel at                controlling, controlled by, or under
                                                                                                      (202) 551–8707, or Holly L. Hunter-Ceci,              common control with the Initial Adviser
                                              SUMMARY:    Summary of Application:                                                                           (each, an ‘‘Adviser’’) and (b) comply
                                                                                                      Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6825
                                              Applicants request an order that would                                                                        with the terms and conditions of the
                                                                                                      (Division of Investment Management,
                                              permit (a) series of certain open-end                                                                         application. The Initial Funds and
                                                                                                      Chief Counsel’s Office).
                                              management investment companies to                                                                            Future Funds, together, are the
                                              issue shares (‘‘Shares’’) redeemable in                 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
                                                                                                      following is a summary of the                         ‘‘Funds.’’ 1
                                              large aggregations only (‘‘Creation                                                                              5. Applicants state that a Fund may
                                              Units’’); (b) secondary market                          application. The complete application
                                                                                                      may be obtained via the Commission’s                  operate as a feeder fund in a master-
                                              transactions in Shares to occur at                                                                            feeder structure (‘‘Feeder Fund’’).
                                              negotiated market prices rather than at                 Web site by searching for the file
                                                                                                      number, or for an applicant using the                 Applicants request that the order permit
                                              net asset value (‘‘NAV’’); (c) certain                                                                        a Feeder Fund to acquire shares of
                                              series to pay redemption proceeds,                      Company name box, at http://
                                                                                                      www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or by                   another registered investment company
                                              under certain circumstances, more than                                                                        in the same group of investment
                                              seven days after the tender of Shares for               calling (202) 551–8090.
                                                                                                                                                            companies having substantially the
                                              redemption; (d) certain affiliated                      Applicants’ Representations                           same investment objectives as the
                                              persons of the series to deposit                                                                              Feeder Fund (‘‘Master Fund’’) beyond
                                                                                             1. ARK ETF Trust is organized as a
                                              securities into, and receive securities                                                                       the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(A) of
                                                                                          Delaware statutory trust. The Trust is
                                              from, the series in connection with the                                                                       the Act and permit the Master Fund,
                                                                                          registered under the Act as an open-end
                                              purchase and redemption of Creation                                                                           and any principal underwriter for the
                                                                                          management investment company.
                                              Units; (e) certain registered management                                                                      Master Fund, to sell shares of the Master
                                                                                             2. The Initial Adviser is registered as
                                              investment companies and unit                                                                                 Fund to the Feeder Fund beyond the
                                                                                          an investment adviser under the
                                              investment trusts outside of the same                                                                         limitations in section 12(d)(1)(B) of the
                                                                                          Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the
                                              group of investment companies as the                                                                          Act (‘‘Master-Feeder Relief’’).
                                                                                          ‘‘Advisers Act’’) and will be the
                                              series to acquire Shares; and (f) certain                                                                     Applicants may structure certain Feeder
                                                                                          investment adviser to the initial series
                                              series to perform creations and                                                                               Funds to generate economies of scale
                                                                                          of the Trust (the ‘‘Initial Funds’’). Any
                                              redemptions of Creation Units in-kind                                                                         and incur lower overhead costs.2 There
                                                                                          other Adviser (defined below) will also
                                              in a master-feeder structure.                                                                                 would be no ability by Fund
                                                 Applicants: ARK ETF Trust (the           be registered as an investment adviser
                                                                                          under the Advisers Act. Each Adviser                              shareholders to exchange Shares of
                                              ‘‘Trust’’), ARK Investment Management                                                                         Feeder Funds for shares of another
                                              LLC (the ‘‘Initial Adviser’’), and          may enter into sub-advisory agreements
                                                                                          with one or more investment advisers to                           feeder series of the Master Fund.
                                              Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the
                                                                                          act as sub-advisers to particular Funds,                             6. Each Fund, or its respective Master
                                              ‘‘Distributor’’).
                                                                                          or their respective Master Funds, (each,                          Fund, will hold certain securities,
                                              DATES: Filing Dates: The application was a ‘‘Sub-Adviser’’). Any Sub-Adviser will                             currencies, other assets and other
                                              filed on June 3, 2015, and amended on       either be registered under the Advisers                           investment positions (‘‘Portfolio
                                              September 16, 2015.                         Act or will not be required to register                           Holdings’’) selected to correspond
                                                 Hearing or Notification of Hearing: An thereunder.                                                         generally to the performance of its
                                              order granting the requested relief will       3. The Trust has entered into a                                Underlying Index. Certain of the Funds
                                              be issued unless the Commission orders distribution agreement with the                                        will be based on Underlying Indexes
                                              a hearing. Interested persons may           Distributor. The distributor for the                              that will be comprised solely of equity
                                              request a hearing by writing to the         Initial Funds will be the Distributor.                            and/or fixed income securities issued by
                                              Commission’s Secretary and serving          The Distributor is a broker-dealer                                one or more of the following categories
                                              applicants with a copy of the request,      (‘‘Broker’’) registered under the                                 of issuers: (i) Domestic issuers and (ii)
                                              personally or by mail. Hearing requests     Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the                              non-domestic issuers meeting the
                                              should be received by the Commission        ‘‘Exchange Act’’) and will act as                                 requirements for trading in U.S.
                                              by 5:30 p.m. on November 2, 2015, and       distributor and principal underwriter of                          markets. Other Funds will be based on
                                              should be accompanied by proof of           one or more of the Funds. The                                     Underlying Indexes that will be
                                              service on applicants, in the form of an    distributor of any Fund may be an                                 comprised solely of foreign and
                                              affidavit, or for lawyers, a certificate of affiliated person, as defined in section                          domestic, or solely foreign, equity and/
                                              service. Pursuant to rule 0–5 under the     2(a)(3) of the Act (‘‘Affiliated Person’’),
                                              Act, hearing requests should state the      or an affiliated person of an Affiliated                            1 All existing entities that intend to rely on the
                                              nature of the writer’s interest, any facts  Person (‘‘Second-Tier Affiliate’’), of that                       requested order have been named as applicants.
                                              bearing upon the desirability of a          Fund’s Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers.                               Any other existing or future entity that
                                              hearing on the matter, the reason for the No distributor will be affiliated with any                          subsequently relies on the order will comply with
                                                                                                                                                            the terms and conditions of the order. A Fund of
                                              request, and the issues contested.          Exchange (defined below).                                         Funds (as defined below) may rely on the order
                                              Persons who wish to be notified of a           4. Applicants request that the order                           only to invest in Funds and not in any other
                                              hearing may request notification by         apply to the Initial Funds and any                                registered investment company.
                                                                                                                                                              2 Operating in a master-feeder structure could
                                              writing to the Commission’s Secretary.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                          additional series of the Trust, and any                           also impose costs on a Feeder Fund and reduce its
                                              ADDRESSES: The Commission: Secretary, other open-end management investment                                    tax efficiency. The Feeder Fund’s Board will
                                              U.S. Securities and Exchange                company or series thereof, that may be                            consider any such potential disadvantages against
                                              Commission, 100 F Street NE.,               created in the future that operate as an                          the benefits of economies of scale and other benefits
                                                                                                                                                            of operating within a master-feeder structure. In a
                                              Washington, DC 20549–1090;                  exchanged-traded fund (‘‘ETF’’) and that                          master-feeder structure, the Master Fund—rather
                                              Applicants: The Trust and the Initial       track a specified index comprised of                              than the Feeder Fund—would generally invest its
                                              Adviser, 155 West 19th Street, 5th          domestic or foreign equity and/or fixed                           portfolio in compliance with the requested order.



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                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices                                                       61871

                                              or fixed income securities (‘‘Foreign                    simultaneously establish short positions                promoter of a Fund, or of the Distributor
                                              Funds’’).                                                in other securities so that total short                 (each, an ‘‘Affiliated Index Provider’’)
                                                 7. Applicants represent that each                     exposure represents approximately 30%                   will serve as the Index Provider. In the
                                              Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                     of such Fund’s net assets. Each Business                case of Self-Indexing Funds, an
                                              will invest at least 80% of its assets                   Day, the Adviser for each Long/Short                    Affiliated Index Provider will create a
                                              (excluding securities lending collateral)                Fund and 130/30 Fund will provide full                  proprietary, rules-based methodology to
                                              in the component securities of its                       portfolio transparency on the Fund’s                    create Underlying Indexes (each an
                                              respective Underlying Index                              publicly available Web site (‘‘Web site’’)              ‘‘Affiliated Index’’).8 Except with
                                              (‘‘Component Securities’’) and TBA                       by making available the Long/Short                      respect to the Self-Indexing Funds, no
                                              Transactions,3 and in the case of                        Fund or 130/30 Fund’s, or its respective                Index Provider is or will be an Affiliated
                                              Foreign Funds, Component Securities                      Master Fund’s, Portfolio Holdings before                Person, or a Second-Tier Affiliate, of the
                                              and Depositary Receipts 4 representing                   the commencement of trading of Shares                   Trust or a Fund, of an Adviser, of any
                                              Component Securities. Each Fund, or its                  on the Listing Exchange (defined                        Sub-Adviser to or promoter of a Fund,
                                              respective Master Fund, may also invest                  below).6 The information provided on                    or of the Distributor.
                                              up to 20% of its assets in certain index                 the Web site will be formatted to be                       11. Applicants recognize that Self-
                                              futures, options, options on index                       reader-friendly.                                        Indexing Funds could raise concerns
                                              futures, swap contracts or other                            9. A Fund, or its respective Master                  regarding the potential ability of the
                                              derivatives, as related to its respective                Fund, will utilize either a replication or              Affiliated Index Provider to manipulate
                                              Underlying Index and its Component                       representative sampling strategy to track               the Underlying Index to the benefit or
                                              Securities, cash and cash equivalents,                   its Underlying Index. A Fund, or its                    detriment of the Self-Indexing Fund.
                                              other investment companies, as well as                   respective Master Fund, using a                         Applicants further recognize the
                                              in securities and other instruments not                  replication strategy will invest in the                 potential for conflicts that may arise
                                              included in its Underlying Index but                     Component Securities of its Underlying                  with respect to the personal trading
                                              which the applicable Adviser believes                    Index in the same approximate                           activity of personnel of the Affiliated
                                              will help the Fund, or its respective                    proportions as in such Underlying                       Index Provider who have knowledge of
                                              Master Fund, track its Underlying                        Index. A Fund, or its respective Master                 changes to an Underlying Index prior to
                                              Index. A Fund may also engage in short                   Fund, using a representative sampling                   the time that information is publicly
                                              sales in accordance with its investment                  strategy will hold some, but not                        disseminated.
                                              objective.                                               necessarily all of the Component                           12. Applicants propose that each day
                                                 8. Future Funds may seek to track                     Securities of its Underlying Index.                     that a Fund, the NYSE and the national
                                              Underlying Indexes constructed using                     Applicants state that a Fund, or its                    securities exchange (as defined in
                                              130/30 investment strategies (‘‘130/30                   respective Master Fund, using a                         section 2(a)(26) of the Act) (an
                                              Funds’’) or other long/short investment                  representative sampling strategy will                   ‘‘Exchange’’) on which the Fund’s
                                              strategies (‘‘Long/Short Funds’’). Each                  not be expected to track the                            Shares are primarily listed (‘‘Listing
                                              Long/Short Fund will establish (i)                       performance of its Underlying Index                     Exchange’’) are open for business,
                                              exposures equal to approximately 100%                    with the same degree of accuracy as                     including any day that a Fund is
                                              of the long positions specified by the                   would an investment vehicle that                        required to be open under section 22(e)
                                              Long/Short Index 5 and (ii) exposures                    invested in every Component Security                    of the Act (a ‘‘Business Day’’), each Self-
                                              equal to approximately 100% of the                       of the Underlying Index with the same                   Indexing Fund will post on its Web site,
                                              short positions specified by the Long/                   weighting as the Underlying Index.                      before commencement of trading of
                                              Short Index. Each 130/30 Fund will                       Applicants expect that the returns of                   Shares on the Listing Exchange, the
                                              include strategies that: (i) Establish long              each Fund will have an annual tracking                  identities and quantities of the Portfolio
                                              positions in securities so that total long               error relative to the performance of its                Holdings that will form the basis for the
                                              exposure represents approximately                        Underlying Index of less than 5%.                       Fund’s calculation of its NAV at the end
                                              130% of a Fund’s net assets; and (ii)                       10. Each Fund will be entitled to use                of the Business Day. Applicants believe
                                                                                                       its Underlying Index pursuant to either                 that requiring Self-Indexing Funds, and
                                                 3 A ‘‘to-be-announced transaction’’ or ‘‘TBA
                                                                                                       a licensing agreement with the entity                   their respective Master Funds, to
                                              Transaction’’ is a method of trading mortgage-                                                                   maintain full portfolio transparency will
                                              backed securities. In a TBA Transaction, the buyer
                                                                                                       that compiles, creates, sponsors or
                                              and seller agree upon general trade parameters such      maintains the Underlying Index (each,                   provide an additional alternative
                                              as agency, settlement date, par amount and price.        an ‘‘Index Provider’’) or a sub-licensing               mechanism for addressing any such
                                              The actual pools delivered generally are determined      arrangement with the applicable                         potential conflicts of interest.
                                              two days prior to settlement date.
                                                 4 Depositary receipts representing foreign
                                                                                                       Adviser, which will have a licensing
                                                                                                                                                                  8 The Affiliated Indexes may be made available to
                                              securities (‘‘Depositary Receipts’’) include             agreement with such Index Provider.7 A
                                                                                                                                                               registered investment companies, as well as
                                              American Depositary Receipts and Global                  ‘‘Self-Indexing Fund’’ is a Fund for                    separately managed accounts of institutional
                                              Depositary Receipts. The Funds, or their respective      which an Affiliated Person, or a Second-                investors and privately offered funds that are not
                                              Master Funds, may invest in Depositary Receipts          Tier Affiliate, of the Trust or a Fund, of              deemed to be ‘‘investment companies’’ in reliance
                                              representing foreign securities in which they seek                                                               on section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act for which the
                                              to invest. Depositary Receipts are typically issued      the Advisers, of any Sub-Adviser to or
                                                                                                                                                               Adviser acts as adviser or subadviser (‘‘Affiliated
                                              by a financial institution (a ‘‘depositary bank’’) and                                                           Accounts’’) as well as other such registered
                                              evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool       6 Under accounting procedures followed by each
                                                                                                                                                               investment companies, separately managed
                                              of securities that have been deposited with the          Fund, trades made on the prior Business Day (‘‘T’’)     accounts and privately offered funds for which it
                                              depositary bank. A Fund, or its respective Master        will be booked and reflected in NAV on the current      does not act either as adviser or subadviser
                                              Fund, will not invest in any Depositary Receipts         Business Day (T+1). Accordingly, the Funds will be      (‘‘Unaffiliated Accounts’’). The Affiliated Accounts
                                              that the Adviser or any Sub-Adviser deems to be          able to disclose at the beginning of the Business Day   and the Unaffiliated Accounts, like the Funds,
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                                              illiquid or for which pricing information is not         the portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV      would seek to tract the performance of one or more
                                              readily available. No affiliated person of a Fund, the   calculation at the end of the Business Day.             Underlying Index(es) by investing in the
                                              Adviser or any Sub-Adviser will serve as the               7 The licenses for the Self-Indexing Funds will       constituents of such Underlying Indexes or a
                                              depositary bank for any Depositary Receipts held by      specifically state that the Affiliated Index Provider   representative sample of such constituents of the
                                              a Fund, or its respective Master Fund.                   (or in case of a sub-licensing agreement, the           Underlying Index. Consistent with the relief
                                                 5 Underlying Indexes that include both long and       Adviser) must provide the use of the Underlying         requested from section 17(a), the Affiliated
                                              short positions in securities are referred to as         Indexes and related intellectual property at no cost    Accounts will not engage in Creation Unit
                                              ‘‘Long/Short Indexes.’’                                  to the Trust and the Self-Indexing Funds.               transactions with a Fund.



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                                              61872                       Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices

                                                 13. Applicants do not believe the                       addition, an Index Provider will not                     Day, the names and quantities of the
                                              potential for conflicts of interest raised                 provide any information relating to                      instruments that constitute the Deposit
                                              by an Adviser’s use of the Underlying                      changes to an Underlying Index’s                         Instruments and the names and
                                              Indexes in connection with the                             methodology for the inclusion of                         quantities of the instruments that
                                              management of the Self Indexing Funds,                     component securities, the inclusion or                   constitute the Redemption Instruments
                                              their respective Master Funds, and the                     exclusion of specific component                          will be identical, unless the Fund is
                                              Affiliated Accounts will be substantially                  securities, or methodology for the                       Rebalancing (as defined below). In
                                              different from the potential conflicts                     calculation or the return of component                   addition, the Deposit Instruments and
                                              presented by an adviser managing two                       securities, in advance of a public                       the Redemption Instruments will each
                                              or more registered funds. Both the Act                     announcement of such changes by the                      correspond pro rata to the positions in
                                              and the Advisers Act contain various                       Index Provider. Each Adviser will also                   the Fund’s portfolio (including cash
                                              protections to address conflicts of                        include under Item 10.C. of Part 2 of its                positions) 13 except: (a) In the case of
                                              interest where an adviser is managing                      Form ADV a discussion of its                             bonds, for minor differences when it is
                                              two or more registered funds and these                     relationship to any Affiliated Index                     impossible to break up bonds beyond
                                              protections will also help address these                   Provider and any material conflicts of                   certain minimum sizes needed for
                                              conflicts with respect to the Self-                        interest resulting therefrom, regardless                 transfer and settlement; (b) for minor
                                              Indexing Funds.9                                           of whether the Affiliated Index Provider                 differences when rounding is necessary
                                                 14. Each Adviser and any Sub-                           is a type of affiliate specified in Item 10.             to eliminate fractional shares or lots that
                                              Adviser has adopted or will adopt,                            15. To the extent the Self-Indexing                   are not tradeable round lots; 14 (c) TBA
                                              pursuant to Rule 206(4)–7 under the                        Funds or their respective Master Funds                   Transactions, short positions,
                                              Advisers Act, written policies and                         transact with an Affiliated Person of an                 derivatives and other positions that
                                              procedures designed to prevent                             Adviser or Sub-Adviser, such                             cannot be transferred in kind 15 will be
                                              violations of the Advisers Act and the                     transactions will comply with the Act,                   excluded from the Deposit Instruments
                                              rules thereunder. These include policies                   the rules thereunder and the terms and                   and the Redemption Instruments; 16 (d)
                                              and procedures designed to minimize                        conditions of the requested order. In                    to the extent the Fund determines, on a
                                              potential conflicts of interest among the                  this regard, each Self-Indexing Fund’s                   given Business Day, to use a
                                              Self-Indexing Funds, their respective                      board of directors or trustees (‘‘Board’’)               representative sampling of the Fund’s
                                              Master Funds, and the Affiliated                           will periodically review the Self-                       portfolio; 17 or (e) for temporary periods,
                                              Accounts, such as cross trading policies,                  Indexing Fund’s use of an Affiliated                     to effect changes in the Fund’s portfolio
                                              as well as those designed to ensure the                    Index Provider. Subject to the approval                  as a result of the rebalancing of its
                                              equitable allocation of portfolio                          of the Self-Indexing Fund’s Board, an                    Underlying Index (any such change, a
                                              transactions and brokerage                                 Adviser, Affiliated Persons of the                       ‘‘Rebalancing’’). If there is a difference
                                              commissions. In addition, the Initial                      Adviser (‘‘Adviser Affiliates’’) and                     between the NAV attributable to a
                                              Adviser has adopted policies and                           Affiliated Persons of any Sub-Adviser                    Creation Unit and the aggregate market
                                              procedures as required under section                       (‘‘Sub-Adviser Affiliates’’) may be                      value of the Deposit Instruments or
                                              204A of the Advisers Act, which are                        authorized to provide custody, fund                      Redemption Instruments exchanged for
                                              reasonably designed in light of the                        accounting and administration and                        the Creation Unit, the party conveying
                                              nature of its business to prevent the                      transfer agency services to the Self-                    instruments with the lower value will
                                              misuse, in violation of the Advisers Act                   Indexing Funds. Any services provided                    also pay to the other an amount in cash
                                              or the Exchange Act or the rules                           by an Adviser, Adviser Affiliates, Sub-                  equal to that difference (the ‘‘Cash
                                              thereunder, of material non-public                         Adviser and Sub-Adviser Affiliates will                  Amount’’).
                                              information by the Adviser or an                                                                                       17. Purchases and redemptions of
                                                                                                         be performed in accordance with the
                                              associated person (‘‘Inside Information                                                                             Creation Units may be made in whole or
                                                                                                         provisions of the Act, the rules under
                                              Policy’’). Any other Adviser and/or Sub-                                                                            in part on a cash basis, rather than in
                                                                                                         the Act and any relevant guidelines
                                              Adviser will be required to adopt and                                                                               kind, solely under the following
                                                                                                         from the staff of the Commission.
                                              maintain a similar Inside Information                                                                               circumstances: (a) To the extent there is
                                                                                                            16. The Shares of each Fund will be
                                              Policy. In accordance with the Code of                                                                              a Cash Amount; (b) if, on a given
                                                                                                         purchased and redeemed in Creation
                                              Ethics 10 and Inside Information Policy                    Units and generally on an in-kind basis.
                                              of each Adviser and Sub-Adviser,                                                                                    rule 144A under the Securities Act, the Funds will
                                                                                                         Except where the purchase or                             comply with the conditions of rule 144A.
                                              personnel of those entities with                           redemption will include cash under the                      13 The portfolio used for this purpose will be the
                                              knowledge about the composition of the                     limited circumstances specified below,                   same portfolio used to calculate the Fund’s NAV for
                                              Portfolio Deposit 11 will be prohibited                    purchasers will be required to purchase                  the Business Day.
                                              from disclosing such information to any                    Creation Units by making an in-kind
                                                                                                                                                                     14 A tradeable round lot for a security will be the

                                              other person, except as authorized in                                                                               standard unit of trading in that particular type of
                                                                                                         deposit of specified instruments                         security in its primary market.
                                              the course of their employment, until                      (‘‘Deposit Instruments’’), and                              15 This includes instruments that can be
                                              such information is made public. In                        shareholders redeeming their Shares                      transferred in kind only with the consent of the
                                                                                                         will receive an in-kind transfer of                      original counterparty to the extent the Fund does
                                                 9 See, e.g., Rule 17j–1 under the Act and Section                                                                not intend to seek such consents.
                                              204A under the Advisers Act and Rules 204A–1               specified instruments (‘‘Redemption                         16 Because these instruments will be excluded
                                              and 206(4)–7 under the Advisers Act.                       Instruments’’).12 On any given Business                  from the Deposit Instruments and the Redemption
                                                 10 Each Adviser has also adopted or will adopt a                                                                 Instruments, their value will be reflected in the
                                              code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j–1 under the Act           12 The Funds must comply with the federal             determination of the Cash Amount (as defined
                                              and Rule 204A–1 under the Advisers Act, which              securities laws in accepting Deposit Instruments         below).
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                                              contains provisions reasonably necessary to prevent        and satisfying redemptions with Redemption                  17 A Fund may only use sampling for this purpose
                                              Access Persons (as defined in Rule 17j–1) from             Instruments, including that the Deposit Instruments      if the sample: (i) Is designed to generate
                                              engaging in any conduct prohibited in Rule 17j–1           and Redemption Instruments are sold in                   performance that is highly correlated to the
                                              (‘‘Code of Ethics’’).                                      transactions that would be exempt from registration      performance of the Fund’s portfolio; (ii) consists
                                                 11 The instruments and cash that the purchaser is       under the Securities Act of 1933 (‘‘Securities Act’’).   entirely of instruments that are already included in
                                              required to deliver in exchange for the Creation           In accepting Deposit Instruments and satisfying          the Fund’s portfolio; and (iii) is the same for all
                                              Units it is purchasing is referred to as the ‘‘Portfolio   redemptions with Redemption Instruments that are         Authorized Participants (as defined below) on a
                                              Deposit.’’                                                 restricted securities eligible for resale pursuant to    given Business Day.



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                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices                                                    61873

                                              Business Day, the Fund announces                         ‘‘Authorized Participant’’ which is                   Fees will be limited in accordance with
                                              before the open of trading that all                      either (1) a ‘‘Participating Party,’’ i.e., a         requirements of the Commission
                                              purchases, all redemptions or all                        broker-dealer or other participant in the             applicable to management investment
                                              purchases and redemptions on that day                    Continuous Net Settlement System of                   companies offering redeemable
                                              will be made entirely in cash; (c) if,                   the National Securities Clearing                      securities. Since the Transaction Fees
                                              upon receiving a purchase or                             Corporation (‘‘NSCC’’), a clearing                    are intended to defray the transaction
                                              redemption order from an Authorized                      agency registered with the Commission,                expenses as well as to prevent possible
                                              Participant, the Fund determines to                      or (2) a participant in The Depository                shareholder dilution resulting from the
                                              require the purchase or redemption, as                   Trust Company (‘‘DTC’’) (‘‘DTC                        purchase or redemption of Creation
                                              applicable, to be made entirely in                       Participant’’), which, in either case, has            Units, the Transaction Fees will be
                                              cash; 18 (d) if, on a given Business Day,                signed a participant agreement with the               borne only by such purchasers or
                                              the Fund requires all Authorized                         Distributor. The Distributor will be                  redeemers.21 The Distributor will be
                                              Participants purchasing or redeeming                     responsible for transmitting the orders               responsible for delivering the Fund’s
                                              Shares on that day to deposit or receive                 to the Funds and will furnish to those                prospectus to those persons acquiring
                                              (as applicable) cash in lieu of some or                  placing such orders confirmation that                 Shares in Creation Units and for
                                              all of the Deposit Instruments or                        the orders have been accepted, but                    maintaining records of both the orders
                                              Redemption Instruments, respectively,                    applicants state that the Distributor may             placed with it and the confirmations of
                                              solely because: (i) Such instruments are                 reject any order which is not submitted               acceptance furnished by it. In addition,
                                              not eligible for transfer through either                 in proper form.                                       the Distributor will maintain a record of
                                              the NSCC or DTC (defined below); or (ii)                    19. Each Business Day, before the                  the instructions given to the applicable
                                              in the case of Foreign Funds holding                     open of trading on the Listing Exchange,              Fund to implement the delivery of its
                                              non-U.S. investments, such instruments                   each Fund will cause to be published                  Shares.
                                              are not eligible for trading due to local                through the NSCC the names and                          21. Shares of each Fund will be listed
                                              trading restrictions, local restrictions on              quantities of the instruments comprising              and traded individually on an
                                              securities transfers or other similar                                                                          Exchange. It is expected that one or
                                                                                                       the Deposit Instruments and the
                                              circumstances; or (e) if the Fund permits                                                                      more member firms of an Exchange will
                                                                                                       Redemption Instruments, as well as the
                                              an Authorized Participant to deposit or                                                                        be designated to act as a market maker
                                                                                                       estimated Cash Amount (if any), for that
                                              receive (as applicable) cash in lieu of                                                                        (each, a ‘‘Market Maker’’) and maintain
                                                                                                       day. The list of Deposit Instruments and
                                              some or all of the Deposit Instruments                                                                         a market for Shares trading on the
                                                                                                       Redemption Instruments will apply
                                              or Redemption Instruments,                                                                                     Exchange. Prices of Shares trading on an
                                                                                                       until a new list is announced on the
                                              respectively, solely because: (i) Such                                                                         Exchange will be based on the current
                                                                                                       following Business Day, and there will
                                              instruments are, in the case of the                                                                            bid/offer market. Transactions involving
                                                                                                       be no intra-day changes to the list
                                              purchase of a Creation Unit, not                                                                               the sale of Shares on an Exchange will
                                                                                                       except to correct errors in the published
                                              available in sufficient quantity; (ii) such                                                                    be subject to customary brokerage
                                                                                                       list. Each Listing Exchange or other                  commissions and charges.
                                              instruments are not eligible for trading
                                                                                                       major market data provider will                         22. Applicants expect that purchasers
                                              by an Authorized Participant or the
                                                                                                       disseminate, every 15 seconds during                  of Creation Units will include
                                              investor on whose behalf the
                                                                                                       regular Exchange trading hours, through               institutional investors and arbitrageurs.
                                              Authorized Participant is acting; or (iii)
                                                                                                       the facilities of the Consolidated Tape               Market Makers, acting in their roles to
                                              a holder of Shares of a Foreign Fund
                                                                                                       Association, an amount for each Fund                  provide a fair and orderly secondary
                                              holding non-U.S. investments would be
                                                                                                       stated on a per individual Share basis                market for the Shares, may from time to
                                              subject to unfavorable income tax
                                              treatment if the holder receives                         representing the sum of (i) the estimated             time find it appropriate to purchase or
                                              redemption proceeds in kind.19                           Cash Amount and (ii) the current value                redeem Creation Units. Applicants
                                                 18. Creation Units will consist of                    of the Deposit Instruments.                           expect that secondary market
                                              specified large aggregations of Shares,                     20. Transaction expenses, including                purchasers of Shares will include both
                                              e.g., at least 25,000 Shares, and it is                  operational processing and brokerage                  institutional and retail investors.22 The
                                              expected that the initial price of a                     costs, will be incurred by a Fund when                price at which Shares trade will be
                                              Creation Unit will range from $1 million                 investors purchase or redeem Creation                 disciplined by arbitrage opportunities
                                              to $10 million. All orders to purchase                   Units in-kind and such costs have the                 created by the option continually to
                                              Creation Units must be placed with the                   potential to dilute the interests of the              purchase or redeem Shares in Creation
                                              Distributor by or through an                             Fund’s existing shareholders. Each                    Units, which should help prevent
                                                                                                       Fund will impose purchase or                          Shares from trading at a material
                                                18 In determining whether a particular Fund will       redemption transaction fees                           discount or premium in relation to their
                                              sell or redeem Creation Units entirely on a cash or      (‘‘Transaction Fees’’) in connection with             NAV.
                                              in-kind basis (whether for a given day or a given                                                                23. Shares will not be individually
                                              order), the key consideration will be the benefit that
                                                                                                       effecting such purchases or redemptions
                                              would accrue to the Fund and its investors. For          of Creation Units. With respect to                    redeemable, and owners of Shares may
                                              instance, in bond transactions, the Adviser may be       Feeder Funds, the Transaction Fee                     acquire those Shares from the Fund, or
                                              able to obtain better execution than Share               would be paid indirectly to the Master                tender such Shares for redemption to
                                              purchasers because of the Adviser’s size, experience
                                              and potentially stronger relationships in the fixed      Fund.20 In all cases, such Transaction
                                              income markets. Purchases of Creation Units either                                                             funds for transactions involving 20,000 or more
                                              on an all cash basis or in-kind are expected to be         20 Applicants  are not requesting relief from       shares.
                                                                                                                                                               21 Where a Fund permits an ‘‘in-kind’’ purchaser
                                              neutral to the Funds from a tax perspective. In          section 18 of the Act. Accordingly, a Master Fund
                                              contrast, cash redemptions typically require selling     may require a Transaction Fee payment to cover        to substitute cash in lieu of depositing one or more
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                                              portfolio holdings, which may result in adverse tax      expenses related to purchases or redemptions of the   of the requisite Deposit Instruments, the purchaser
                                              consequences for the remaining Fund shareholders         Master Fund’s shares by a Feeder Fund only if it      may be assessed a higher Transaction Fee to cover
                                              that would not occur with an in-kind redemption.         requires the same payment for equivalent purchases    the cost of purchasing such Deposit Instruments.
                                              As a result, tax consideration may warrant in-kind       or redemptions by any other feeder fund. Thus, for      22 Shares will be registered in book-entry form

                                              redemptions.                                             example, a Master Fund may require payment of a       only. DTC or its nominee will be the record or
                                                19 A ‘‘custom order’’ is any purchase or               Transaction Fee by a Feeder Fund for transactions     registered owner of all outstanding Shares.
                                              redemption of Shares made in whole or in part on         for 20,000 or more shares so long as it requires      Beneficial ownership of Shares will be shown on
                                              a cash basis in reliance on clause (e)(i) or (e)(ii).    payment of the same Transaction Fee by all feeder     the records of DTC or the DTC Participants.



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                                              61874                     Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices

                                              the Fund, in Creation Units only. To                    transaction, or any class or classes of               regarding section 22(d), its provisions,
                                              redeem, an investor must accumulate                     persons, securities or transactions, from             as well as those of rule 22c–1, appear to
                                              enough Shares to constitute a Creation                  any provisions of section 12(d)(1) if the             have been designed to (a) prevent
                                              Unit. Redemption requests must be                       exemption is consistent with the public               dilution caused by certain riskless-
                                              placed by or through an Authorized                      interest and the protection of investors.             trading schemes by principal
                                              Participant. A redeeming investor will                                                                        underwriters and contract dealers, (b)
                                                                                                      Sections 5(a)(1) and 2(a)(32) of the Act
                                              pay a Transaction Fee, calculated in the                                                                      prevent unjust discrimination or
                                              same manner as a Transaction Fee                           3. Section 5(a)(1) of the Act defines an           preferential treatment among buyers,
                                              payable in connection with purchases of                 ‘‘open-end company’’ as a management                  and (c) ensure an orderly distribution of
                                              Creation Units.                                         investment company that is offering for               investment company shares by
                                                24. Neither the Trust nor any Fund                    sale or has outstanding any redeemable                eliminating price competition from
                                              will be advertised or marketed or                       security of which it is the issuer.                   dealers offering shares at less than the
                                              otherwise held out as a traditional open-               Section 2(a)(32) of the Act defines a                 published sales price and repurchasing
                                              end investment company or a ‘‘mutual                    redeemable security as any security,                  shares at more than the published
                                              fund.’’ Instead, each such Fund will be                 other than short-term paper, under the                redemption price.
                                              marketed as an ‘‘ETF.’’ All marketing                   terms of which the owner, upon its                       6. Applicants believe that none of
                                              materials that describe the features or                 presentation to the issuer, is entitled to            these purposes will be thwarted by
                                              method of obtaining, buying or selling                  receive approximately a proportionate                 permitting Shares to trade in the
                                              Creation Units, or Shares traded on an                  share of the issuer’s current net assets,             secondary market at negotiated prices.
                                              Exchange, or refer to redeemability, will               or the cash equivalent. Because Shares                Applicants state that (a) secondary
                                              prominently disclose that Shares are not                will not be individually redeemable,                  market trading in Shares does not
                                              individually redeemable and will                        applicants request an order that would                involve a Fund as a party and will not
                                              disclose that the owners of Shares may                  permit the Funds to register as open-end              result in dilution of an investment in
                                              acquire those Shares from the Fund or                   management investment companies and                   Shares, and (b) to the extent different
                                              tender such Shares for redemption to                    issue Shares that are redeemable in                   prices exist during a given trading day,
                                              the Fund in Creation Units only. The                    Creation Units only.23 Applicants state               or from day to day, such variances occur
                                              Funds will provide copies of their                      that investors may purchase Shares in                 as a result of third-party market forces,
                                              annual and semi-annual shareholder                      Creation Units and redeem Creation                    such as supply and demand. Therefore,
                                              reports to DTC Participants for                         Units from each Fund. Applicants                      applicants assert that secondary market
                                              distribution to beneficial owners of                    further state that because Creation Units             transactions in Shares will not lead to
                                              Shares.                                                 may always be purchased and redeemed                  discrimination or preferential treatment
                                                                                                      at NAV, the price of Shares on the                    among purchasers. Finally, applicants
                                              Applicants’ Legal Analysis                              secondary market should not vary                      contend that the price at which Shares
                                                 1. Applicants request an order under                 materially from NAV.                                  trade will be disciplined by arbitrage
                                              section 6(c) of the Act for an exemption                                                                      opportunities created by the option
                                              from sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d), and             Section 22(d) of the Act and Rule 22c–
                                                                                                      1 under the Act                                       continually to purchase or redeem
                                              22(e) of the Act and rule 22c–1 under                                                                         Shares in Creation Units, which should
                                              the Act, under section 12(d)(1)(J) of the                  4. Section 22(d) of the Act, among
                                                                                                      other things, prohibits a dealer from                 help prevent Shares from trading at a
                                              Act for an exemption from sections
                                                                                                      selling a redeemable security that is                 material discount or premium in
                                              12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the Act, and
                                                                                                      currently being offered to the public by              relation to their NAV.
                                              under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act
                                              for an exemption from sections 17(a)(1)                 or through an underwriter, except at a                Section 22(e)
                                              and 17(a)(2) of the Act.                                current public offering price described                  7. Section 22(e) of the Act generally
                                                 2. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that             in the prospectus. Rule 22c–1 under the               prohibits a registered investment
                                              the Commission may exempt any                           Act generally requires that a dealer                  company from suspending the right of
                                              person, security or transaction, or any                 selling, redeeming or repurchasing a                  redemption or postponing the date of
                                              class of persons, securities or                         redeemable security do so only at a                   payment of redemption proceeds for
                                              transactions, from any provision of the                 price based on its NAV. Applicants state
                                                                                                                                                            more than seven days after the tender of
                                              Act, if and to the extent that such                     that secondary market trading in Shares
                                                                                                                                                            a security for redemption. Applicants
                                              exemption is necessary or appropriate                   will take place at negotiated prices, not
                                                                                                                                                            state that settlement of redemptions for
                                              in the public interest and consistent                   at a current offering price described in
                                                                                                                                                            Foreign Funds will be contingent not
                                              with the protection of investors and the                a Fund’s prospectus, and not at a price
                                                                                                                                                            only on the settlement cycle of the
                                              purposes fairly intended by the policy                  based on NAV. Thus, purchases and
                                                                                                                                                            United States market, but also on
                                              and provisions of the Act. Section 17(b)                sales of Shares in the secondary market
                                                                                                                                                            current delivery cycles in local markets
                                              of the Act authorizes the Commission to                 will not comply with section 22(d) of
                                                                                                                                                            for the underlying foreign securities
                                              exempt a proposed transaction from                      the Act and rule 22c–1 under the Act.
                                                                                                                                                            held by a Foreign Fund. Applicants
                                              section 17(a) of the Act if evidence                    Applicants request an exemption under
                                                                                                      section 6(c) from these provisions.                   state that the delivery cycles currently
                                              establishes that the terms of the                                                                             practicable for transferring Redemption
                                              transaction, including the consideration                   5. Applicants assert that the concerns
                                                                                                      sought to be addressed by section 22(d)               Instruments to redeeming investors,
                                              to be paid or received, are reasonable                                                                        coupled with local market holiday
                                              and fair and do not involve                             of the Act and rule 22c–1 under the Act
                                                                                                      with respect to pricing are equally                   schedules, may require a delivery
                                              overreaching on the part of any person                                                                        process of up to fifteen (15) calendar
                                                                                                      satisfied by the proposed method of
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                                              concerned, and the proposed                                                                                   days.24 Accordingly, with respect to
                                              transaction is consistent with the                      pricing Shares. Applicants maintain that
                                                                                                      while there is little legislative history             Foreign Funds only, applicants hereby
                                              policies of the registered investment
                                                                                                                                                            request relief under section 6(c) from
                                              company and the general provisions of
                                                                                                        23 The Master Funds will not require relief from
                                              the Act. Section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act                 sections 2(a)(32) and 5(a)(1) because the Master         24 Certain countries in which a Fund may invest
                                              provides that the Commission may                        Funds will issue individually redeemable              have historically had settlement periods of up to
                                              exempt any person, security, or                         securities.                                           fifteen (15) calendar days.



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                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices                                             61875

                                              the requirement imposed by section                       companies are referred to as ‘‘Investing                aggregate) a Fund within the meaning of
                                              22(e) to allow Foreign Funds to pay                      Management Companies,’’ such UITs                       section 2(a)(9) of the Act. The same
                                              redemption proceeds within fifteen (15)                  are referred to as ‘‘Investing Trusts,’’                prohibition would apply to any Fund of
                                              calendar days following the tender of                    and Investing Management Companies                      Funds Sub-Adviser, any person
                                              Creation Units for redemption.25                         and Investing Trusts are collectively                   controlling, controlled by or under
                                                 8. Applicants believe that Congress                   referred to as ‘‘Funds of Funds’’), to                  common control with the Fund of
                                              adopted section 22(e) to prevent                         acquire Shares beyond the limits of                     Funds Sub-Adviser, and any investment
                                              unreasonable, undisclosed or                             section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act; and the                 company or issuer that would be an
                                              unforeseen delays in the actual payment                  Funds, and any principal underwriter                    investment company but for sections
                                              of redemption proceeds. Applicants                       for the Funds, and/or any Broker                        3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act (or portion
                                              propose that allowing redemption                         registered under the Exchange Act, to                   of such investment company or issuer)
                                              payments for Creation Units of a Foreign                 sell Shares to Funds of Funds beyond                    advised or sponsored by the Fund of
                                              Fund to be made within fifteen calendar                  the limits of section 12(d)(1)(B) of the                Funds Sub-Adviser or any person
                                              days would not be inconsistent with the                  Act.                                                    controlling, controlled by or under
                                              spirit and intent of section 22(e).                         12. Each Investing Management                        common control with the Fund of
                                              Applicants suggest that a redemption                     Company will be advised by an                           Funds Sub-Adviser (‘‘Fund of Funds’
                                              payment occurring within fifteen                         investment adviser within the meaning                   Sub-Advisory Group’’).
                                              calendar days following a redemption                     of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the Act (the                     15. Applicants propose other
                                              request would adequately afford                          ‘‘Fund of Funds Adviser’’) and may be                   conditions to limit the potential for
                                              investor protection.                                     sub-advised by investment advisers                      undue influence over the Funds,
                                                 9. Applicants are not seeking relief                  within the meaning of section                           including that no Fund of Funds or
                                              from section 22(e) with respect to                       2(a)(20)(B) of the Act (each a ‘‘Fund of                Fund of Funds Affiliate (except to the
                                              Foreign Funds that do not effect                         Funds Sub-Adviser’’). Any investment                    extent it is acting in its capacity as an
                                              creations and redemptions of Creation                    adviser to an Investing Management                      investment adviser to a Fund) will cause
                                              Units in-kind.26                                         Company will be registered under the                    a Fund to purchase a security in an
                                              Section 12(d)(1)                                         Advisers Act. Each Investing Trust will                 offering of securities during the
                                                                                                       be sponsored by a sponsor (‘‘Sponsor’’).                existence of an underwriting or selling
                                                10. Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act                                                                             syndicate of which a principal
                                                                                                          13. Applicants submit that the
                                              prohibits a registered investment                                                                                underwriter is an Underwriting Affiliate
                                                                                                       proposed conditions to the requested
                                              company from acquiring securities of an                                                                          (‘‘Affiliated Underwriting’’). An
                                                                                                       relief adequately address the concerns
                                              investment company if such securities                                                                            ‘‘Underwriting Affiliate’’ is a principal
                                                                                                       underlying the limits in sections
                                              represent more than 3% of the total                                                                              underwriter in any underwriting or
                                                                                                       12(d)(1)(A) and (B), which include
                                              outstanding voting stock of the acquired                                                                         selling syndicate that is an officer,
                                                                                                       concerns about undue influence by a
                                              company, more than 5% of the total                                                                               director, member of an advisory board,
                                                                                                       fund of funds over underlying funds,
                                              assets of the acquiring company, or,                                                                             Fund of Funds Adviser, Fund of Funds
                                              together with the securities of any other                excessive layering of fees and overly
                                                                                                       complex fund structures. Applicants                     Sub-Adviser, employee or Sponsor of
                                              investment companies, more than 10%                                                                              the Fund of Funds, or a person of which
                                              of the total assets of the acquiring                     believe that the requested exemption is
                                                                                                       consistent with the public interest and                 any such officer, director, member of an
                                              company. Section 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act                                                                          advisory board, Fund of Funds Adviser
                                              prohibits a registered open-end                          the protection of investors.
                                                                                                          14. Applicants believe that neither a                or Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser,
                                              investment company, its principal                                                                                employee or Sponsor is an affiliated
                                              underwriter and any other broker-dealer                  Fund of Funds nor a Fund of Funds
                                                                                                       Affiliate would be able to exert undue                  person (except that any person whose
                                              from knowingly selling the investment                                                                            relationship to the Fund is covered by
                                              company’s shares to another investment                   influence over a Fund.27 To limit the
                                                                                                       control that a Fund of Funds may have                   section 10(f) of the Act is not an
                                              company if the sale will cause the                                                                               Underwriting Affiliate).
                                              acquiring company to own more than                       over a Fund, applicants propose a
                                                                                                       condition prohibiting a Fund of Funds                      16. Applicants do not believe that the
                                              3% of the acquired company’s voting                                                                              proposed arrangement will involve
                                              stock, or if the sale will cause more than               Adviser or Sponsor, any person
                                                                                                                                                               excessive layering of fees. The board of
                                              10% of the acquired company’s voting                     controlling, controlled by, or under
                                                                                                                                                               directors or trustees of any Investing
                                              stock to be owned by investment                          common control with a Fund of Funds
                                                                                                                                                               Management Company, including a
                                              companies generally.                                     Adviser or Sponsor, and any investment
                                                                                                                                                               majority of the directors or trustees who
                                                11. Applicants request an exemption                    company and any issuer that would be
                                                                                                                                                               are not ‘‘interested persons’’ within the
                                              to permit registered management                          an investment company but for sections
                                                                                                                                                               meaning of section 2(a)(19) of the Act
                                              investment companies and unit                            3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act that is
                                                                                                                                                               (‘‘disinterested directors or trustees’’),
                                              investment trusts (‘‘UITs’’) that are not                advised or sponsored by a Fund of
                                                                                                                                                               will find that the advisory fees charged
                                              advised or sponsored by the Advisers                     Funds Adviser or Sponsor, or any
                                                                                                                                                               under the contract are based on services
                                              and are not part of the same ‘‘group of                  person controlling, controlled by, or                   provided that will be in addition to,
                                              investment companies,’’ as defined in                    under common control with a Fund of                     rather than duplicative of, services
                                              section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Act as the                Funds Adviser or Sponsor (‘‘Fund of                     provided under the advisory contract of
                                              Funds (such management investment                        Funds’ Advisory Group’’) from                           any Fund, or its respective Master Fund,
                                                                                                       controlling (individually or in the                     in which the Investing Management
                                                 25 Applicants acknowledge that no relief obtained
                                                                                                                                                               Company may invest. In addition, under
                                              from the requirements of section 22(e) will affect         27 A ‘‘Fund of Funds Affiliate’’ is a Fund of Funds
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                                              any obligations applicants may otherwise have            Adviser, Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, Sponsor,
                                                                                                                                                               condition B.5., a Fund of Funds
                                              under rule 15c6–1 under the Exchange Act                 promoter, and principal underwriter of a Fund of        Adviser, or a Fund of Funds’ trustee or
                                              requiring that most securities transactions be settled   Funds, and any person controlling, controlled by,       Sponsor, as applicable, will waive fees
                                              within three business days of the trade date.            or under common control with any of those entities.     otherwise payable to it by the Fund of
                                                 26 In addition, the requested exemption from          A ‘‘Fund Affiliate’’ is an investment adviser,
                                              section 22(e) would only apply to in-kind                promoter, or principal underwriter of a Fund and
                                                                                                                                                               Funds in an amount at least equal to any
                                              redemptions by the Feeder Funds and would not            any person controlling, controlled by or under          compensation (including fees received
                                              apply to in-kind redemptions by other feeder funds.      common control with any of these entities.              pursuant to any plan adopted by a


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                                              61876                     Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices

                                              Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                    12(d)(1)(E) provides that the percentage              such Funds, may be deemed affiliated
                                              under rule 12b-1 under the Act)                         limitations of section 12(d)(1)(A) and (B)            persons of the Trust or such Funds. In
                                              received from a Fund by the Fund of                     shall not apply to a security issued by               addition, an investor could own 5% or
                                              Funds Adviser, trustee or Sponsor or an                 an investment company (in this case,                  more, or in excess of 25% of the
                                              affiliated person of the Fund of Funds                  the shares of the applicable Master                   outstanding shares of one or more
                                              Adviser, trustee or Sponsor, other than                 Fund) if, among other things, that                    Affiliated Funds making that investor a
                                              any advisory fees paid to the Fund of                   security is the only investment security              Second-Tier Affiliate of the Funds.
                                              Funds Adviser, trustee or Sponsor or its                held by the investing investment                         21. Applicants request an exemption
                                              affiliated person by a Fund, in                         company (in this case, the Feeder                     from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the
                                              connection with the investment by the                   Fund). Applicants believe the proposed                Act pursuant to sections 6(c) and 17(b)
                                              Fund of Funds in the Fund. Applicants                   master-feeder structure complies with                 of the Act to permit persons that are
                                              state that any sales charges and/or                     section 12(d)(1)(E) because each Feeder               Affiliated Persons of the Funds, or
                                              service fees charged with respect to                    Fund will hold only investment                        Second-Tier Affiliates of the Funds,
                                              shares of a Fund of Funds will not                      securities issued by its corresponding                solely by virtue of one or more of the
                                              exceed the limits applicable to a fund of               Master Fund; however, the Feeder                      following: (a) Holding 5% or more, or in
                                              funds as set forth in NASD Conduct                      Funds may receive securities other than               excess of 25%, of the outstanding
                                              Rule 2830.28                                            securities of its corresponding Master                Shares of one or more Funds; (b) an
                                                 17. Applicants submit that the                       Fund if a Feeder Fund accepts an in-                  affiliation with a person with an
                                              proposed arrangement will not create an                 kind creation. To the extent that a                   ownership interest described in (a); or
                                              overly complex fund structure.                          Feeder Fund may be deemed to be                       (c) holding 5% or more, or more than
                                              Applicants note that no Fund, nor its                   holding both shares of the Master Fund                25%, of the shares of one or more
                                              respective Master Fund, will acquire                    and other securities, applicants request              Affiliated Funds, to effectuate purchases
                                              securities of any investment company or                 relief from section 12(d)(1)(A) and (B).              and redemptions ‘‘in-kind.’’
                                              company relying on section 3(c)(1) or                   The Feeder Funds would operate in                        22. Applicants assert that no useful
                                              3(c)(7) of the Act in excess of the limits              compliance with all other provisions of               purpose would be served by prohibiting
                                              contained in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the                 section 12(d)(1)(E).                                  such affiliated persons from making ‘‘in-
                                              Act, except to the extent permitted by                                                                        kind’’ purchases or ‘‘in-kind’’
                                                                                                      Sections 17(a)(1) and (2) of the Act                  redemptions of Shares of a Fund in
                                              exemptive relief from the Commission
                                              permitting the Fund, or its respective                     20. Sections 17(a)(1) and (2) of the Act           Creation Units. Both the deposit
                                              Master Fund, to purchase shares of                      generally prohibit an affiliated person of            procedures for ‘‘in-kind’’ purchases of
                                              other investment companies for short-                   a registered investment company, or an                Creation Units and the redemption
                                              term cash management purposes or                        affiliated person of such a person, from              procedures for ‘‘in-kind’’ redemptions of
                                              pursuant to the Master-Feeder Relief. To                selling any security to or purchasing any             Creation Units will be effected in
                                              ensure a Fund of Funds is aware of the                  security from the company. Section                    exactly the same manner for all
                                              terms and conditions of the requested                   2(a)(3) of the Act defines ‘‘affiliated               purchases and redemptions, regardless
                                              order, the Fund of Funds will enter into                person’’ of another person to include (a)             of size or number. There will be no
                                              an agreement with the Fund (‘‘FOF                       any person directly or indirectly                     discrimination between purchasers or
                                              Participation Agreement’’). The FOF                     owning, controlling or holding with                   redeemers. Deposit Instruments and
                                              Participation Agreement will include an                 power to vote 5% or more of the                       Redemption Instruments for each Fund
                                              acknowledgement from the Fund of                        outstanding voting securities of the                  will be valued in the identical manner
                                              Funds that it may rely on the order only                other person, (b) any person 5% or more               as those Portfolio Holdings currently
                                              to invest in the Funds and not in any                   of whose outstanding voting securities                held by such Fund and the valuation of
                                              other investment company.                               are directly or indirectly owned,                     the Deposit Instruments and
                                                 18. Applicants also note that a Fund                 controlled or held with the power to                  Redemption Instruments will be made
                                              may choose to reject a direct purchase                  vote by the other person, and (c) any                 in an identical manner regardless of the
                                              of Shares in Creation Units by a Fund                   person directly or indirectly controlling,            identity of the purchaser or redeemer.
                                              of Funds. To the extent that a Fund of                  controlled by or under common control                 Applicants do not believe that ‘‘in-kind’’
                                              Funds purchases Shares in the                           with the other person. Section 2(a)(9) of             purchases and redemptions will result
                                              secondary market, a Fund would still                    the Act defines ‘‘control’’ as the power              in abusive self-dealing or overreaching,
                                              retain its ability to reject any initial                to exercise a controlling influence over              but rather assert that such procedures
                                              investment by a Fund of Funds in                        the management or policies of a                       will be implemented consistently with
                                              excess of the limits of section                         company, and provides that a control                  each Fund’s objectives and with the
                                              12(d)(1)(A) by declining to enter into a                relationship will be presumed where                   general purposes of the Act. Applicants
                                              FOF Participation Agreement with the                    one person owns more than 25% of a                    believe that ‘‘in-kind’’ purchases and
                                              Fund of Funds.                                          company’s voting securities. The Funds                redemptions will be made on terms
                                                 19. Applicants also are seeking the                  may be deemed to be controlled by an                  reasonable to applicants and any
                                              Master-Feeder Relief to permit the                      Adviser or an entity controlling,                     affiliated persons because they will be
                                              Feeder Funds to perform creations and                   controlled by or under common control                 valued pursuant to verifiable objective
                                              redemptions of Shares in-kind in a                      with an Adviser and hence affiliated                  standards. The method of valuing
                                              master-feeder structure. Applicants                     persons of each other. In addition, the               Portfolio Holdings held by a Fund is
                                              assert that this structure is substantially             Funds may be deemed to be under                       identical to that used for calculating
                                              identical to traditional master-feeder                  common control with any other                         ‘‘in-kind’’ purchase or redemption
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                                              structures permitted pursuant to the                    registered investment company (or                     values and therefore creates no
                                              exception provided in section                           series thereof) advised by an Adviser or              opportunity for affiliated persons or
                                              12(d)(1)(E) of the Act. Section                         an entity controlling, controlled by or               Second-Tier Affiliates of applicants to
                                                                                                      under common control with an Adviser                  effect a transaction detrimental to the
                                                28 Any references to NASD Conduct Rule 2830           (an ‘‘Affiliated Fund’’). Any investor,               other holders of Shares of that Fund.
                                              include any successor or replacement FINRA rule         including Market Makers, owning 5% or                 Similarly, applicants submit that, by
                                              to NASD Conduct Rule 2830.                              holding in excess of 25% of the Trust or              using the same standards for valuing


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                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices                                          61877

                                              Portfolio Holdings held by a Fund as are                with the general purposes of the Act and              describes the purchase or sale of
                                              used for calculating ‘‘in-kind’’                        are appropriate in the public interest.               Creation Units or refers to redeemability
                                              redemptions or purchases, the Fund                         24. To the extent that a Fund operates             will prominently disclose that Shares
                                              will ensure that its NAV will not be                    in a master-feeder structure, applicants              are not individually redeemable and
                                              adversely affected by such securities                   also request relief permitting the Feeder             that owners of Shares may acquire those
                                              transactions. Applicants also note that                 Funds to engage in in-kind creations                  Shares from the Fund and tender those
                                              the ability to take deposits and make                   and redemptions with the applicable                   Shares for redemption to a Fund in
                                              redemptions ‘‘in-kind’’ will help each                  Master Fund. Applicants state that the                Creation Units only.
                                              Fund to track closely its Underlying                    customary section 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2)                  4. Each Fund’s Web site, which is and
                                              Index and therefore aid in achieving the                relief would not be sufficient to permit              will be publicly accessible at no charge,
                                              Fund’s objectives.                                      such transactions because the Feeder                  will contain, on a per Share basis for the
                                                                                                      Funds and the applicable Master Fund                  Fund, the prior Business Day’s NAV and
                                                 23. Applicants also seek relief under                could also be affiliated by virtue of                 the market closing price or the midpoint
                                              sections 6(c) and 17(b) from section                    having the same investment adviser.                   of the bid/ask spread at the time of the
                                              17(a) to permit a Fund that is an                       However, applicants believe that in-                  calculation of such NAV (‘‘Bid/Ask
                                              affiliated person, or an affiliated person              kind creations and redemptions                        Price’’), and a calculation of the
                                              of an affiliated person, of a Fund of                   between a Feeder Fund and a Master                    premium or discount of the market
                                              Funds to sell its Shares to and redeem                  Fund advised by the same investment                   closing price or Bid/Ask Price against
                                              its Shares from a Fund of Funds, and to                 adviser do not involve ‘‘overreaching’’               such NAV.
                                              engage in the accompanying in-kind                      by an affiliated person. Such                            5. Each Self-Indexing, Long/Short and
                                              transactions with the Fund of Funds.29                  transactions will occur only at the                   130/30 Fund will post on its Web site
                                              Applicants state that the terms of the                  Feeder Fund’s proportionate share of                  on each Business Day, before
                                              transactions are fair and reasonable and                the Master Fund’s net assets, and the                 commencement of trading of Shares on
                                              do not involve overreaching. Applicants                 distributed securities will be valued in              the Exchange, the Fund’s, or its
                                              note that any consideration paid by a                   the same manner as they are valued for                respective Master Fund’s, Portfolio
                                              Fund of Funds for the purchase or                       the purposes of calculating the                       Holdings.
                                              redemption of Shares directly from a                    applicable Master Fund’s NAV. Further,                   6. Neither Adviser nor any Sub-
                                              Fund will be based on the NAV of the                    all such transactions will be effected                Adviser to a Self-Indexing Fund,
                                              Fund.30 Applicants believe that any                     with respect to pre-determined                        directly or indirectly, will cause any
                                              proposed transactions directly between                  securities and on the same terms with                 Authorized Participant (or any investor
                                              the Funds and Funds of Funds will be                    respect to all investors. Finally, such               on whose behalf an Authorized
                                              consistent with the policies of each                    transaction would only occur as a result              Participant may transact with the Self-
                                              Fund of Funds. The purchase of                          of, and to effectuate, a creation or                  Indexing Fund) to acquire any Deposit
                                                                                                      redemption transaction between the                    Instrument for a Self-Indexing Fund, or
                                              Creation Units by a Fund of Funds
                                                                                                      Feeder Fund and a third-party investor.               its respective Master Fund, through a
                                              directly from a Fund will be
                                                                                                      Applicants believe that the terms of the              transaction in which the Self-Indexing
                                              accomplished in accordance with the
                                                                                                      proposed transactions are reasonable                  Fund, or its respective Master Fund,
                                              investment restrictions of any such
                                                                                                      and fair and do not involve                           could not engage directly.
                                              Fund of Funds and will be consistent
                                              with the investment policies set forth in               overreaching on the part of any person                B. Section 12(d)(1) Relief
                                              the Fund of Funds’ registration                         concerned, the proposed transactions
                                                                                                                                                               1. The members of a Fund of Funds’
                                              statement. Applicants also state that the               are consistent with the policy of each                Advisory Group will not control
                                              proposed transactions are consistent                    Fund and will be consistent with the                  (individually or in the aggregate) a
                                                                                                      investment objectives and policies of                 Fund, or its respective Master Fund,
                                                 29 Although applicants believe that most Funds of    each Fund of Funds, and the proposed                  within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of
                                              Funds will purchase Shares in the secondary             transactions are consistent with the                  the Act. The members of a Fund of
                                              market and will not purchase Creation Units             general purposes of the Act.                          Funds’ Sub-Advisory Group will not
                                              directly from a Fund, a Fund of Funds might seek
                                              to transact in Creation Units directly with a Fund      Applicants’ Conditions                                control (individually or in the aggregate)
                                              that is an affiliated person of a Fund of Funds. To
                                                                                                        Applicants agree that any order of the              a Fund, or its respective Master Fund,
                                              the extent that purchases and sales of Shares occur                                                           within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of
                                              in the secondary market and not through principal       Commission granting the requested
                                              transactions directly between a Fund of Funds and       relief will be subject to the following               the Act. If, as a result of a decrease in
                                              a Fund, relief from section 17(a) would not be          conditions:                                           the outstanding voting securities of a
                                              necessary. However, the requested relief would                                                                Fund, the Fund of Funds’ Advisory
                                              apply to direct sales of Shares in Creation Units by    A. ETF Relief                                         Group or the Fund of Funds’ Sub-
                                              a Fund to a Fund of Funds and redemptions of
                                              those Shares. Applicants are not seeking relief from       1. The requested relief, other than the            Advisory Group, each in the aggregate,
                                              section 17(a) for, and the requested relief will not    section 12(d)(1) Relief and the section               becomes a holder of more than 25
                                              apply to, transactions where a Fund could be            17 relief related to a master-feeder                  percent of the outstanding voting
                                              deemed an affiliated person, or an affiliated person                                                          securities of a Fund, it will vote its
                                              of an affiliated person of a Fund of Funds because      structure, will expire on the effective
                                              an Adviser or an entity controlling, controlled by      date of any Commission rule under the                 Shares of the Fund in the same
                                              or under common control with an Adviser provides        Act that provides relief permitting the               proportion as the vote of all other
                                              investment advisory services to that Fund of Funds.     operation of index-based ETFs.                        holders of the Fund’s Shares. This
                                                 30 Applicants acknowledge that the receipt of
                                                                                                         2. As long as a Fund operates in                   condition does not apply to the Fund of
                                              compensation by (a) an affiliated person of a Fund
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                                              of Funds, or an affiliated person of such person, for   reliance on the requested order, the                  Funds’ Sub-Advisory Group with
                                              the purchase by the Fund of Funds of Shares of a        Shares of such Fund will be listed on an              respect to a Fund, or its respective
                                              Fund or (b) an affiliated person of a Fund, or an       Exchange.                                             Master Fund, for which the Fund of
                                              affiliated person of such person, for the sale by the      3. Neither the Trust nor any Fund will             Funds’ Sub-Adviser or a person
                                              Fund of its Shares to a Fund of Funds, may be
                                              prohibited by section 17(e)(1) of the Act. The FOF
                                                                                                      be advertised or marketed as an open-                 controlling, controlled by or under
                                              Participation Agreement also will include this          end investment company or a mutual                    common control with the Fund of
                                              acknowledgment.                                         fund. Any advertising material that                   Funds’ Sub-Adviser acts as the


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                                              61878                     Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices

                                              investment adviser within the meaning                   Investing Trust, or an affiliated person              respective Master Fund, in Affiliated
                                              of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the Act.                      of the Fund of Funds Adviser, or trustee              Underwritings and the amount
                                                 2. No Fund of Funds or Fund of                       or Sponsor of the Investing Trust, other              purchased directly from an
                                              Funds Affiliate will cause any existing                 than any advisory fees paid to the Fund               Underwriting Affiliate have changed
                                              or potential investment by the Fund of                  of Funds Adviser, trustee or Sponsor of               significantly from prior years. The
                                              Funds in a Fund to influence the terms                  an Investing Trust, or its affiliated                 Board will take any appropriate actions
                                              of any services or transactions between                 person by the Fund, or its respective                 based on its review, including, if
                                              the Fund of Funds or Fund of Funds                      Master Fund, in connection with the                   appropriate, the institution of
                                              Affiliate and the Fund, or its respective               investment by the Fund of Funds in the                procedures designed to ensure that
                                              Master Fund, or a Fund Affiliate.                       Fund. Any Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser                   purchases of securities in Affiliated
                                                 3. The board of directors or trustees of             will waive fees otherwise payable to the              Underwritings are in the best interest of
                                              an Investing Management Company,                        Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, directly or                shareholders of the Fund.
                                              including a majority of the disinterested               indirectly, by the Investing Management                  8. Each Fund, or its respective Master
                                              directors or trustees, will adopt                       Company in an amount at least equal to                Fund, will maintain and preserve
                                              procedures reasonably designed to                       any compensation received from a                      permanently in an easily accessible
                                              ensure that the Fund of Funds Adviser                   Fund, or its respective Master Fund, by               place a written copy of the procedures
                                              and Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser are                       the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, or an                  described in the preceding condition,
                                              conducting the investment program of                    affiliated person of the Fund of Funds                and any modifications to such
                                              the Investing Management Company                        Sub-Adviser, other than any advisory                  procedures, and will maintain and
                                              without taking into account any                         fees paid to the Fund of Funds Sub-                   preserve for a period of not less than six
                                              consideration received by the Investing                 Adviser or its affiliated person by the               years from the end of the fiscal year in
                                              Management Company or a Fund of                         Fund, or its respective Master Fund, in               which any purchase in an Affiliated
                                              Funds Affiliate from a Fund, or its                     connection with the investment by the                 Underwriting occurred, the first two
                                              respective Master Fund, or Fund                         Investing Management Company in the                   years in an easily accessible place, a
                                              Affiliate in connection with any services               Fund made at the direction of the Fund                written record of each purchase of
                                              or transactions.                                        of Funds Sub-Adviser. In the event that               securities in Affiliated Underwritings
                                                 4. Once an investment by a Fund of                   the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser waives                  once an investment by a Fund of Funds
                                              Funds in the securities of a Fund                       fees, the benefit of the waiver will be               in the securities of the Fund exceeds the
                                              exceeds the limits in section                           passed through to the Investing                       limit of section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act,
                                              12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, the Board of                 Management Company.                                   setting forth from whom the securities
                                              the Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                   6. No Fund of Funds or Fund of                     were acquired, the identity of the
                                              including a majority of the directors or                Funds Affiliate (except to the extent it              underwriting syndicate’s members, the
                                              trustees who are not ‘‘interested                       is acting in its capacity as an investment            terms of the purchase, and the
                                              persons’’ within the meaning of section                 adviser to a Fund) will cause a Fund, or              information or materials upon which
                                              2(a)(19) of the Act (‘‘non-interested                   its respective Master Fund, to purchase               the Board’s determinations were made.
                                              Board members’’), will determine that                   a security in any Affiliated                             9. Before investing in a Fund in
                                              any consideration paid by the Fund, or                  Underwriting.                                         excess of the limit in section
                                              its respective Master Fund, to the Fund                    7. The Board of a Fund, or its                     12(d)(1)(A), a Fund of Funds and the
                                              of Funds or a Fund of Funds Affiliate                   respective Master Fund, including a                   Trust will execute a FOF Participation
                                              in connection with any services or                      majority of the non-interested Board                  Agreement stating without limitation
                                              transactions: (i) Is fair and reasonable in             members, will adopt procedures                        that their respective boards of directors
                                              relation to the nature and quality of the               reasonably designed to monitor any                    or trustees and their investment
                                              services and benefits received by the                   purchases of securities by a Fund, or its             advisers, or trustee and Sponsor, as
                                              Fund, or its respective Master Fund; (ii)               respective Master Fund, in an Affiliated              applicable, understand the terms and
                                              is within the range of consideration that               Underwriting, once an investment by a                 conditions of the order, and agree to
                                              the Fund would be required to pay to                    Fund of Funds in the securities of the                fulfill their responsibilities under the
                                              another unaffiliated entity in connection               Fund exceeds the limit of section                     order. At the time of its investment in
                                              with the same services or transactions;                 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, including any              Shares of a Fund in excess of the limit
                                              and (iii) does not involve overreaching                 purchases made directly from an                       in section 12(d)(1)(A)(i), a Fund of
                                              on the part of any person concerned.                    Underwriting Affiliate. The Board will                Funds will notify the Fund of the
                                              This condition does not apply with                      review these purchases periodically, but              investment. At such time, the Fund of
                                              respect to any services or transactions                 no less frequently than annually, to                  Funds will also transmit to the Fund a
                                              between a Fund, or its respective Master                determine whether the purchases were                  list of the names of each Fund of Funds
                                              Fund, and its investment adviser(s), or                 influenced by the investment by the                   Affiliate and Underwriting Affiliate. The
                                              any person controlling, controlled by or                Fund of Funds in the Fund. The Board                  Fund of Funds will notify the Fund of
                                              under common control with such                          will consider, among other things: (i)                any changes to the list of the names as
                                              investment adviser(s).                                  Whether the purchases were consistent                 soon as reasonably practicable after a
                                                 5. The Fund of Funds Adviser, or                     with the investment objectives and                    change occurs. The Fund and the Fund
                                              trustee or Sponsor of an Investing Trust,               policies of the Fund, or its respective               of Funds will maintain and preserve a
                                              as applicable, will waive fees otherwise                Master Fund; (ii) how the performance                 copy of the order, the FOF Participation
                                              payable to it by the Fund of Funds in                   of securities purchased in an Affiliated              Agreement, and the list with any
                                              an amount at least equal to any                         Underwriting compares to the                          updated information for the duration of
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                                              compensation (including fees received                   performance of comparable securities                  the investment and for a period of not
                                              pursuant to any plan adopted by a                       purchased during a comparable period                  less than six years thereafter, the first
                                              Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                    of time in underwritings other than                   two years in an easily accessible place.
                                              under rule 12b–l under the Act)                         Affiliated Underwritings or to a                         10. Before approving any advisory
                                              received from a Fund, or its respective                 benchmark such as a comparable market                 contract under section 15 of the Act, the
                                              Master Fund, by the Fund of Funds                       index; and (iii) whether the amount of                board of directors or trustees of each
                                              Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor of the                   securities purchased by the Fund, or its              Investing Management Company


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                                                                           Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 198 / Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Notices                                                   61879

                                              including a majority of the disinterested                  Commission (‘‘Commission’’) the                        newspaper, magazine or other
                                              directors or trustees, will find that the                  proposed rule change as described in                   periodical, radio, or television program
                                              advisory fees charged under such                           Items I and II below, which Items have                 of any matter that has, or is intended to
                                              contract are based on services provided                    been substantially prepared by the                     have, an effect upon the market price of
                                              that will be in addition to, rather than                   Exchange. The Exchange has designated                  any security.’’ The Exchange proposes
                                              duplicative of, the services provided                      this proposal as a ‘‘non-controversial’’               to amend paragraph (a) by replacing the
                                              under the advisory contract(s) of any                      proposed rule change pursuant to                       term ‘‘Web site’’ with ‘‘Web site’’.
                                              Fund, or its respective Master Fund, in                    section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act 3 and Rule                 Rule 3.13(b) sets forth exceptions to
                                              which the Investing Management                             19b–4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder,4 which                    the prohibitions under paragraph (a) set
                                              Company may invest. These findings                         renders it effective upon filing with the              forth above. These exceptions allow for
                                              and their basis will be fully recorded in                  Commission. The Commission is                          compensation paid to a person in
                                              the minute books of the appropriate                        publishing this notice to solicit                      connection with the publication or
                                              Investing Management Company.                              comments on the proposed rule change                   circulation of: (i) A communication that
                                                 11. Any sales charges and/or service                    from interested persons.                               is clearly distinguishable as paid
                                              fees charged with respect to shares of a                                                                          advertising; (ii) a communication that
                                              Fund of Funds will not exceed the                          I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                                                                         Statement of the Terms of Substance of                 discloses the receipt of compensation
                                              limits applicable to a fund of funds as                                                                           and the amount thereof in accordance
                                              set forth in NASD Conduct Rule 2830.                       the Proposed Rule Change
                                                                                                                                                                with Section 17(b) of the Securities Act
                                                 12. No Fund, or its respective Master                      The Exchange filed a proposal to                    of 1933; or (iii) a research report, as that
                                              Fund, will acquire securities of any                       amend EDGX Rule 3.13 to update                         term is defined in NASD Rule 2711.
                                              other investment company or company                        references to recently amended FINRA                   Rule 3.13 also states that FINRA is in
                                              relying on section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of                   rules and make a ministerial, non-                     the process of consolidating certain
                                              the Act in excess of the limits contained                  substantive change. The text of the                    NASD rules into a new FINRA rulebook.
                                              in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act, except                  proposed rule change is available at the               This provision also states that ‘‘[i]f the
                                              to the extent (i) the Fund, or its                         Exchange’s Web site at                                 provisions of NASD Rule 2711 are
                                              respective Master Fund, acquires                           www.batstrading.com, at the principal                  transferred into the FINRA rulebook,
                                              securities of another investment                           office of the Exchange, and at the                     then Rule 2711 shall be construed to
                                              company pursuant to exemptive relief                       Commission’s Public Reference Room.                    require Exchange members to comply
                                              from the Commission permitting the                                                                                with FINRA rule corresponding to
                                                                                                         II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                              Fund, or its respective Master Fund, to                                                                           NASD Rule 2711 (regardless of whether
                                                                                                         Statement of the Purpose of, and
                                              acquire securities of one or more                                                                                 such rule is renumbered or amended) as
                                                                                                         Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
                                              investment companies for short-term                                                                               if such rule were part of the Rules of the
                                                                                                         Change
                                              cash management purposes or (ii) the                                                                              Exchange.’’
                                              Fund acquires securities of the Master                        In its filing with the Commission, the
                                                                                                         Exchange included statements                              The Commission recently approved a
                                              Fund pursuant to the Master-Feeder                                                                                proposed rule change by FINRA to
                                              Relief.                                                    concerning the purpose of, and basis for,
                                                                                                         the proposed rule change and discussed                 transfer NASD Rule 2711 to the FINRA
                                                For the Commission, by the Division of                                                                          rulebook and redesignate it as FINRA
                                              Investment Management, under delegated                     any comments it received on the
                                                                                                         proposed rule change. The text of these                Rule 2241.5 This was proposed as part
                                              authority.                                                                                                        of FIRNA’s process of consolidating
                                              Robert W. Errett,                                          statements may be examined at the
                                                                                                         places specified in Item IV below. The                 certain NASD rules into the new FINRA
                                              Deputy Secretary.                                                                                                 rulebook. To reflect the approval of this
                                                                                                         Exchange has prepared summaries, set
                                              [FR Doc. 2015–26030 Filed 10–13–15; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                         forth in sections A, B, and C below, of                recent FINRA proposed rule change, the
                                              BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
                                                                                                         the most significant parts of such                     Exchange proposes to replace the
                                                                                                         statements.                                            reference to NASD Rule 2711 with
                                                                                                                                                                FINRA 2241 under paragraph (b)(3). The
                                              SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE                                    A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                      Exchange also proposes to delete the
                                              COMMISSION                                                 Statement of the Purpose of, and                       provision within Rule 3.13 referencing
                                              [Release No. 34–76091; File No. SR–EDGX–
                                                                                                         Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule                 the transferring of NASD Rule 2711 to
                                              2015–43]                                                   Change                                                 the FINRA rulebook as NASD Rule 2711
                                                                                                         1. Purpose                                             was transferred to the FINRA rule book
                                              Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX                                                                               as Rule 2241 (described above), as no
                                              Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and                          The Exchange proposes to amend                      longer necessary.
                                              Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed                      Rule 3.13 to update references to a
                                              Rule Change To Amend Rule 3.13                             recently amended FINRA rule and make                   2. Statutory Basis
                                              (Payments Involving Publications that                      a ministerial, non-substantive change.                    The Exchange believes that proposed
                                              Influence the Market Price of a                            Rule 3.13(a) prohibits Exchange                        rule change is consistent with section
                                              Security)                                                  members from ‘‘directly or indirectly,                 6(b)(5) of the Act,6 which requires,
                                                                                                         giv[ing], permit[ting] to be given, or                 among other things, that the Exchange’s
                                              October 7, 2015.                                           offer[ing] to give anything of value to                rules be designed to prevent fraudulent
                                                 Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the                     any person for the purpose of                          and manipulative acts and practices, to
                                              Securities Exchange Act of 1934                            influencing or rewarding the action of                 promote just and equitable principles of
                                              (‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2                    such person in connection with the                     trade, to foster cooperation and
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                              notice is hereby given that on                             publication or circulation in any                      coordination with persons engaged in
                                              September 23, 2015, EDGX Exchange,                         electronic or other public media,                      facilitating transactions in securities,
                                              Inc. (‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘EDGX’’) filed with                 including any investment service or
                                              the Securities and Exchange                                similar publication, Web site,                           5 See Exchange Act Release No. 75471 (July 16,

                                                                                                                                                                2015), 80 FR 43482 (July 22, 2015) (SR–FINRA–
                                                1 15   U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).                                   3 15   U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).                          2014–047).
                                                2 17   CFR 240.19b–4.                                      4 17   CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6)(iii).                       6 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).




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Document Created: 2018-02-27 08:50:28
Document Modified: 2018-02-27 08:50:28
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 for an order under section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the ``Act'') for an exemption from sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d), and 22(e) of the Act and rule 22c-1 under the Act, under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act, and under section 12(d)(1)(J) for an exemption from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act.
DatesFiling Dates: The application was filed on June 3, 2015, and amended on September 16, 2015.
ContactElizabeth G. Miller, Senior Counsel at (202) 551-8707, or Holly L. Hunter-Ceci, Branch Chief, at (202) 551- 6825 (Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel's Office).
FR Citation80 FR 61869 

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