81_FR_20767 81 FR 20699 - Madison ETF Trust and Madison ETF Advisers, LLC; Notice of Application

81 FR 20699 - Madison ETF Trust and Madison ETF Advisers, LLC; Notice of Application

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 68 (April 8, 2016)

Page Range20699-20709
FR Document2016-08047

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 68 (Friday, April 8, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 68 (Friday, April 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20699-20709]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08047]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Investment Company Act Release No. 32065; 812-14528]


Madison ETF Trust and Madison ETF Advisers, LLC; Notice of 
Application

April 4, 2016.
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 
exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act, and under 
section 12(d)(1)(J) for an exemption from

[[Page 20700]]

sections 12(d)(1)(A) and 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act.

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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:  Madison ETF Trust (``Trust'') and Madison ETF Advisers, 
LLC (``Initial Adviser'').

Filing Dates:  The application was filed on August 4, 2015, and amended 
on December 11, 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 April 29, 2016, 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:  Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street 
NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090; Applicants: 1209 Orange Street, 
Wilmington, DE 19801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Courtney S. Thornton, Senior Counsel, 
at (202) 551-6812, or Mary Kay Frech, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6821 
(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. The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust that will register under 
the Act as a series open-end management investment company. The Trust 
will offer a number of Funds (as defined below), each tracking a 
particular index and utilizing either a replication or representative 
sampling strategy. Applicants currently expect that the Trust's initial 
series will be the Madison Gold Miners ETF (the ``Initial Fund''). The 
Underlying Index (as defined below) for the Initial Fund is currently 
expected to be the Solactive Global Pure Gold Miners Index. Each Fund 
will operate as an exchange traded fund (``ETF'').
    2. The Initial Adviser, a Delaware limited liability company, will 
be the investment adviser to the Initial Fund. The Initial Adviser is, 
and any other Adviser (as defined below) will be, registered as an 
investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 
(``Advisers Act''). The Adviser may enter into sub-advisory agreements 
with one or more investment advisers to act as sub-advisers (each, a 
``Sub-Adviser'') to particular Funds, or their respective Master Fund 
(as defined below). Any Sub-Adviser will either be registered under the 
Advisers Act or will not be required to register thereunder.
    3. The Trust will enter into a distribution agreement with one or 
more distributors. Each distributor will be a broker-dealer 
(``Broker'') registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Exchange Act'') and will act as distributor and principal 
underwriter (``Distributor'') of one or more of the Funds. No 
Distributor will be affiliated with any Exchange (as defined below), 
and each Distributor will comply with the terms and conditions of the 
application. The Distributor of a Fund may be an affiliated person or 
an affiliated person of an affiliated person of that Fund's Adviser 
and/or Sub-Advisers.
    4. Applicants request that the order apply to the Initial Fund and 
any additional series of the Trust and any other existing or future 
open-end management investment company or existing or future series 
thereof (``Future Fund'' and together with the Initial Fund, 
``Funds''), that operate as ETFs, and their respective existing or 
future Master Funds, and will track a specified index comprised of 
domestic or foreign equity and/or fixed income securities (each, an 
``Underlying Index''). Each 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.\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 the 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 
(``Feeder Fund'') in a master-feeder structure. Applicants request that 
the order permit a Feeder Fund to acquire shares of a master fund 
(``Master Fund''), which will be another registered investment company 
in the same group of investment companies having substantially the same 
investment objectives as the Feeder 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 of trustees (``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 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, assets or other positions (``Portfolio Holdings'') selected 
to correspond generally to the performance of its Underlying Index. 
Certain Funds will be based on Underlying Indexes 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 20701]]

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''), or, in the case of Fixed 
Income Funds,\3\ in the Component Securities of its respective 
Underlying Index and TBA Transactions \4\ representing Component 
Securities and, in the case of Foreign Funds, Component Securities and 
Depositary Receipts \5\ representing Component Securities.\6\ Each 
Fund, or its respective Master Fund, may also invest up to 20% of its 
assets (``20% Asset Basket'') 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 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\ ``Fixed-Income Funds'' track an Underlying Index comprised 
of domestic and/or foreign fixed income securities.
    \4\ 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.
    \5\ 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, except a depositary bank that 
is deemed to be affiliated solely because a Fund owns greater than 
5% of the outstanding voting securities of such depositary bank.
    \6\ With respect to a Fund, or its respective Master Fund, that 
invests in a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary (defined below), the Fund, or 
its respective Master Fund, will look through the Wholly-Owned 
Subsidiary to determine whether certain assets fall within the 20% 
Asset Basket (as defined below).
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    8. The Trust may offer Funds that 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 \7\ 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 (as defined below), for each 
Long/Short Fund and 130/30 Fund, the Adviser will provide full 
portfolio transparency on the Fund's publicly available Web site 
(``Website'') by making available the Fund's, or its respective Master 
Fund's, Portfolio Holdings before the commencement of trading of Shares 
on the Listing Exchange (defined below).\8\ The information provided on 
the Web site will be formatted to be reader-friendly.
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    \7\ Underlying Indexes that include both long and short 
positions in securities are referred to as ``Long/Short Indexes.''
    \8\ 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. This disclosure will look through any 
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary and identify the specific Portfolio Holdings 
held by that entity.
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    9. A Fund will utilize either a replication or representative 
sampling strategy to track its Underlying Index. A 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 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 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 each Fund, or its respective Master Fund, will 
have an annual tracking error relative to the performance of its 
Underlying Index of less than 5%.
    10. The Initial Funds are, and any Future 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 Adviser, which will have a licensing agreement with such Index 
Provider.\9\ A ``Self-Indexing Fund'' is a Fund for which an affiliated 
person, as defined in section 2(a)(3) of the Act, or an affiliated 
person of such person, of the Trust or a Fund, of the Adviser, of any 
Sub-Adviser to or promoter of a Fund, or of the Distributor (each, an 
``Affiliated Index Provider'') \10\ 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'').\11\ Except with respect to the 
Self-Indexing Funds, no Index Provider is or will be an affiliated 
person, or an affiliated person of an affiliated person, of the Trust 
or a Fund, of the Adviser, of any Sub-Adviser to or promoter of a Fund, 
or of the Distributor.
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    \9\ The licenses for the Self-Indexing Funds will specifically 
state that the Affiliated Index Provider (as defined below), or in 
case of a sub-licensing agreement, the Adviser, must provide the use 
of the Affiliated Indexes (as defined below) and related 
intellectual property at no cost to the Trust and the Self-Indexing 
Funds.
    \10\ In the event that an Adviser serves as the Affiliated Index 
Provider for a Self-Indexing Fund, the terms ``Affiliated Index 
Provider'' or ``Index Provider,'' with respect to that Self-Indexing 
Fund, will refer to the employees of the Adviser that are 
responsible for creating, compiling and maintaining the relevant 
Underlying Index.
    \11\ The Affiliated Indexes may be made available to registered 
investment companies, as well as separately managed accounts of 
institutional investors, foreign investment companies, 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, foreign investment companies, 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 track 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 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

[[Page 20702]]

the time that information is publicly disseminated.
    12. Applicants propose that each day that the Trust, 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 held by the Fund, 
or its respective Master Fund, that will form the basis for the Fund's 
calculation of its NAV at the end of the Business Day.\12\ Applicants 
believe that requiring Self-Indexing Funds to maintain full portfolio 
transparency will also provide an additional mechanism for addressing 
any such potential conflicts of interest.
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    \12\ This disclosure will look through any Wholly-Owned 
Subsidiary and identify the specific Portfolio Holdings held by that 
entity.
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    13. In addition, applicants do not believe the potential for 
conflicts of interest raised by the Adviser's use of the Underlying 
Indexes in connection with the management of the Self-Indexing 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.\13\
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    \13\ 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. The Adviser and any Sub-Adviser has adopted or will adopt, 
pursuant to rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act, written policies and 
procedures reasonably 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 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 Initial Adviser or an associated 
person (``Inside Information Policy''). Any other Adviser or Sub-
Adviser will be required to adopt and maintain a similar Inside 
Information Policy. In accordance with the Code of Ethics (as defined 
below) \14\ and Inside Information Policy of each Adviser and Sub-
Adviser, personnel of those entities with knowledge about the 
composition of the Portfolio Deposit \15\ 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. The 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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    \14\ The Initial Adviser has adopted (and any other Adviser has 
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'').
    \15\ 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 transact with an 
affiliated person of the 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 
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, the 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 the 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'').\16\ 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) \17\ 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; \18\ (c) 
TBA Transactions, short positions, derivatives and other positions that 
cannot be transferred in kind \19\ will be excluded from the Deposit 
Instruments and the Redemption Instruments; \20\ (d) to the extent the 
Fund determines, on a given Business Day, to use a representative 
sampling of the Fund's portfolio; \21\ or (e) for temporary periods,

[[Page 20703]]

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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    \16\ 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.
    \17\ The portfolio used for this purpose will be the same 
portfolio used to calculate the Fund's NAV for the Business Day.
    \18\ A tradeable round lot for a security will be the standard 
unit of trading in that particular type of security in its primary 
market.
    \19\ 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.
    \20\ 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).
    \21\ 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 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; \22\ (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.\23\
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    \22\ 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.
    \23\ 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 10,000 Shares), and it is expected that the 
initial trading price per individual Share will range from $10 to $100. 
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 or other participant in 
the Continuous Net Settlement System of the 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 that 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, or other widely 
disseminated means, 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.\24\ 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.\25\ 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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    \24\ 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.
    \25\ 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. The 
price 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.

[[Page 20704]]

    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.\26\ 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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    \26\ 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 the Fund, in Creation Units only. To redeem, an 
investor must accumulate enough Shares to constitute a Creation Unit. 
Redemption requests must be placed through an Authorized Participant. A 
redeeming investor may 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 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) of the Act for an exemption from sections 
12(d)(1)(A) and (B) 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.\27\ 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.
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    \27\ 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.\28\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ The Master Funds will not require relief from section 22(d) 
or rule 22c-1 because shares of the Master Funds will not trade at 
negotiated prices in the secondary market.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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

[[Page 20705]]

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 
underlying foreign Portfolio Holdings 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. Accordingly, with respect to Foreign 
Funds only, applicants hereby request relief under section 6(c) from 
the requirement imposed by section 22(e) to allow Foreign Funds to pay 
redemption proceeds within fifteen calendar days following the tender 
of Creation Units for redemption.\29\
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    \29\ 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.\30\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \30\ 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 Adviser, and 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 Fund of Funds Adviser will be 
registered under the Advisers Act. Any Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser will 
be registered under the Advisers Act or will not be required to 
register. 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.\31\ 
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, or its respective Master 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'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \31\ 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, or its respective Master 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, or their respective Master 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, or its respective Master 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

[[Page 20706]]

``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 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.\32\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \32\ 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, or 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 (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 purchase shares of other investment companies for 
short-term cash management purposes; (ii) the Fund acquires securities 
of the Master Fund pursuant to Master-Feeder Relief; or (iii) the Fund 
invests in a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary that is a wholly-owned and 
controlled subsidiary of the Fund (or its respective Master Fund).\33\ 
Further, no Wholly-Owned Subsidiary will acquire securities of any 
other investment company or company relying on section 3(c)(1) or 
3(c)(7) of the Act other than money market funds that comply with rule 
2a-7 for short-term cash management purposes. 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.
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    \33\ A Fund, or its respective Master Fund, may invest in a 
wholly-owned subsidiary, organized under the laws of the Cayman 
Islands as an exempted company or under the laws of another non-U.S. 
jurisdiction (each, a ``Wholly-Owned Subsidiary''), in order to 
pursue its investment objectives and/or ensure that the Fund remains 
qualified as a registered investment company for U.S. federal income 
tax purposes. Certain Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries may be investment 
companies or excluded from the definition of investment company by 
section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act. For a Fund, or its respective 
Master Fund, that invests in a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, the Adviser 
will serve as investment adviser to both the Fund, or its respective 
Master Fund, and the Wholly-Owned Subsidiary. A Feeder Fund will not 
invest in a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 the Adviser or 
an entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the 
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

[[Page 20707]]

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 an affiliated person 
of an affiliated person 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 an 
affiliated person of such affiliated person 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, or its 
respective Master 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 affiliated persons of 
affiliated persons 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 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.\34\ 
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.\35\ 
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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    \34\ 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.
    \35\ 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 to permit ETF operations, other than the 
Master-Feeder Relief, 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

[[Page 20708]]

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. The Web site, which is and will be publicly accessible at no 
charge, will contain, on a per Share basis for each 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 Fund, Long/Short Fund and 130/30 Fund will 
post on the 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. No Adviser or 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 the 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. Fund of Funds 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 
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-1 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, 
or 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 the 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)

[[Page 20709]]

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 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 an 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, (ii) 
the Fund acquires securities of the Master Fund pursuant to the Master-
Feeder Relief, or (iii) the Fund invests in a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary 
that is a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund (or its 
respective Master Fund) as described in the Application. Further, no 
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary will acquire securities of any other investment 
company or company relying on section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act 
other than money market funds that comply with rule 2a-7 for short-term 
cash management purposes.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, 
under delegated authority.
Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-08047 Filed 4-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P



                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices                                                20699

                                                  and perfect the mechanism of a free and                 intermarket competition for order flow                Commission process and review your
                                                  open market and a national market                       between the exchanges, but also                       comments more efficiently, please use
                                                  system, and, in general, to protect                     intramarket competition between                       only one method. The Commission will
                                                  investors and the public interest.                      market participants competing for                     post all comments on the Commission’s
                                                  Additionally, the Exchange believes the                 orders directly through the auction                   Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/
                                                  proposed rule change is consistent with                 process. Accordingly, the exchanges are               rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the
                                                  the Section 6(b)(5) 15 requirement that                 continuously making enhancements and                  submission, all subsequent
                                                  the rules of an exchange not be designed                adding functionalities to their price                 amendments, all written statements
                                                  to permit unfair discrimination between                 improvement mechanisms in order to                    with respect to the proposed rule
                                                  customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers.                provide more competitive marketplaces                 change that are filed with the
                                                    The proposed rule change seeks to                     for market participants and better                    Commission, and all written
                                                  provide additional clarity and                          compete with one another. A:AIR                       communications relating to the
                                                  completeness in the Rules regarding                     functionality is simply one of many                   proposed rule change between the
                                                  functionalities in use at the Exchange.                 enhancements that the Exchange has                    Commission and any person, other than
                                                  The Exchange is continuously updating                   made to AIM for this purpose.                         those that may be withheld from the
                                                  the Rules to provide additional detail,                                                                       public in accordance with the
                                                  clarity, and transparency regarding its                 C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                                                                                                                                provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be
                                                  operations and trading systems. The                     Statement on Comments on the
                                                                                                                                                                available for Web site viewing and
                                                  Exchange believes that the adoption of                  Proposed Rule Change Received From
                                                                                                                                                                printing in the Commission’s Public
                                                  detailed, clear, and transparent rules                  Members, Participants, or Others
                                                                                                                                                                Reference Room, 100 F Street NE.,
                                                  reduces burdens on competition and                        The Exchange neither solicited nor                  Washington, DC 20549 on official
                                                  promotes just and equitable principles                  received written comments on the                      business days between the hours of
                                                  of trade. The Exchange also believes that               proposed rule change.                                 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such
                                                  A:AIR functionality is valuable                                                                               filing also will be available for
                                                  enhancement to AIM, which provides                      III. Date of Effectiveness of the
                                                                                                          Proposed Rule Change and Timing for                   inspection and copying at the principal
                                                  the opportunity for execution of                                                                              office of the Exchange. All comments
                                                  customer orders that a TPH submitted                    Commission Action
                                                                                                                                                                received will be posted without change;
                                                  for crossing via AIM but cannot be                         Within 45 days of the date of                      the Commission does not edit personal
                                                  executed via AIM and helps prevent                      publication of this notice in the Federal             identifying information from
                                                  inadvertent mishandling of Agency                       Register or within such longer period                 submissions. You should submit only
                                                  Orders (i.e. customer orders) submitted                 up to 90 days (i) as the Commission may               information that you wish to make
                                                  for Auction. The Exchange believes that                 designate if it finds such longer period              available publicly. All submissions
                                                  these outcomes serve to protect                         to be appropriate and publishes its                   should refer to File Number SR–CBOE–
                                                  investors’ interests by helping to ensure               reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which            2016–024, and should be submitted on
                                                  that ineligible AIM Agency Orders are                   the Exchange consents, the Commission                 or before April 29, 2016.
                                                  processed rather than cancelled. In                     will:
                                                  addition, the Exchange believes that                       A. By order approve or disapprove                    For the Commission, by the Division of
                                                  price improvement mechanisms                                                                                  Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
                                                                                                          such proposed rule change, or
                                                                                                                                                                authority.16
                                                  promote competition amongst market                         B. institute proceedings to determine
                                                  participants and that enhancements to                   whether the proposed rule change                      Robert W. Errett,
                                                  such price improvement mechanisms                       should be disapproved.                                Deputy Secretary.
                                                  promote competition between                                                                                   [FR Doc. 2016–08045 Filed 4–7–16; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                          IV. Solicitation of Comments
                                                  exchanges. A:AIR functionality makes                                                                          BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
                                                  such mechanisms easier to use and                          Interested persons are invited to
                                                  minimizes the risk of order submitted                   submit written data, views, and
                                                  into AIM being mishandled. Thus, the                    arguments concerning the foregoing,                   SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
                                                  Exchange believes that the A:AIR                        including whether the proposed rule                   COMMISSION
                                                  functionality is an enhancement                         change, as modified by Amendment No.
                                                  consistent with the purposes of the Act.                2, is consistent with the Act. Comments               [Investment Company Act Release No.
                                                                                                          may be submitted by any of the                        32065; 812–14528]
                                                  B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                                                                          following methods:
                                                  Statement on Burden on Competition                                                                            Madison ETF Trust and Madison ETF
                                                    The Exchange does not believe that                    Electronic Comments                                   Advisers, LLC; Notice of Application
                                                  the proposed rule change will impose                      • Use the Commission’s Internet
                                                                                                                                                                April 4, 2016.
                                                  any burden on competition that is not                   comment form (http://www.sec.gov/
                                                  necessary or appropriate in furtherance                 rules/sro.shtml); or                                  AGENCY:    Securities and Exchange
                                                  of the purposes of the Act. The                           • Send an email to rule-comments@                   Commission (‘‘Commission’’).
                                                  Exchange notes that price improvement                   sec.gov. Please include File Number SR–               ACTION: Notice of an application for an
                                                  mechanisms are widely used across the                   CBOE–2016–024 on the subject line.                    order under section 6(c) of the
                                                  national options exchanges. The                                                                               Investment Company Act of 1940 (the
                                                                                                          Paper Comments                                        ‘‘Act’’) for an exemption from sections
                                                  exchanges have developed these
                                                                                                            • Send paper comments in triplicate                 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d), and 22(e) of the
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                  mechanisms in order to provide market
                                                  participants diverse opportunities to                   to Brent J. Fields, Secretary, Securities             Act and rule 22c–1 under the Act, under
                                                  seek valuable price improvement and as                  and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street                 sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an
                                                  a means to compete with one another                     NE., Washington, DC 20549–1090.                       exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and
                                                  for order flow. Such price improvement                  All submissions should refer to File                  17(a)(2) of the Act, and under section
                                                  mechanisms not only promote                             Number SR–CBOE–2016–024. This file                    12(d)(1)(J) for an exemption from
                                                                                                          number should be included on the
                                                    15 Id.                                                subject line if email is used. To help the              16 17   CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).



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                                                  20700                             Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices

                                                  sections 12(d)(1)(A) and 12(d)(1)(B) of                 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:    The                     and their respective existing or future
                                                  the Act.                                                following is a summary of the                         Master Funds, and will track a specified
                                                                                                          application. The complete application                 index comprised of domestic or foreign
                                                  SUMMARY OF APPLICATION:     Applicants                  may be obtained via the Commission’s                  equity and/or fixed income securities
                                                  request an order that would permit (a)                  Web site by searching for the file                    (each, an ‘‘Underlying Index’’). Each
                                                  series of certain open-end management                   number, or for an applicant using the                 Fund will (a) be advised by the Initial
                                                  investment companies to issue shares                    Company name box, at http://                          Adviser or an entity controlling,
                                                  (‘‘Shares’’) redeemable in large                        www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or by                   controlled by, or under common control
                                                  aggregations only (‘‘Creation Units’’); (b)             calling (202) 551–8090.                               with the Initial Adviser (each, an
                                                  secondary market transactions in Shares                                                                       ‘‘Adviser’’) and (b) comply with the
                                                                                                          Applicants’ Representations
                                                  to occur at negotiated market prices                                                                          terms and conditions of the
                                                  rather than at net asset value (‘‘NAV’’);                  1. The Trust is a Delaware statutory               application.1
                                                  (c) certain series to pay redemption                    trust that will register under the Act as                5. Applicants state that a Fund may
                                                  proceeds, under certain circumstances,                  a series open-end management                          operate as a feeder fund (‘‘Feeder
                                                  more than seven days after the tender of                investment company. The Trust will                    Fund’’) in a master-feeder structure.
                                                  Shares for redemption; (d) certain                      offer a number of Funds (as defined                   Applicants request that the order permit
                                                  affiliated persons of the series to deposit             below), each tracking a particular index              a Feeder Fund to acquire shares of a
                                                  securities into, and receive securities                 and utilizing either a replication or                 master fund (‘‘Master Fund’’), which
                                                  from, the series in connection with the                 representative sampling strategy.                     will be another registered investment
                                                  purchase and redemption of Creation                     Applicants currently expect that the                  company in the same group of
                                                  Units; (e) certain registered management                Trust’s initial series will be the Madison            investment companies having
                                                  investment companies and unit                           Gold Miners ETF (the ‘‘Initial Fund’’).               substantially the same investment
                                                  investment trusts outside of the same                   The Underlying Index (as defined                      objectives as the Feeder Fund, beyond
                                                  group of investment companies as the                    below) for the Initial Fund is currently              the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(A) of
                                                  series to acquire Shares; and (f) certain               expected to be the Solactive Global Pure              the Act and permit the Master Fund,
                                                  series to perform creations and                         Gold Miners Index. Each Fund will                     and any principal underwriter for the
                                                  redemptions of Creation Units in-kind                   operate as an exchange traded fund                    Master Fund, to sell shares of the Master
                                                  in a master-feeder structure.                           (‘‘ETF’’).                                            Fund to the Feeder Fund beyond the
                                                                                                             2. The Initial Adviser, a Delaware                 limitations in section 12(d)(1)(B) of the
                                                  APPLICANTS: Madison ETF Trust                           limited liability company, will be the                Act (‘‘Master-Feeder Relief’’).
                                                  (‘‘Trust’’) and Madison ETF Advisers,                   investment adviser to the Initial Fund.               Applicants may structure certain Feeder
                                                  LLC (‘‘Initial Adviser’’).                              The Initial Adviser is, and any other                 Funds to generate economies of scale
                                                  FILING DATES: The application was filed                 Adviser (as defined below) will be,                   and incur lower overhead costs.2 There
                                                  on August 4, 2015, and amended on                       registered as an investment adviser                   would be no ability by Fund
                                                  December 11, 2015.                                      under the Investment Advisers Act of                  shareholders to exchange Shares of
                                                  HEARING OR NOTIFICATION OF HEARING:                     1940 (‘‘Advisers Act’’). The Adviser may              Feeder Funds for shares of another
                                                  An order granting the requested relief                  enter into sub-advisory agreements with               feeder series of the Master Fund.
                                                  will be issued unless the Commission                    one or more investment advisers to act                   6. Each Fund, or its respective Master
                                                  orders a hearing. Interested persons may                as sub-advisers (each, a ‘‘Sub-Adviser’’)             Fund, will hold certain securities, assets
                                                  request a hearing by writing to the                     to particular Funds, or their respective              or other positions (‘‘Portfolio Holdings’’)
                                                  Commission’s Secretary and serving                      Master Fund (as defined below). Any                   selected to correspond generally to the
                                                  applicants with a copy of the request,                  Sub-Adviser will either be registered                 performance of its Underlying Index.
                                                  personally or by mail. Hearing requests                 under the Advisers Act or will not be                 Certain Funds will be based on
                                                  should be received by the Commission                    required to register thereunder.                      Underlying Indexes comprised solely of
                                                  by 5:30 p.m. on April 29, 2016, and                        3. The Trust will enter into a                     equity and/or fixed income securities
                                                  should be accompanied by proof of                       distribution agreement with one or more               issued by one or more of the following
                                                  service on applicants, in the form of an                distributors. Each distributor will be a              categories of issuers: (i) Domestic
                                                  affidavit, or for lawyers, a certificate of             broker-dealer (‘‘Broker’’) registered                 issuers and (ii) non-domestic issuers
                                                  service. Pursuant to rule 0–5 under the                 under the Securities Exchange Act of                  meeting the requirements for trading in
                                                  Act, hearing requests should state the                  1934 (‘‘Exchange Act’’) and will act as               U.S. markets. Other Funds will be based
                                                  nature of the writer’s interest, any facts              distributor and principal underwriter                 on Underlying Indexes that will be
                                                  bearing upon the desirability of a                      (‘‘Distributor’’) of one or more of the               comprised solely of foreign and
                                                  hearing on the matter, the reason for the               Funds. No Distributor will be affiliated              domestic, or solely foreign, equity and/
                                                  request, and the issues contested.                      with any Exchange (as defined below),
                                                  Persons who wish to be notified of a                    and each Distributor will comply with                    1 All existing entities that intend to rely on the


                                                  hearing may request notification by                     the terms and conditions of the                       requested order have been named as applicants.
                                                                                                          application. The Distributor of a Fund                Any other existing or future entity that
                                                  writing to the Commission’s Secretary.                                                                        subsequently relies on the order will comply with
                                                                                                          may be an affiliated person or an                     the terms and conditions of the order. A Fund of
                                                  ADDRESSES: Secretary, Securities and                    affiliated person of an affiliated person             Funds (as defined below) may rely on the order
                                                  Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE.,                  of that Fund’s Adviser and/or Sub-                    only to invest in the Funds and not in any other
                                                  Washington, DC 20549–1090;                              Advisers.                                             registered investment company.
                                                  Applicants: 1209 Orange Street,                                                                                  2 Operating in a master-feeder structure could
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                             4. Applicants request that the order
                                                  Wilmington, DE 19801.                                                                                         also impose costs on a Feeder Fund and reduce its
                                                                                                          apply to the Initial Fund and any                     tax efficiency. The Feeder Fund’s board of trustees
                                                  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                        additional series of the Trust and any                (‘‘Board’’) will consider any such potential
                                                  Courtney S. Thornton, Senior Counsel,                   other existing or future open-end                     disadvantages against the benefits of economies of
                                                  at (202) 551–6812, or Mary Kay Frech,                   management investment company or                      scale and other benefits of operating within a
                                                                                                                                                                master-feeder structure. In a master-feeder
                                                  Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6821                         existing or future series thereof (‘‘Future           structure, the Master Fund—rather than the Feeder
                                                  (Division of Investment Management,                     Fund’’ and together with the Initial                  Fund—would invest its portfolio in compliance
                                                  Chief Counsel’s Office).                                Fund, ‘‘Funds’’), that operate as ETFs,               with the requested order.



                                             VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:48 Apr 07, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00095   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\08APN1.SGM   08APN1


                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices                                                     20701

                                                  or fixed income securities (‘‘Foreign                    long/short investment strategies (‘‘Long/              licensing agreement with the entity that
                                                  Funds’’).                                                Short Funds’’). Each Long/Short Fund                   compiles, creates, sponsors or maintains
                                                     7. Applicants represent that each                     will establish (i) exposures equal to                  the Underlying Index (each, an ‘‘Index
                                                  Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                     approximately 100% of the long                         Provider’’) or a sub-licensing
                                                  will invest at least 80% of its assets                   positions specified by the Long/Short                  arrangement with the Adviser, which
                                                  (excluding securities lending collateral)                Index 7 and (ii) exposures equal to                    will have a licensing agreement with
                                                  in the component securities of its                       approximately 100% of the short                        such Index Provider.9 A ‘‘Self-Indexing
                                                  respective Underlying Index                              positions specified by the Long/Short                  Fund’’ is a Fund for which an affiliated
                                                  (‘‘Component Securities’’), or, in the                   Index. Each 130/30 Fund will include                   person, as defined in section 2(a)(3) of
                                                  case of Fixed Income Funds,3 in the                      strategies that: (i) Establish long                    the Act, or an affiliated person of such
                                                  Component Securities of its respective                   positions in securities so that total long             person, of the Trust or a Fund, of the
                                                  Underlying Index and TBA                                 exposure represents approximately                      Adviser, of any Sub-Adviser to or
                                                  Transactions 4 representing Component                    130% of a Fund’s net assets; and (ii)                  promoter of a Fund, or of the Distributor
                                                  Securities and, in the case of Foreign                   simultaneously establish short positions               (each, an ‘‘Affiliated Index Provider’’) 10
                                                  Funds, Component Securities and                          in other securities so that total short                will serve as the Index Provider. In the
                                                  Depositary Receipts 5 representing                       exposure represents approximately 30%                  case of Self-Indexing Funds, an
                                                  Component Securities.6 Each Fund, or                     of such Fund’s net assets. Each Business               Affiliated Index Provider will create a
                                                  its respective Master Fund, may also                     Day (as defined below), for each Long/                 proprietary, rules-based methodology to
                                                  invest up to 20% of its assets (‘‘20%                    Short Fund and 130/30 Fund, the                        create Underlying Indexes (each an
                                                  Asset Basket’’) in certain index futures,                Adviser will provide full portfolio                    ‘‘Affiliated Index’’).11 Except with
                                                  options, options on index futures, swap                  transparency on the Fund’s publicly                    respect to the Self-Indexing Funds, no
                                                  contracts or other derivatives, as related               available Web site (‘‘Website’’) by                    Index Provider is or will be an affiliated
                                                  to its respective Underlying Index and                   making available the Fund’s, or its                    person, or an affiliated person of an
                                                  its Component Securities, cash and cash                  respective Master Fund’s, Portfolio                    affiliated person, of the Trust or a Fund,
                                                  equivalents, other investment                            Holdings before the commencement of                    of the Adviser, of any Sub-Adviser to or
                                                  companies, as well as in securities and                  trading of Shares on the Listing                       promoter of a Fund, or of the
                                                  other instruments not included in its                    Exchange (defined below).8 The                         Distributor.
                                                  Underlying Index but which the Adviser                   information provided on the Web site                      11. Applicants recognize that Self-
                                                  believes will help the Fund, or its                      will be formatted to be reader-friendly.               Indexing Funds could raise concerns
                                                  respective Master Fund, track its                           9. A Fund will utilize either a                     regarding the ability of the Affiliated
                                                  Underlying Index. A Fund may also                        replication or representative sampling                 Index Provider to manipulate the
                                                  engage in short sales in accordance with                 strategy to track its Underlying Index. A              Underlying Index to the benefit or
                                                  its investment objective.                                Fund using a replication strategy will                 detriment of the Self-Indexing Fund.
                                                     8. The Trust may offer Funds that                     invest in the Component Securities of                  Applicants further recognize the
                                                  seek to track Underlying Indexes                         its Underlying Index in the same                       potential for conflicts that may arise
                                                  constructed using 130/30 investment                      approximate proportions as in such                     with respect to the personal trading
                                                  strategies (‘‘130/30 Funds’’) or other                   Underlying Index. A Fund using a                       activity of personnel of the Affiliated
                                                                                                           representative sampling strategy will                  Index Provider who have knowledge of
                                                     3 ‘‘Fixed-Income Funds’’ track an Underlying
                                                                                                           hold some, but not necessarily all of the              changes to an Underlying Index prior to
                                                  Index comprised of domestic and/or foreign fixed
                                                  income securities.
                                                                                                           Component Securities of its Underlying
                                                     4 A ‘‘to-be-announced transaction’’ or ‘‘TBA          Index. Applicants state that a Fund                       9 The licenses for the Self-Indexing Funds will

                                                                                                                                                                  specifically state that the Affiliated Index Provider
                                                  Transaction’’ is a method of trading mortgage-           using a representative sampling strategy               (as defined below), or in case of a sub-licensing
                                                  backed securities. In a TBA Transaction, the buyer       will not be expected to track the                      agreement, the Adviser, must provide the use of the
                                                  and seller agree upon general trade parameters such      performance of its Underlying Index                    Affiliated Indexes (as defined below) and related
                                                  as agency, settlement date, par amount and price.                                                               intellectual property at no cost to the Trust and the
                                                  The actual pools delivered generally are determined      with the same degree of accuracy as
                                                                                                                                                                  Self-Indexing Funds.
                                                  two days prior to settlement date.                       would an investment vehicle that                          10 In the event that an Adviser serves as the
                                                     5 Depositary receipts representing foreign
                                                                                                           invested in every Component Security                   Affiliated Index Provider for a Self-Indexing Fund,
                                                  securities (‘‘Depositary Receipts’’) include             of the Underlying Index with the same                  the terms ‘‘Affiliated Index Provider’’ or ‘‘Index
                                                  American Depositary Receipts and Global                                                                         Provider,’’ with respect to that Self-Indexing Fund,
                                                  Depositary Receipts. The Funds, or their respective      weighting as the Underlying Index.
                                                                                                                                                                  will refer to the employees of the Adviser that are
                                                  Master Funds, may invest in Depositary Receipts          Applicants expect that each Fund, or its               responsible for creating, compiling and maintaining
                                                  representing foreign securities in which they seek       respective Master Fund, will have an                   the relevant Underlying Index.
                                                  to invest. Depositary Receipts are typically issued      annual tracking error relative to the                     11 The Affiliated Indexes may be made available
                                                  by a financial institution (a ‘‘depositary bank’’) and                                                          to registered investment companies, as well as
                                                  evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool     performance of its Underlying Index of
                                                                                                                                                                  separately managed accounts of institutional
                                                  of securities that have been deposited with the          less than 5%.                                          investors, foreign investment companies, and
                                                  depositary bank. A Fund, or its respective Master           10. The Initial Funds are, and any                  privately offered funds that are not deemed to be
                                                  Fund, will not invest in any Depositary Receipts         Future Fund will be, entitled to use its               ‘‘investment companies’’ in reliance on section
                                                  that the Adviser or any Sub-Adviser deems to be                                                                 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act for which the Adviser
                                                  illiquid or for which pricing information is not         Underlying Index pursuant to either a
                                                                                                                                                                  acts as adviser or subadviser (‘‘Affiliated
                                                  readily available. No affiliated person of a Fund, the                                                          Accounts’’) as well as other such registered
                                                  Adviser or any Sub-Adviser will serve as the                7 Underlying Indexes that include both long and
                                                                                                                                                                  investment companies, separately managed
                                                  depositary bank for any Depositary Receipts held by      short positions in securities are referred to as       accounts, foreign investment companies, and
                                                  a Fund, or its respective Master Fund, except a          ‘‘Long/Short Indexes.’’                                privately offered funds for which it does not act
                                                  depositary bank that is deemed to be affiliated             8 Under accounting procedures followed by each
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                                                                                                                                                                  either as adviser or subadviser (‘‘Unaffiliated
                                                  solely because a Fund owns greater than 5% of the        Fund, trades made on the prior Business Day (‘‘T’’)    Accounts’’). The Affiliated Accounts and the
                                                  outstanding voting securities of such depositary         will be booked and reflected in NAV on the current     Unaffiliated Accounts, like the Funds, would seek
                                                  bank.                                                    Business Day (T + 1). Accordingly, the Funds will      to track the performance of one or more Underlying
                                                     6 With respect to a Fund, or its respective Master    be able to disclose at the beginning of the Business   Index(es) by investing in the constituents of such
                                                  Fund, that invests in a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary          Day the portfolio that will form the basis for the     Underlying Indexes or a representative sample of
                                                  (defined below), the Fund, or its respective Master      NAV calculation at the end of the Business Day.        such constituents of the Underlying Index.
                                                  Fund, will look through the Wholly-Owned                 This disclosure will look through any Wholly-          Consistent with the relief requested from section
                                                  Subsidiary to determine whether certain assets fall      Owned Subsidiary and identify the specific             17(a), the Affiliated Accounts will not engage in
                                                  within the 20% Asset Basket (as defined below).          Portfolio Holdings held by that entity.                Creation Unit transactions with a Fund.



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                                                  20702                             Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices

                                                  the time that information is publicly                   or the Exchange Act or the rules                           the Act and any relevant guidelines
                                                  disseminated.                                           thereunder, of material non-public                         from the staff of the Commission.
                                                     12. Applicants propose that each day                 information by the Initial Adviser or an                      16. The Shares of each Fund will be
                                                  that the Trust, the NYSE and the                        associated person (‘‘Inside Information                    purchased and redeemed in Creation
                                                  national securities exchange (as defined                Policy’’). Any other Adviser or Sub-                       Units and generally on an in-kind basis.
                                                  in section 2(a)(26) of the Act) (an                     Adviser will be required to adopt and                      Except where the purchase or
                                                  ‘‘Exchange’’) on which the Fund’s                       maintain a similar Inside Information                      redemption will include cash under the
                                                  Shares are primarily listed (‘‘Listing                  Policy. In accordance with the Code of                     limited circumstances specified below,
                                                  Exchange’’) are open for business,                      Ethics (as defined below) 14 and Inside                    purchasers will be required to purchase
                                                  including any day that a Fund is                        Information Policy of each Adviser and                     Creation Units by making an in-kind
                                                  required to be open under section 22(e)                 Sub-Adviser, personnel of those entities                   deposit of specified instruments
                                                  of the Act (a ‘‘Business Day’’), each Self-             with knowledge about the composition                       (‘‘Deposit Instruments’’), and
                                                  Indexing Fund will post on its Web site,                of the Portfolio Deposit 15 will be                        shareholders redeeming their Shares
                                                  before commencement of trading of                       prohibited from disclosing such                            will receive an in-kind transfer of
                                                  Shares on the Listing Exchange, the                     information to any other person, except                    specified instruments (‘‘Redemption
                                                  identities and quantities of the Portfolio              as authorized in the course of their                       Instruments’’).16 On any given Business
                                                  Holdings held by the Fund, or its                       employment, until such information is                      Day, the names and quantities of the
                                                  respective Master Fund, that will form                  made public. In addition, an Index                         instruments that constitute the Deposit
                                                  the basis for the Fund’s calculation of its             Provider will not provide any                              Instruments and the names and
                                                  NAV at the end of the Business Day.12                   information relating to changes to an                      quantities of the instruments that
                                                  Applicants believe that requiring Self-                 Underlying Index’s methodology for the                     constitute the Redemption Instruments
                                                  Indexing Funds to maintain full                         inclusion of component securities, the                     will be identical, unless the Fund is
                                                  portfolio transparency will also provide                inclusion or exclusion of specific                         Rebalancing (as defined below). In
                                                  an additional mechanism for addressing                  component securities, or methodology                       addition, the Deposit Instruments and
                                                  any such potential conflicts of interest.               for the calculation or the return of                       the Redemption Instruments will each
                                                     13. In addition, applicants do not                   component securities, in advance of a                      correspond pro rata to the positions in
                                                  believe the potential for conflicts of                  public announcement of such changes                        the Fund’s portfolio (including cash
                                                  interest raised by the Adviser’s use of                 by the Index Provider. The Adviser will                    positions) 17 except: (a) In the case of
                                                  the Underlying Indexes in connection                    also include under Item 10.C of part 2                     bonds, for minor differences when it is
                                                  with the management of the Self-                        of its Form ADV a discussion of its                        impossible to break up bonds beyond
                                                  Indexing Funds and the Affiliated                       relationship to any Affiliated Index                       certain minimum sizes needed for
                                                  Accounts will be substantially different                Provider and any material conflicts of                     transfer and settlement; (b) for minor
                                                  from the potential conflicts presented by               interest resulting therefrom, regardless                   differences when rounding is necessary
                                                  an adviser managing two or more                         of whether the Affiliated Index Provider                   to eliminate fractional shares or lots that
                                                  registered funds. Both the Act and the                  is a type of affiliate specified in Item 10.               are not tradeable round lots; 18 (c) TBA
                                                  Advisers Act contain various                               15. To the extent the Self-Indexing                     Transactions, short positions,
                                                  protections to address conflicts of                     Funds transact with an affiliated person                   derivatives and other positions that
                                                  interest where an adviser is managing                   of the Adviser or Sub-Adviser, such                        cannot be transferred in kind 19 will be
                                                  two or more registered funds and these                  transactions will comply with the Act,                     excluded from the Deposit Instruments
                                                  protections will also help address these                the rules thereunder and the terms and                     and the Redemption Instruments; 20 (d)
                                                  conflicts with respect to the Self-                     conditions of the requested order. In                      to the extent the Fund determines, on a
                                                  Indexing Funds.13                                       this regard, each Self-Indexing Fund’s                     given Business Day, to use a
                                                     14. The Adviser and any Sub-Adviser                  Board will periodically review the Self-                   representative sampling of the Fund’s
                                                  has adopted or will adopt, pursuant to                  Indexing Fund’s use of an Affiliated                       portfolio; 21 or (e) for temporary periods,
                                                  rule 206(4)–7 under the Advisers Act,                   Index Provider. Subject to the approval
                                                  written policies and procedures                         of the Self-Indexing Fund’s Board, the                        16 The Funds must comply with the federal

                                                  reasonably designed to prevent                          Adviser, affiliated persons of the                         securities laws in accepting Deposit Instruments
                                                  violations of the Advisers Act and the                                                                             and satisfying redemptions with Redemption
                                                                                                          Adviser (‘‘Adviser Affiliates’’) and                       Instruments, including that the Deposit Instruments
                                                  rules thereunder. These include policies                affiliated persons of any Sub-Adviser                      and Redemption Instruments are sold in
                                                  and procedures designed to minimize                     (‘‘Sub-Adviser Affiliates’’) may be                        transactions that would be exempt from registration
                                                  potential conflicts of interest among the               authorized to provide custody, fund                        under the Securities Act of 1933 (‘‘Securities Act’’).
                                                  Self-Indexing Funds and the Affiliated                                                                             In accepting Deposit Instruments and satisfying
                                                                                                          accounting and administration and                          redemptions with Redemption Instruments that are
                                                  Accounts, such as cross trading policies,               transfer agency services to the Self-                      restricted securities eligible for resale pursuant to
                                                  as well as those designed to ensure the                 Indexing Funds. Any services provided                      rule 144A under the Securities Act, the Funds will
                                                  equitable allocation of portfolio                       by the Adviser, Adviser Affiliates, Sub-                   comply with the conditions of rule 144A.
                                                                                                                                                                        17 The portfolio used for this purpose will be the
                                                  transactions and brokerage                              Adviser and Sub-Adviser Affiliates will                    same portfolio used to calculate the Fund’s NAV for
                                                  commissions. In addition, the Initial                   be performed in accordance with the                        the Business Day.
                                                  Adviser has adopted policies and                        provisions of the Act, the rules under                        18 A tradeable round lot for a security will be the
                                                  procedures as required under section                                                                               standard unit of trading in that particular type of
                                                  204A of the Advisers Act, which are                       14 The Initial Adviser has adopted (and any other        security in its primary market.
                                                                                                                                                                        19 This includes instruments that can be
                                                  reasonably designed in light of the                     Adviser has adopted or will adopt) a code of ethics
                                                                                                          pursuant to rule 17j–1 under the Act and rule              transferred in kind only with the consent of the
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                                                  nature of its business to prevent the                                                                              original counterparty to the extent the Fund does
                                                                                                          204A–1 under the Advisers Act, which contains
                                                  misuse, in violation of the Advisers Act                provisions reasonably necessary to prevent Access          not intend to seek such consents.
                                                                                                          Persons (as defined in rule 17j–1) from engaging in           20 Because these instruments will be excluded
                                                    12 This disclosure will look through any Wholly-      any conduct prohibited in rule 17j–1 (‘‘Code of            from the Deposit Instruments and the Redemption
                                                  Owned Subsidiary and identify the specific              Ethics’’).                                                 Instruments, their value will be reflected in the
                                                  Portfolio Holdings held by that entity.                   15 The instruments and cash that the purchaser is        determination of the Cash Amount (as defined
                                                    13 See, e.g., rule 17j–1 under the Act and section    required to deliver in exchange for the Creation           below).
                                                  204A under the Advisers Act and rules 204A–1 and        Units it is purchasing is referred to as the ‘‘Portfolio      21 A Fund may only use sampling for this purpose

                                                  206(4)–7 under the Advisers Act.                        Deposit.’’                                                 if the sample: (i) Is designed to generate



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                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices                                                     20703

                                                  to effect changes in the Fund’s portfolio                or Redemption Instruments,                              current value of the Deposit
                                                  as a result of the rebalancing of its                    respectively, solely because: (i) Such                  Instruments.
                                                  Underlying Index (any such change, a                     instruments are, in the case of the                        20. Transaction expenses, including
                                                  ‘‘Rebalancing’’). If there is a difference               purchase of a Creation Unit, not                        operational processing and brokerage
                                                  between the NAV attributable to a                        available in sufficient quantity; (ii) such             costs, will be incurred by a Fund when
                                                  Creation Unit and the aggregate market                   instruments are not eligible for trading                investors purchase or redeem Creation
                                                  value of the Deposit Instruments or                      by an Authorized Participant or the                     Units in-kind and such costs have the
                                                  Redemption Instruments exchanged for                     investor on whose behalf the                            potential to dilute the interests of the
                                                  the Creation Unit, the party conveying                   Authorized Participant is acting; or (iii)              Fund’s existing shareholders. Each
                                                  instruments with the lower value will                    a holder of Shares of a Foreign Fund                    Fund will impose purchase or
                                                  also pay to the other an amount in cash                  holding non-U.S. investments would be                   redemption transaction fees
                                                  equal to that difference (the ‘‘Cash                     subject to unfavorable income tax                       (‘‘Transaction Fees’’) in connection with
                                                  Amount’’).                                               treatment if the holder receives                        effecting such purchases or redemptions
                                                     17. Purchases and redemptions of                      redemption proceeds in kind.23                          of Creation Units. With respect to
                                                  Creation Units may be made in whole or                                                                           Feeder Funds, the Transaction Fee
                                                                                                              18. Creation Units will consist of
                                                  in part on a cash basis, rather than in                                                                          would be paid indirectly to the Master
                                                                                                           specified large aggregations of Shares
                                                  kind, solely under the following                                                                                 Fund.24 In all cases, such Transaction
                                                                                                           (e.g., at least 10,000 Shares), and it is
                                                  circumstances: (a) To the extent there is                                                                        Fees will be limited in accordance with
                                                                                                           expected that the initial trading price
                                                  a Cash Amount; (b) if, on a given                                                                                requirements of the Commission
                                                                                                           per individual Share will range from
                                                  Business Day, the Fund announces                                                                                 applicable to management investment
                                                                                                           $10 to $100. All orders to purchase
                                                  before the open of trading that all                                                                              companies offering redeemable
                                                                                                           Creation Units must be placed with the
                                                  purchases, all redemptions or all                                                                                securities. Since the Transaction Fees
                                                                                                           Distributor by or through an
                                                  purchases and redemptions on that day                                                                            are intended to defray the transaction
                                                                                                           ‘‘Authorized Participant’’ which is
                                                  will be made entirely in cash; (c) if,                                                                           expenses as well as to prevent possible
                                                                                                           either (1) a ‘‘Participating Party,’’ i.e., a
                                                  upon receiving a purchase or                                                                                     shareholder dilution resulting from the
                                                                                                           Broker or other participant in the
                                                  redemption order from an Authorized                                                                              purchase or redemption of Creation
                                                                                                           Continuous Net Settlement System of
                                                  Participant, the Fund determines to                                                                              Units, the Transaction Fees will be
                                                                                                           the NSCC, a clearing agency registered
                                                  require the purchase or redemption, as                                                                           borne only by such purchasers or
                                                                                                           with the Commission, or (2) a
                                                  applicable, to be made entirely in                                                                               redeemers.25 The Distributor will be
                                                                                                           participant in The Depository Trust
                                                  cash; 22 (d) if, on a given Business Day,
                                                                                                           Company (‘‘DTC’’) (‘‘DTC Participant’’),                responsible for delivering the Fund’s
                                                  the Fund requires all Authorized                                                                                 prospectus to those persons acquiring
                                                                                                           which, in either case, has signed a
                                                  Participants purchasing or redeeming                                                                             Shares in Creation Units and for
                                                                                                           participant agreement with the
                                                  Shares on that day to deposit or receive                                                                         maintaining records of both the orders
                                                                                                           Distributor. The Distributor will be
                                                  (as applicable) cash in lieu of some or                                                                          placed with it and the confirmations of
                                                                                                           responsible for transmitting the orders
                                                  all of the Deposit Instruments or                                                                                acceptance furnished by it. In addition,
                                                                                                           to the Funds and will furnish to those
                                                  Redemption Instruments, respectively,                                                                            the Distributor will maintain a record of
                                                                                                           placing such orders confirmation that
                                                  solely because: (i) Such instruments are                                                                         the instructions given to the applicable
                                                                                                           the orders have been accepted, but
                                                  not eligible for transfer through either                                                                         Fund to implement the delivery of its
                                                                                                           applicants state that the Distributor may
                                                  the NSCC or DTC (defined below); or (ii)                                                                         Shares.
                                                                                                           reject any order that is not submitted in
                                                  in the case of Foreign Funds holding
                                                                                                           proper form.                                               21. Shares of each Fund will be listed
                                                  non-U.S. investments, such instruments
                                                  are not eligible for trading due to local                   19. Each Business Day, before the                    and traded individually on an
                                                  trading restrictions, local restrictions on              open of trading on the Listing Exchange,                Exchange. It is expected that one or
                                                  securities transfers or other similar                    each Fund will cause to be published                    more member firms of an Exchange will
                                                  circumstances; or (e) if the Fund permits                through the NSCC the names and                          be designated to act as a market maker
                                                  an Authorized Participant to deposit or                  quantities of the instruments comprising                (each, a ‘‘Market Maker’’) and maintain
                                                  receive (as applicable) cash in lieu of                  the Deposit Instruments and the                         a market for Shares trading on the
                                                  some or all of the Deposit Instruments                   Redemption Instruments, as well as the                  Exchange. The price of Shares trading
                                                                                                           estimated Cash Amount (if any), for that                on an Exchange will be based on the
                                                  performance that is highly correlated to the             day. The list of Deposit Instruments and                current bid/offer market. Transactions
                                                  performance of the Fund’s portfolio; (ii) consists       Redemption Instruments will apply                       involving the sale of Shares on an
                                                  entirely of instruments that are already included in     until a new list is announced on the                    Exchange will be subject to customary
                                                  the Fund’s portfolio; and (iii) is the same for all                                                              brokerage commissions and charges.
                                                  Authorized Participants (as defined below) on a
                                                                                                           following Business Day, and there will
                                                  given Business Day.                                      be no intra-day changes to the list
                                                    22 In determining whether a particular Fund will       except to correct errors in the published                 24 Applicants are not requesting relief from

                                                  sell or redeem Creation Units entirely on a cash or      list. Each Listing Exchange, or other                   section 18 of the Act. Accordingly, a Master Fund
                                                  in-kind basis (whether for a given day or a given                                                                may require a Transaction Fee payment to cover
                                                                                                           major market data provider, will                        expenses related to purchases or redemptions of the
                                                  order), the key consideration will be the benefit that
                                                  would accrue to the Fund and its investors. For          disseminate, every 15 seconds during                    Master Fund’s shares by a Feeder Fund only if it
                                                  instance, in bond transactions, the Adviser may be       regular Exchange trading hours, through                 requires the same payment for equivalent purchases
                                                  able to obtain better execution than Share               the facilities of the Consolidated Tape                 or redemptions by any other feeder fund. Thus, for
                                                  purchasers because of the Adviser’s size, experience                                                             example, a Master Fund may require payment of a
                                                                                                           Association, or other widely                            Transaction Fee by a Feeder Fund for transactions
                                                  and potentially stronger relationships in the fixed
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                                                  income markets. Purchases of Creation Units either       disseminated means, an amount for                       for 20,000 or more shares so long as it requires
                                                  on an all cash basis or in-kind are expected to be       each Fund stated on a per individual                    payment of the same Transaction Fee by all feeder
                                                  neutral to the Funds from a tax perspective. In          Share basis representing the sum of (i)                 funds for transactions involving 20,000 or more
                                                  contrast, cash redemptions typically require selling                                                             shares.
                                                                                                           the estimated Cash Amount and (ii) the                    25 Where a Fund permits an in-kind purchaser to
                                                  portfolio holdings, which may result in adverse tax
                                                  consequences for the remaining Fund shareholders                                                                 substitute cash-in-lieu of depositing one or more of
                                                  that would not occur with an in-kind redemption.           23 A ‘‘custom order’’ is any purchase or              the requisite Deposit Instruments, the purchaser
                                                  As a result, tax consideration may warrant in-kind       redemption of Shares made in whole or in part on        may be assessed a higher Transaction Fee to cover
                                                  redemptions.                                             a cash basis in reliance on clause (e)(i) or (e)(ii).   the cost of purchasing such Deposit Instruments.



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                                                  20704                             Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices

                                                    22. Applicants expect that purchasers                 an exemption from sections 12(d)(1)(A)                Section 22(d) of the Act and Rule 22c–
                                                  of Creation Units will include                          and (B) of the Act.                                   1 under the Act
                                                  institutional investors and arbitrageurs.                  2. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that              4. Section 22(d) of the Act, among
                                                  Market Makers, acting in their roles to                 the Commission may exempt any                         other things, prohibits a dealer from
                                                  provide a fair and orderly secondary                    person, security or transaction, or any               selling a redeemable security that is
                                                  market for the Shares, may from time to                 class of persons, securities or                       currently being offered to the public by
                                                  time find it appropriate to purchase or                                                                       or through an underwriter, except at a
                                                                                                          transactions, from any provision of the
                                                  redeem Creation Units. Applicants                                                                             current public offering price described
                                                                                                          Act, if and to the extent that such
                                                  expect that secondary market                                                                                  in the prospectus. Rule 22c–1 under the
                                                                                                          exemption is necessary or appropriate
                                                  purchasers of Shares will include both                                                                        Act generally requires that a dealer
                                                  institutional and retail investors.26 The               in the public interest and consistent
                                                                                                          with the protection of investors and the              selling, redeeming or repurchasing a
                                                  price at which Shares trade will be                                                                           redeemable security do so only at a
                                                  disciplined by arbitrage opportunities                  purposes fairly intended by the policy
                                                                                                          and provisions of the Act. Section 17(b)              price based on its NAV. Applicants state
                                                  created by the option continually to                                                                          that secondary market trading in Shares
                                                  purchase or redeem Shares in Creation                   of the Act authorizes the Commission to
                                                                                                          exempt a proposed transaction from                    will take place at negotiated prices, not
                                                  Units, which should help prevent                                                                              at a current offering price described in
                                                  Shares from trading at a material                       section 17(a) of the Act if evidence
                                                                                                          establishes that the terms of the                     a Fund’s prospectus, and not at a price
                                                  discount or premium in relation to their                                                                      based on NAV. Thus, purchases and
                                                  NAV.                                                    transaction, including the consideration
                                                                                                                                                                sales of Shares in the secondary market
                                                    23. Shares will not be individually                   to be paid or received, are reasonable
                                                                                                                                                                will not comply with section 22(d) of
                                                  redeemable, and owners of Shares may                    and fair and do not involve
                                                                                                                                                                the Act and rule 22c–1 under the Act.
                                                  acquire those Shares from the Fund, or                  overreaching on the part of any person                Applicants request an exemption under
                                                  tender such Shares for redemption to                    concerned, and the proposed                           section 6(c) from these provisions.28
                                                  the Fund, in Creation Units only. To                    transaction is consistent with the                       5. Applicants assert that the concerns
                                                  redeem, an investor must accumulate                     policies of the registered investment                 sought to be addressed by section 22(d)
                                                  enough Shares to constitute a Creation                  company and the general provisions of                 of the Act and rule 22c–1 under the Act
                                                  Unit. Redemption requests must be                       the Act. Section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act               with respect to pricing are equally
                                                  placed through an Authorized                            provides that the Commission may                      satisfied by the proposed method of
                                                  Participant. A redeeming investor may                   exempt any person, security, or                       pricing Shares. Applicants maintain that
                                                  pay a Transaction Fee, calculated in the                transaction, or any class or classes of               while there is little legislative history
                                                  same manner as a Transaction Fee                        persons, securities or transactions, from             regarding section 22(d), its provisions,
                                                  payable in connection with purchases of                 any provisions of section 12(d)(1) if the             as well as those of rule 22c–1, appear to
                                                  Creation Units.                                         exemption is consistent with the public               have been designed to (a) prevent
                                                    24. Neither the Trust nor any Fund                    interest and the protection of investors.             dilution caused by certain riskless-
                                                  will be advertised or marketed or                                                                             trading schemes by principal
                                                  otherwise held out as a traditional open-               Sections 5(a)(1) and 2(a)(32) of the Act              underwriters and contract dealers, (b)
                                                  end investment company or a ‘‘mutual                                                                          prevent unjust discrimination or
                                                  fund.’’ Instead, each such Fund will be                    3. Section 5(a)(1) of the Act defines an
                                                                                                          ‘‘open-end company’’ as a management                  preferential treatment among buyers,
                                                  marketed as an ‘‘ETF.’’ All marketing                                                                         and (c) ensure an orderly distribution of
                                                  materials that describe the features or                 investment company that is offering for
                                                                                                          sale or has outstanding any redeemable                investment company shares by
                                                  method of obtaining, buying or selling
                                                                                                          security of which it is the issuer.                   eliminating price competition from
                                                  Creation Units, or Shares traded on an
                                                                                                          Section 2(a)(32) of the Act defines a                 dealers offering shares at less than the
                                                  Exchange, or refer to redeemability, will
                                                                                                          redeemable security as any security,                  published sales price and repurchasing
                                                  prominently disclose that Shares are not
                                                                                                          other than short-term paper, under the                shares at more than the published
                                                  individually redeemable and will
                                                                                                                                                                redemption price.
                                                  disclose that the owners of Shares may                  terms of which the owner, upon its
                                                                                                                                                                   6. Applicants believe that none of
                                                  acquire those Shares from the Fund or                   presentation to the issuer, is entitled to            these purposes will be thwarted by
                                                  tender such Shares for redemption to                    receive approximately a proportionate                 permitting Shares to trade in the
                                                  the Fund in Creation Units only. The                    share of the issuer’s current net assets,             secondary market at negotiated prices.
                                                  Funds will provide copies of their                      or the cash equivalent. Because Shares                Applicants state that (a) secondary
                                                  annual and semi-annual shareholder                      will not be individually redeemable,                  market trading in Shares does not
                                                  reports to DTC Participants for                         applicants request an order that would                involve a Fund as a party and will not
                                                  distribution to beneficial owners of                    permit the Funds to register as open-end              result in dilution of an investment in
                                                  Shares.                                                 management investment companies and                   Shares, and (b) to the extent different
                                                  Applicants’ Legal Analysis                              issue Shares that are redeemable in                   prices exist during a given trading day,
                                                                                                          Creation Units only.27 Applicants state               or from day to day, such variances occur
                                                     1. Applicants request an order under
                                                                                                          that investors may purchase Shares in                 as a result of third–party market forces,
                                                  section 6(c) of the Act for an exemption
                                                                                                          Creation Units and redeem Creation                    such as supply and demand. Therefore,
                                                  from sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d), and
                                                                                                          Units from each Fund. Applicants                      applicants assert that secondary market
                                                  22(e) of the Act and rule 22c–1 under
                                                  the Act, under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of               further state that because Creation Units             transactions in Shares will not lead to
                                                  the Act for an exemption from sections                  may always be purchased and redeemed                  discrimination or preferential treatment
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                                                  17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act, and                   at NAV, the price of Shares on the                    among purchasers. Finally, applicants
                                                  under section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act for                secondary market should not vary                      contend that the price at which Shares
                                                                                                          materially from NAV.                                  trade will be disciplined by arbitrage
                                                    26 Shares will be registered in book-entry form

                                                  only. DTC or its nominee will be the record or            27 The Master Funds will not require relief from      28 The Master Funds will not require relief from

                                                  registered owner of all outstanding Shares.             sections 2(a)(32) and 5(a)(1) because the Master      section 22(d) or rule 22c–1 because shares of the
                                                  Beneficial ownership of Shares will be shown on         Funds will issue individually redeemable              Master Funds will not trade at negotiated prices in
                                                  the records of DTC or the DTC Participants.             securities.                                           the secondary market.



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                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices                                                   20705

                                                  opportunities created by the option                      Section 12(d)(1)                                     concerns about undue influence by a
                                                  continually to purchase or redeem                           10. Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act                fund of funds over underlying funds,
                                                  Shares in Creation Units, which should                   prohibits a registered investment                    excessive layering of fees and overly
                                                  help prevent Shares from trading at a                    company from acquiring securities of an              complex fund structures. Applicants
                                                  material discount or premium in                          investment company if such securities                believe that the requested exemption is
                                                  relation to their NAV.                                   represent more than 3% of the total                  consistent with the public interest and
                                                                                                           outstanding voting stock of the acquired             the protection of investors.
                                                  Section 22(e)                                                                                                    14. Applicants believe that neither a
                                                                                                           company, more than 5% of the total
                                                                                                                                                                Fund of Funds nor a Fund of Funds
                                                     7. Section 22(e) of the Act generally                 assets of the acquiring company, or,
                                                                                                                                                                Affiliate would be able to exert undue
                                                  prohibits a registered investment                        together with the securities of any other
                                                                                                                                                                influence over a Fund.31 To limit the
                                                  company from suspending the right of                     investment companies, more than 10%
                                                                                                                                                                control that a Fund of Funds may have
                                                  redemption or postponing the date of                     of the total assets of the acquiring
                                                                                                                                                                over a Fund, applicants propose a
                                                  payment of redemption proceeds for                       company. Section 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act
                                                                                                                                                                condition prohibiting a Fund of Funds
                                                  more than seven days after the tender of                 prohibits a registered open-end                      Adviser or Sponsor, any person
                                                  a security for redemption. Applicants                    investment company, its principal                    controlling, controlled by, or under
                                                  state that settlement of redemptions for                 underwriter and any other broker-dealer              common control with a Fund of Funds
                                                  Foreign Funds will be contingent not                     from knowingly selling the investment                Adviser or Sponsor, and any investment
                                                  only on the settlement cycle of the                      company’s shares to another investment               company and any issuer that would be
                                                  United States market, but also on                        company if the sale will cause the                   an investment company but for sections
                                                  current delivery cycles in local markets                 acquiring company to own more than                   3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act that is
                                                  for underlying foreign Portfolio                         3% of the acquired company’s voting                  advised or sponsored by a Fund of
                                                  Holdings held by a Foreign Fund.                         stock, or if the sale will cause more than           Funds Adviser or Sponsor, or any
                                                  Applicants state that the delivery cycles                10% of the acquired company’s voting                 person controlling, controlled by, or
                                                  currently practicable for transferring                   stock to be owned by investment                      under common control with a Fund of
                                                  Redemption Instruments to redeeming                      companies generally.                                 Funds Adviser or Sponsor (‘‘Fund of
                                                  investors, coupled with local market                        11. Applicants request an exemption               Funds Advisory Group’’) from
                                                                                                           to permit registered management                      controlling (individually or in the
                                                  holiday schedules, may require a
                                                                                                           investment companies and unit                        aggregate) a Fund, or its respective
                                                  delivery process of up to fifteen (15)
                                                                                                           investment trusts (‘‘UITs’’) that are not            Master Fund, within the meaning of
                                                  calendar days. Accordingly, with
                                                                                                           advised or sponsored by the Adviser,                 section 2(a)(9) of the Act. The same
                                                  respect to Foreign Funds only,
                                                                                                           and not part of the same ‘‘group of                  prohibition would apply to any Fund of
                                                  applicants hereby request relief under
                                                                                                           investment companies,’’ as defined in                Funds Sub-Adviser, any person
                                                  section 6(c) from the requirement                        section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Act as the
                                                  imposed by section 22(e) to allow                                                                             controlling, controlled by or under
                                                                                                           Funds (such management investment                    common control with the Fund of
                                                  Foreign Funds to pay redemption                          companies are referred to as ‘‘Investing
                                                  proceeds within fifteen calendar days                                                                         Funds Sub-Adviser, and any investment
                                                                                                           Management Companies,’’ such UITs                    company or issuer that would be an
                                                  following the tender of Creation Units                   are referred to as ‘‘Investing Trusts,’’
                                                  for redemption.29                                                                                             investment company but for sections
                                                                                                           and Investing Management Companies                   3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act (or portion
                                                     8. Applicants believe that Congress                   and Investing Trusts are collectively                of such investment company or issuer)
                                                  adopted section 22(e) to prevent                         referred to as ‘‘Funds of Funds’’), to               advised or sponsored by the Fund of
                                                  unreasonable, undisclosed or                             acquire Shares beyond the limits of                  Funds Sub-Adviser or any person
                                                  unforeseen delays in the actual payment                  section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act; and the              controlling, controlled by or under
                                                  of redemption proceeds. Applicants                       Funds, and any principal underwriter                 common control with the Fund of
                                                  propose that allowing redemption                         for the Funds, and/or any Broker                     Funds Sub-Adviser (‘‘Fund of Funds
                                                  payments for Creation Units of a Foreign                 registered under the Exchange Act, to                Sub-Advisory Group’’).
                                                  Fund to be made within fifteen calendar                  sell Shares to Funds of Funds beyond                    15. Applicants propose other
                                                  days would not be inconsistent with the                  the limits of section 12(d)(1)(B) of the             conditions to limit the potential for
                                                  spirit and intent of section 22(e).                      Act.                                                 undue influence over the Funds, or their
                                                  Applicants suggest that a redemption                        12. Each Investing Management                     respective Master Funds, including that
                                                  payment occurring within fifteen                         Company will be advised by an                        no Fund of Funds or Fund of Funds
                                                  calendar days following a redemption                     investment adviser within the meaning                Affiliate (except to the extent it is acting
                                                  request would adequately afford                          of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the Act (the               in its capacity as an investment adviser
                                                  investor protection.                                     ‘‘Fund of Funds Adviser’’) and may be                to a Fund) will cause a Fund, or its
                                                                                                           sub-advised by investment advisers                   respective Master Fund, to purchase a
                                                     9. Applicants are not seeking relief
                                                                                                           within the meaning of section                        security in an offering of securities
                                                  from section 22(e) with respect to
                                                                                                           2(a)(20)(B) of the Act (each, a ‘‘Fund of            during the existence of an underwriting
                                                  Foreign Funds that do not effect
                                                                                                           Funds Sub-Adviser’’). Any Fund of                    or selling syndicate of which a principal
                                                  creations and redemptions of Creation
                                                                                                           Funds Adviser will be registered under               underwriter is an Underwriting Affiliate
                                                  Units in-kind.30                                         the Advisers Act. Any Fund of Funds                  (‘‘Affiliated Underwriting’’). An
                                                                                                           Sub-Adviser will be registered under the
                                                     29 Applicants acknowledge that no relief obtained
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                                                  from the requirements of section 22(e) will affect
                                                                                                           Advisers Act or will not be required to                31 A ‘‘Fund of Funds Affiliate’’ is a Fund of Funds

                                                                                                           register. Each Investing Trust will be               Adviser, Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, Sponsor,
                                                  any obligations applicants may otherwise have                                                                 promoter, and principal underwriter of a Fund of
                                                  under rule 15c6–1 under the Exchange Act                 sponsored by a sponsor (‘‘Sponsor’’).                Funds, and any person controlling, controlled by,
                                                  requiring that most securities transactions be settled      13. Applicants submit that the                    or under common control with any of those entities.
                                                  within three business days of the trade date.            proposed conditions to the requested                 A ‘‘Fund Affiliate’’ is an investment adviser,
                                                     30 In addition, the requested exemption from
                                                                                                           relief adequately address the concerns               promoter, or principal underwriter of a Fund, or its
                                                  section 22(e) would only apply to in-kind                                                                     respective Master Fund, and any person controlling,
                                                  redemptions by the Feeder Funds and would not            underlying the limits in sections                    controlled by or under common control with any
                                                  apply to in-kind redemptions by other feeder funds.      12(d)(1)(A) and (B), which include                   of these entities.



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                                                  20706                             Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices

                                                  ‘‘Underwriting Affiliate’’ is a principal               Act, except to the extent (i) the Fund, or              12(d)(1)(E) of the Act. Section
                                                  underwriter in any underwriting or                      its respective Master Fund, acquires                    12(d)(1)(E) provides that the percentage
                                                  selling syndicate that is an officer,                   securities of another investment                        limitations of section 12(d)(1)(A) and (B)
                                                  director, member of an advisory board,                  company pursuant to exemptive relief                    shall not apply to a security issued by
                                                  Fund of Funds Adviser, Fund of Funds                    from the Commission permitting the                      an investment company (in this case,
                                                  Sub-Adviser, employee or Sponsor of                     Fund, or its respective Master Fund, to                 the shares of the applicable Master
                                                  the Fund of Funds, or a person of which                 purchase shares of other investment                     Fund) if, among other things, that
                                                  any such officer, director, member of an                companies for short-term cash                           security is the only investment security
                                                  advisory board, Fund of Funds Adviser                   management purposes; (ii) the Fund                      held by the investing investment
                                                  or Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser,                           acquires securities of the Master Fund                  company (in this case, the Feeder
                                                  employee or Sponsor is an affiliated                    pursuant to Master-Feeder Relief; or (iii)              Fund). Applicants believe the proposed
                                                  person (except that any person whose                    the Fund invests in a Wholly-Owned                      master-feeder structure complies with
                                                  relationship to the Fund is covered by                  Subsidiary that is a wholly-owned and                   section 12(d)(1)(E) because each Feeder
                                                  section 10(f) of the Act is not an                      controlled subsidiary of the Fund (or its               Fund will hold only investment
                                                  Underwriting Affiliate).                                respective Master Fund).33 Further, no                  securities issued by its corresponding
                                                     16. Applicants do not believe that the               Wholly-Owned Subsidiary will acquire                    Master Fund; however, the Feeder
                                                  proposed arrangement will involve                       securities of any other investment                      Funds may receive securities other than
                                                  excessive layering of fees. The board of                company or company relying on section                   securities of its corresponding Master
                                                  directors or trustees of any Investing                  3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act other than                Fund if a Feeder Fund accepts an in-
                                                  Management Company, including a                         money market funds that comply with                     kind creation. To the extent that a
                                                  majority of the directors or trustees who               rule 2a–7 for short-term cash                           Feeder Fund may be deemed to be
                                                  are not ‘‘interested persons’’ within the               management purposes. To ensure a                        holding both shares of the Master Fund
                                                  meaning of section 2(a)(19) of the Act                  Fund of Funds is aware of the terms and                 and other securities, applicants request
                                                  (‘‘disinterested directors or trustees’’),              conditions of the requested order, the                  relief from section 12(d)(1)(A) and (B).
                                                  will find that the advisory fees charged                Fund of Funds will enter into an                        The Feeder Funds would operate in
                                                  under the contract are based on services                agreement with the Fund (‘‘FOF                          compliance with all other provisions of
                                                  provided that will be in addition to,                   Participation Agreement’’). The FOF                     section 12(d)(1)(E).
                                                  rather than duplicative of, services                    Participation Agreement will include an                 Sections 17(a)(1) and (2) of the Act
                                                  provided under the advisory contract of                 acknowledgement from the Fund of
                                                  any Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                Funds that it may rely on the order only                   20. Sections 17(a)(1) and (2) of the Act
                                                  in which the Investing Management                       to invest in the Funds and not in any                   generally prohibit an affiliated person of
                                                  Company may invest. In addition, under                  other investment company.                               a registered investment company, or an
                                                  condition B.5., a Fund of Funds                            18. Applicants also note that a Fund                 affiliated person of such a person, from
                                                  Adviser, or a Fund of Funds’ trustee or                 may choose to reject a direct purchase                  selling any security to or purchasing any
                                                  Sponsor, as applicable, will waive fees                 of Shares in Creation Units by a Fund                   security from the company. Section
                                                  otherwise payable to it by the Fund of                  of Funds. To the extent that a Fund of                  2(a)(3) of the Act defines ‘‘affiliated
                                                  Funds in an amount at least equal to any                Funds purchases Shares in the                           person’’ of another person to include (a)
                                                  compensation (including fees received                   secondary market, a Fund would still                    any person directly or indirectly
                                                  pursuant to any plan adopted by a                       retain its ability to reject any initial                owning, controlling or holding with
                                                  Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                    investment by a Fund of Funds in                        power to vote 5% or more of the
                                                  under rule 12b–1 under the Act)                         excess of the limits of section                         outstanding voting securities of the
                                                  received from a Fund by the Fund of                     12(d)(1)(A) by declining to enter into a                other person, (b) any person 5% or more
                                                  Funds Adviser, trustee or Sponsor or an                 FOF Participation Agreement with the                    of whose outstanding voting securities
                                                  affiliated person of the Fund of Funds                  Fund of Funds.                                          are directly or indirectly owned,
                                                  Adviser, trustee or Sponsor, other than                    19. Applicants also are seeking the                  controlled or held with the power to
                                                  any advisory fees paid to the Fund of                   Master-Feeder Relief to permit the                      vote by the other person, and (c) any
                                                  Funds Adviser, trustee or Sponsor or its                Feeder Funds to perform creations and                   person directly or indirectly controlling,
                                                  affiliated person by a Fund, in                         redemptions of Shares in-kind in a                      controlled by or under common control
                                                  connection with the investment by the                   master-feeder structure. Applicants                     with the other person. Section 2(a)(9) of
                                                  Fund of Funds in the Fund. Applicants                   assert that this structure is substantially             the Act defines ‘‘control’’ as the power
                                                  state that any sales charges and/or                     identical to traditional master-feeder                  to exercise a controlling influence over
                                                  service fees charged with respect to                    structures permitted pursuant to the                    the management or policies of a
                                                  shares of a Fund of Funds will not                      exception provided in section                           company, and provides that a control
                                                  exceed the limits applicable to a fund of                                                                       relationship will be presumed where
                                                  funds as set forth in NASD Conduct                        33 A Fund, or its respective Master Fund, may         one person owns more than 25% of a
                                                  Rule 2830.32                                            invest in a wholly-owned subsidiary, organized          company’s voting securities. The Funds
                                                     17. Applicants submit that the
                                                                                                          under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an              may be deemed to be controlled by the
                                                                                                          exempted company or under the laws of another           Adviser or an entity controlling,
                                                  proposed arrangement will not create an                 non-U.S. jurisdiction (each, a ‘‘Wholly-Owned
                                                  overly complex fund structure.                          Subsidiary’’), in order to pursue its investment        controlled by or under common control
                                                  Applicants note that no Fund, or its                    objectives and/or ensure that the Fund remains          with the Adviser and hence affiliated
                                                  respective Master Fund, will acquire
                                                                                                          qualified as a registered investment company for        persons of each other. In addition, the
                                                                                                          U.S. federal income tax purposes. Certain Wholly-
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                                                  securities of any investment company or                                                                         Funds may be deemed to be under
                                                                                                          Owned Subsidiaries may be investment companies
                                                  company relying on section 3(c)(1) or                   or excluded from the definition of investment
                                                                                                                                                                  common control with any other
                                                                                                          company by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act. For   registered investment company (or
                                                  3(c)(7) of the Act in excess of the limits
                                                                                                          a Fund, or its respective Master Fund, that invests     series thereof) advised by an Adviser or
                                                  contained in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the                 in a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, the Adviser will          an entity controlling, controlled by or
                                                                                                          serve as investment adviser to both the Fund, or its
                                                    32 Any references to NASD Conduct Rule 2830           respective Master Fund, and the Wholly-Owned
                                                                                                                                                                  under common control with an Adviser
                                                  include any successor or replacement FINRA rule         Subsidiary. A Feeder Fund will not invest in a          (an ‘‘Affiliated Fund’’). Any investor,
                                                  to NASD Conduct Rule 2830.                              Wholly-Owned Subsidiary.                                including Market Makers, owning 5% or


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                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices                                           20707

                                                  holding in excess of 25% of the Trust or                applicants to effect a transaction                      statement. Applicants also state that the
                                                  such Funds, may be deemed affiliated                    detrimental to the other holders of                     proposed transactions are consistent
                                                  persons of the Trust or such Funds. In                  Shares of that Fund. Similarly,                         with the general purposes of the Act and
                                                  addition, an investor could own 5% or                   applicants submit that, by using the                    are appropriate in the public interest.
                                                  more, or in excess of 25% of the                        same standards for valuing Portfolio                       24. To the extent that a Fund operates
                                                  outstanding shares of one or more                       Holdings held by a Fund as are used for                 in a master-feeder structure, applicants
                                                  Affiliated Funds making that investor an                calculating ‘‘in-kind’’ redemptions or                  also request relief permitting the Feeder
                                                  affiliated person of an affiliated person               purchases, the Fund will ensure that its                Funds to engage in in-kind creations
                                                  of the Funds.                                           NAV will not be adversely affected by                   and redemptions with the applicable
                                                     21. Applicants request an exemption                  such securities transactions. Applicants                Master Fund. Applicants state that the
                                                  from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the              also note that the ability to take deposits             customary section 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2)
                                                  Act pursuant to sections 6(c) and 17(b)                 and make redemptions ‘‘in-kind’’ will                   relief would not be sufficient to permit
                                                  of the Act to permit persons that are                   help each Fund to track closely its                     such transactions because the Feeder
                                                  affiliated persons of the Funds, or an                  Underlying Index and therefore aid in                   Funds and the applicable Master Fund
                                                  affiliated person of such affiliated                    achieving the Fund’s objectives.                        could also be affiliated by virtue of
                                                  person of the Funds, solely by virtue of                   23. Applicants also seek relief under                having the same investment adviser.
                                                  one or more of the following: (a)                       sections 6(c) and 17(b) from section                    However, applicants believe that in-
                                                  Holding 5% or more, or in excess of                     17(a) to permit a Fund that is an                       kind creations and redemptions
                                                  25%, of the outstanding Shares of one                   affiliated person, or an affiliated person              between a Feeder Fund and a Master
                                                  or more Funds; (b) an affiliation with a                of an affiliated person, of a Fund of                   Fund advised by the same investment
                                                  person with an ownership interest                       Funds to sell its Shares to and redeem                  adviser do not involve ‘‘overreaching’’
                                                  described in (a); or (c) holding 5% or                  its Shares from a Fund of Funds, and to                 by an affiliated person. Such
                                                  more, or more than 25%, of the shares                   engage in the accompanying in-kind                      transactions will occur only at the
                                                  of one or more Affiliated Funds, to                     transactions with the Fund of Funds.34                  Feeder Fund’s proportionate share of
                                                  effectuate purchases and redemptions                    Applicants state that the terms of the                  the Master Fund’s net assets, and the
                                                  ‘‘in-kind.’’                                            transactions are fair and reasonable and                distributed securities will be valued in
                                                     22. Applicants assert that no useful                 do not involve overreaching. Applicants                 the same manner as they are valued for
                                                  purpose would be served by prohibiting                  note that any consideration paid by a                   the purposes of calculating the
                                                  such affiliated persons from making ‘‘in-               Fund of Funds for the purchase or                       applicable Master Fund’s NAV. Further,
                                                  kind’’ purchases or ‘‘in-kind’’                         redemption of Shares directly from a                    all such transactions will be effected
                                                  redemptions of Shares of a Fund in                      Fund will be based on the NAV of the                    with respect to pre-determined
                                                  Creation Units. Both the deposit                        Fund.35 Applicants believe that any                     securities and on the same terms with
                                                  procedures for ‘‘in-kind’’ purchases of                 proposed transactions directly between                  respect to all investors. Finally, such
                                                  Creation Units and the redemption                       the Funds and Funds of Funds will be                    transaction would only occur as a result
                                                  procedures for ‘‘in-kind’’ redemptions of               consistent with the policies of each                    of, and to effectuate, a creation or
                                                  Creation Units will be effected in                      Fund of Funds. The purchase of                          redemption transaction between the
                                                  exactly the same manner for all                         Creation Units by a Fund of Funds                       Feeder Fund and a third-party investor.
                                                  purchases and redemptions, regardless                   directly from a Fund will be                            Applicants believe that the terms of the
                                                  of size or number. There will be no                     accomplished in accordance with the                     proposed transactions are reasonable
                                                  discrimination between purchasers or                    investment restrictions of any such                     and fair and do not involve
                                                  redeemers. Deposit Instruments and                      Fund of Funds and will be consistent                    overreaching on the part of any person
                                                  Redemption Instruments for each Fund                    with the investment policies set forth in               concerned, the proposed transactions
                                                  will be valued in the identical manner                  the Fund of Funds’ registration                         are consistent with the policy of each
                                                  as those Portfolio Holdings currently                                                                           Fund and will be consistent with the
                                                  held by such Fund, or its respective                       34 Although applicants believe that most Funds of
                                                                                                                                                                  investment objectives and policies of
                                                  Master Fund, and the valuation of the                   Funds will purchase Shares in the secondary
                                                                                                          market and will not purchase Creation Units             each Fund of Funds, and the proposed
                                                  Deposit Instruments and Redemption                      directly from a Fund, a Fund of Funds might seek        transactions are consistent with the
                                                  Instruments will be made in an identical                to transact in Creation Units directly with a Fund      general purposes of the Act.
                                                  manner regardless of the identity of the                that is an affiliated person of a Fund of Funds. To
                                                  purchaser or redeemer. Applicants do                    the extent that purchases and sales of Shares occur     Applicants’ Conditions
                                                                                                          in the secondary market and not through principal
                                                  not believe that ‘‘in-kind’’ purchases                  transactions directly between a Fund of Funds and         Applicants agree that any order of the
                                                  and redemptions will result in abusive                  a Fund, relief from section 17(a) would not be          Commission granting the requested
                                                  self-dealing or overreaching, but rather                necessary. However, the requested relief would          relief will be subject to the following
                                                  assert that such procedures will be                     apply to direct sales of Shares in Creation Units by
                                                                                                          a Fund to a Fund of Funds and redemptions of            conditions:
                                                  implemented consistently with each                      those Shares. Applicants are not seeking relief from
                                                  Fund’s objectives and with the general                  section 17(a) for, and the requested relief will not
                                                                                                                                                                  A. ETF Relief
                                                  purposes of the Act. Applicants believe                 apply to, transactions where a Fund could be              1. The requested relief to permit ETF
                                                  that ‘‘in-kind’’ purchases and                          deemed an affiliated person, or an affiliated person    operations, other than the Master-Feeder
                                                                                                          of an affiliated person of a Fund of Funds because
                                                  redemptions will be made on terms                       an Adviser or an entity controlling, controlled by      Relief, will expire on the effective date
                                                  reasonable to Applicants and any                        or under common control with an Adviser provides        of any Commission rule under the Act
                                                  affiliated persons because they will be                 investment advisory services to that Fund of Funds.     that provides relief permitting the
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                                                                                                             35 Applicants acknowledge that the receipt of
                                                  valued pursuant to verifiable objective                                                                         operation of index-based ETFs.
                                                                                                          compensation by (a) an affiliated person of a Fund
                                                  standards. The method of valuing                        of Funds, or an affiliated person of such person, for
                                                                                                                                                                    2. As long as a Fund operates in
                                                  Portfolio Holdings held by a Fund is                    the purchase by the Fund of Funds of Shares of a        reliance on the requested order, the
                                                  identical to that used for calculating                  Fund or (b) an affiliated person of a Fund, or an       Shares of such Fund will be listed on an
                                                  ‘‘in-kind’’ purchase or redemption                      affiliated person of such person, for the sale by the   Exchange.
                                                                                                          Fund of its Shares to a Fund of Funds, may be
                                                  values and therefore creates no                         prohibited by section 17(e)(1) of the Act. The FOF
                                                                                                                                                                    3. Neither the Trust nor any Fund will
                                                  opportunity for affiliated persons or                   Participation Agreement also will include this          be advertised or marketed as an open-
                                                  affiliated persons of affiliated persons of             acknowledgment.                                         end investment company or a mutual


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                                                  20708                             Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices

                                                  fund. Any advertising material that                     Funds’ Sub-Adviser acts as the                        Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor of the
                                                  describes the purchase or sale of                       investment adviser within the meaning                 Investing Trust, or an affiliated person
                                                  Creation Units or refers to redeemability               of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the Act.                    of the Fund of Funds Adviser, or trustee
                                                  will prominently disclose that Shares                      2. No Fund of Funds or Fund of                     or Sponsor of the Investing Trust, other
                                                  are not individually redeemable and                     Funds Affiliate will cause any existing               than any advisory fees paid to the Fund
                                                  that owners of Shares may acquire those                 or potential investment by the Fund of                of Funds Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor
                                                  Shares from the Fund and tender those                   Funds in a Fund to influence the terms                of an Investing Trust, or its affiliated
                                                  Shares for redemption to a Fund in                      of any services or transactions between               person by the Fund, or its respective
                                                  Creation Units only.                                    the Fund of Funds or Fund of Funds                    Master Fund, in connection with the
                                                     4. The Web site, which is and will be                Affiliate and the Fund, or its respective             investment by the Fund of Funds in the
                                                  publicly accessible at no charge, will                  Master Fund, or a Fund Affiliate.                     Fund. Any Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser
                                                  contain, on a per Share basis for each                     3. The board of directors or trustees of           will waive fees otherwise payable to the
                                                  Fund, the prior Business Day’s NAV and                  an Investing Management Company,                      Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, directly or
                                                  the market closing price or the midpoint                including a majority of the disinterested             indirectly, by the Investing Management
                                                  of the bid/ask spread at the time of the                directors or trustees, will adopt                     Company in an amount at least equal to
                                                  calculation of such NAV (‘‘Bid/Ask                      procedures reasonably designed to                     any compensation received from a
                                                  Price’’), and a calculation of the                      ensure that the Fund of Funds Adviser                 Fund, or its respective Master Fund, by
                                                  premium or discount of the market                       and Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser are                     the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, or an
                                                  closing price or Bid/Ask Price against                  conducting the investment program of                  affiliated person of the Fund of Funds
                                                  such NAV.                                               the Investing Management Company                      Sub-Adviser, other than any advisory
                                                     5. Each Self-Indexing Fund, Long/                    without taking into account any                       fees paid to the Fund of Funds Sub-
                                                  Short Fund and 130/30 Fund will post                    consideration received by the Investing               Adviser or its affiliated person by the
                                                  on the Web site on each Business Day,                   Management Company or a Fund of                       Fund, or its respective Master Fund, in
                                                  before commencement of trading of                       Funds Affiliate from a Fund, or its                   connection with the investment by the
                                                  Shares on the Exchange, the Fund’s, or                  respective Master Fund, or Fund                       Investing Management Company in the
                                                  its respective Master Fund’s, Portfolio                 Affiliate in connection with any services             Fund made at the direction of the Fund
                                                  Holdings.                                               or transactions.                                      of Funds Sub-Adviser. In the event that
                                                     6. No Adviser or any Sub-Adviser to                     4. Once an investment by a Fund of                 the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser waives
                                                  a Self-Indexing Fund, directly or                       Funds in the securities of a Fund                     fees, the benefit of the waiver will be
                                                  indirectly, will cause any Authorized                   exceeds the limits in section                         passed through to the Investing
                                                  Participant (or any investor on whose                   12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, the Board of               Management Company.
                                                  behalf an Authorized Participant may                    the Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                 6. No Fund of Funds or Fund of
                                                  transact with the Self-Indexing Fund) to                including a majority of the directors or              Funds Affiliate (except to the extent it
                                                  acquire any Deposit Instrument for the                  trustees who are not ‘‘interested                     is acting in its capacity as an investment
                                                  Self-Indexing Fund, or its respective                   persons’’ within the meaning of section               adviser to a Fund) will cause a Fund, or
                                                  Master Fund, through a transaction in                   2(a)(19) of the Act (‘‘non-interested                 its respective Master Fund, to purchase
                                                  which the Self-Indexing Fund, or its                    Board members’’), will determine that                 a security in any Affiliated
                                                  respective Master Fund, could not                       any consideration paid by the Fund, or                Underwriting.
                                                  engage directly.                                        its respective Master Fund, to the Fund                  7. The Board of a Fund, or its
                                                                                                          of Funds or a Fund of Funds Affiliate                 respective Master Fund, including a
                                                  B. Fund of Funds Relief
                                                                                                          in connection with any services or                    majority of the non-interested Board
                                                     1. The members of a Fund of Funds’                   transactions: (i) Is fair and reasonable in           members, will adopt procedures
                                                  Advisory Group will not control                         relation to the nature and quality of the             reasonably designed to monitor any
                                                  (individually or in the aggregate) a                    services and benefits received by the                 purchases of securities by the Fund, or
                                                  Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                    Fund, or its respective Master Fund; (ii)             its respective Master Fund, in an
                                                  within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of                is within the range of consideration that             Affiliated Underwriting, once an
                                                  the Act. The members of a Fund of                       the Fund would be required to pay to                  investment by a Fund of Funds in the
                                                  Funds’ Sub-Advisory Group will not                      another unaffiliated entity in connection             securities of the Fund exceeds the limit
                                                  control (individually or in the aggregate)              with the same services or transactions;               of section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act,
                                                  a Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                  and (iii) does not involve overreaching               including any purchases made directly
                                                  within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of                on the part of any person concerned.                  from an Underwriting Affiliate. The
                                                  the Act. If, as a result of a decrease in               This condition does not apply with                    Board will review these purchases
                                                  the outstanding voting securities of a                  respect to any services or transactions               periodically, but no less frequently than
                                                  Fund, the Fund of Funds’ Advisory                       between a Fund, or its respective Master              annually, to determine whether the
                                                  Group or the Fund of Funds’ Sub-                        Fund, and its investment adviser(s), or               purchases were influenced by the
                                                  Advisory Group, each in the aggregate,                  any person controlling, controlled by or              investment by the Fund of Funds in the
                                                  becomes a holder of more than 25                        under common control with such                        Fund. The Board will consider, among
                                                  percent of the outstanding voting                       investment adviser(s).                                other things: (i) Whether the purchases
                                                  securities of a Fund, it will vote its                     5. The Fund of Funds Adviser, or                   were consistent with the investment
                                                  Shares of the Fund in the same                          trustee or Sponsor of an Investing Trust,             objectives and policies of the Fund, or
                                                  proportion as the vote of all other                     as applicable, will waive fees otherwise              its respective Master Fund; (ii) how the
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                                                  holders of the Fund’s Shares. This                      payable to it by the Fund of Funds in                 performance of securities purchased in
                                                  condition does not apply to the Fund of                 an amount at least equal to any                       an Affiliated Underwriting compares to
                                                  Funds’ Sub-Advisory Group with                          compensation (including fees received                 the performance of comparable
                                                  respect to a Fund, or its respective                    pursuant to any plan adopted by a                     securities purchased during a
                                                  Master Fund, for which the Fund of                      Fund, or its respective Master Fund,                  comparable period of time in
                                                  Funds’ Sub-Adviser or a person                          under rule 12b–1 under the Act)                       underwritings other than Affiliated
                                                  controlling, controlled by or under                     received from a Fund, or its respective               Underwritings or to a benchmark such
                                                  common control with the Fund of                         Master Fund, by the Fund of Funds                     as a comparable market index; and (iii)


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                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2016 / Notices                                              20709

                                                  whether the amount of securities                        board of directors or trustees of each                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
                                                  purchased by the Fund, or its respective                Investing Management Company                          COMMISSION
                                                  Master Fund, in Affiliated                              including a majority of the disinterested
                                                                                                                                                                [Release No. 34–77509; File No. SR–
                                                  Underwritings and the amount                            directors or trustees, will find that the             BatsBZX–2016–02]
                                                  purchased directly from an                              advisory fees charged under such
                                                  Underwriting Affiliate have changed                     contract are based on services provided               Self-Regulatory Organizations; Bats
                                                  significantly from prior years. The                     that will be in addition to, rather than              BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing
                                                  Board will take any appropriate actions                 duplicative of, the services provided                 and Immediate Effectiveness of
                                                  based on its review, including, if                      under the advisory contract(s) of any                 Proposed Rule Changes in Connection
                                                  appropriate, the institution of                                                                               With the Operation of the Exchange’s
                                                                                                          Fund, or its respective Master Fund, in
                                                  procedures designed to ensure that                                                                            Equity Options Platform
                                                                                                          which the Investing Management
                                                  purchases of securities in Affiliated
                                                  Underwritings are in the best interest of               Company may invest. These findings                    April 4, 2016.
                                                  shareholders of the Fund.                               and their basis will be fully recorded in                Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
                                                     8. Each Fund, or its respective Master               the minute books of the appropriate                   Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
                                                  Fund, will maintain and preserve                        Investing Management Company.                         ‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
                                                  permanently in an easily accessible                       11. Any sales charges and/or service                notice is hereby given that on March 24,
                                                  place a written copy of the procedures                  fees charged with respect to shares of a              2016, Bats BZX Exchange, Inc. (the
                                                  described in the preceding condition,                   Fund of Funds will not exceed the                     ‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘BZX’’) filed with the
                                                  and any modifications to such                           limits applicable to a fund of funds as               Securities and Exchange Commission
                                                  procedures, and will maintain and                       set forth in NASD Conduct Rule 2830.                  (‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule
                                                  preserve for a period of not less than six                                                                    change as described in Items I and II
                                                  years from the end of the fiscal year in                  12. No Fund, or its respective Master
                                                                                                                                                                below, which Items have been prepared
                                                  which any purchase in an Affiliated                     Fund, will acquire securities of an
                                                                                                                                                                by the Exchange. The Exchange has
                                                  Underwriting occurred, the first two                    investment company or company                         designated this proposal as a ‘‘non-
                                                  years in an easily accessible place, a                  relying on section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of              controversial’’ proposed rule change
                                                  written record of each purchase of                      the Act in excess of the limits contained             pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the
                                                  securities in Affiliated Underwritings                  in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act, except             Act 3 and Rule 19b–4(f)(6)(iii)
                                                  once an investment by a Fund of Funds                   to the extent (i) the Fund, or its                    thereunder,4 which renders it effective
                                                  in the securities of the Fund exceeds the               respective Master Fund, acquires                      upon filing with the Commission. The
                                                  limit of section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act,             securities of another investment                      Commission is publishing this notice to
                                                  setting forth from whom the securities                  company pursuant to exemptive relief                  solicit comments on the proposed rule
                                                  were acquired, the identity of the                      from the Commission permitting the                    change from interested persons.
                                                  underwriting syndicate’s members, the                   Fund, or its respective Master Fund, to
                                                  terms of the purchase, and the                                                                                I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                                                                          acquire securities of one or more
                                                  information or materials upon which                                                                           Statement of the Terms of Substance of
                                                                                                          investment companies for short-term
                                                  the Board’s determinations were made.                                                                         the Proposed Rule Change
                                                                                                          cash management purposes, (ii) the
                                                     9. Before investing in a Fund in                                                                              The Exchange filed a proposal to
                                                                                                          Fund acquires securities of the Master
                                                  excess of the limit in section                                                                                amend Rule 21.15, Data Dissemination,
                                                                                                          Fund pursuant to the Master-Feeder
                                                  12(d)(1)(A), a Fund of Funds and the                                                                          in connection with the operation BZX
                                                  Trust will execute a FOF Participation                  Relief, or (iii) the Fund invests in a
                                                                                                          Wholly-Owned Subsidiary that is a                     Options, as described below. In
                                                  Agreement stating, without limitation,                                                                        connection with this change the
                                                  that their respective boards of directors               wholly-owned and controlled
                                                                                                          subsidiary of the Fund (or its respective             Exchange also proposes to adopt
                                                  or trustees and their investment                                                                              definitions of ‘‘Priority Customer’’ and
                                                  advisers, or trustee and Sponsor, as                    Master Fund) as described in the
                                                                                                                                                                ‘‘Priority Customer Order’’ in Rule 16.1.
                                                  applicable, understand the terms and                    Application. Further, no Wholly-Owned
                                                                                                                                                                Finally, the Exchange also proposes a
                                                  conditions of the order, and agree to                   Subsidiary will acquire securities of any             related change to Rule 20.6.
                                                  fulfill their responsibilities under the                other investment company or company                      The text of the proposed rule change
                                                  order. At the time of its investment in                 relying on section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of              is available at the Exchange’s Web site
                                                  Shares of a Fund in excess of the limit                 the Act other than money market funds                 at www.batstrading.com, at the
                                                  in section 12(d)(1)(A)(i), a Fund of                    that comply with rule 2a–7 for short-                 principal office of the Exchange, and at
                                                  Funds will notify the Fund of the                       term cash management purposes.                        the Commission’s Public Reference
                                                  investment. At such time, the Fund of                                                                         Room.
                                                                                                            For the Commission, by the Division of
                                                  Funds will also transmit to the Fund a
                                                                                                          Investment Management, under delegated                II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                  list of the names of each Fund of Funds
                                                                                                          authority.                                            Statement of the Purpose of, and
                                                  Affiliate and Underwriting Affiliate. The
                                                  Fund of Funds will notify the Fund of                   Robert W. Errett,                                     Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
                                                  any changes to the list of the names as                 Deputy Secretary.                                     Change
                                                  soon as reasonably practicable after a                  [FR Doc. 2016–08047 Filed 4–7–16; 8:45 am]              In its filing with the Commission, the
                                                  change occurs. The Fund and the Fund                    BILLING CODE 8011–01–P                                Exchange included statements
                                                  of Funds will maintain and preserve a                                                                         concerning the purpose of and basis for
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                  copy of the order, the FOF Participation                                                                      the proposed rule change and discussed
                                                  Agreement, and the list with any                                                                              any comments it received on the
                                                  updated information for the duration of                                                                       proposed rule change. The text of these
                                                  the investment and for a period of not
                                                  less than six years thereafter, the first                                                                       1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
                                                  two years in an easily accessible place.                                                                        2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
                                                     10. Before approving any advisory                                                                            3 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).

                                                  contract under section 15 of the Act, the                                                                       4 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6)(iii).




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Document Created: 2018-02-07 13:50:29
Document Modified: 2018-02-07 13:50:29
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.
DatesThe application was filed on August 4, 2015, and amended on December 11, 2015.
ContactCourtney S. Thornton, Senior Counsel, at (202) 551-6812, or Mary Kay Frech, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6821 (Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel's Office).
FR Citation81 FR 20699 

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