MANAGEMENT
BOARD
OF TRUSTEES. The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the management and business affairs of the
Funds. The Board oversees the operations of each Fund by its officers. The Board also reviews management of each Fund’s assets
by the investment advisor and sub-advisor. Information about the Board of Trustees and executive officers of the Funds is contained
in the SAI.
ADVISOR. Syntax
Advisors, LLC (“Syntax” or the “Advisor”) serves as the investment advisor to the Funds and, subject to
the supervision of the Board, is responsible for the investment management of the Funds, executed through the selection of the
sub-advisor for portfolio management and other agreed upon activities. Syntax has been a registered investment adviser since April
21, 2017. Syntax is owned by Syntax LLC and is controlled by Rory Riggs. As the Funds’ investment adviser, Syntax provides
an investment management program for the Funds and manages the investment of the Funds’ assets through sub-advisory relationships.
The Advisor’s principal business address is One Liberty Plaza, 46th Floor, New York, NY 10006.
For the services provided to each Fund
under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund expects to pay the Advisor the annual fee set forth below, which is based on
a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
Fund
|
|
Advisory Fee
|
|
Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF
|
|
|
0.45
|
%
|
Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF
|
|
|
0.45
|
%
|
Under the Investment Advisory
Agreement, the Advisor agrees to pay all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest expense, (ii) taxes, (iii) acquired fund fees
and expenses, (iv) brokerage expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution of portfolio transactions
or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with shareholder meetings, (vi) compensation
and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s chief compliance officer and his
or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with
any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith,
(x) extraordinary expenses of the Funds and (xi) fees payable to the Advisor. The payment or assumption by the Advisor of any expense
of the Funds that the Advisor is not required by the Investment Advisory Agreement to pay or assume shall not obligate the Advisor
to pay or assume the same or any similar expense of the Funds on any subsequent occasion.
Contractual arrangements have been made
with Syntax, through one year from the effective date of this prospectus, to waive fees and/or reimburse Fund expenses to the extent
that a Fund’s total operating expenses exceed the rates below, excluding, as applicable, (i) interest expense, (ii) taxes,
(iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) brokerage expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the execution
of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with shareholder
meetings, (vi) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s chief
compliance officer and his or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending
or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith, and (x) extraordinary expenses of the
Fund. These arrangements cannot be terminated prior to one year from the effective date of this prospectus, without the approval
of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Syntax is entitled to reimbursement by a Fund of fees waived or expenses reduced during
any of the previous 36 months if on any day the estimated annualized fund operating expenses are less than the cap. A Fund may
only make repayments to Syntax if such repayment does not cause the Fund’s expense ratio (after the repayment is taken into
account) to exceed both: (1) the Fund’s net expense ratio in place at the time such amounts were waived; and (2) the Fund’s
current net expense ratio (before recoupment).
Fund
|
|
Total Operating
Expenses after
Waiver/Reimbursement
|
|
Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF
|
|
|
0.30
|
%
|
Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF
|
|
|
0.30
|
%
|
SUB-ADVISOR. Pursuant
to an investment sub-advisory agreement with Syntax, Vantage Consulting Group (“Vantage” or the “Sub-Advisor”)
serves as the sub-advisor to the Funds and performs the day to day management of the Funds and places orders for the purchase and
sale of securities for the Funds. For its services to the Funds, the Sub-Advisor is compensated by Syntax. The Sub-Advisor has
been a registered investment advisor since June 2, 1986 and is owned by Mark T. Finn. As of December 31, 2019, the Sub-Advisor
managed approximately $2.3 billion in assets. The Sub-Advisor’s principal business address is 3500 Pacific Ave., Virginia
Beach, VA 23451.
A discussion regarding the Board’s
consideration of the investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements will be found in the Trust’s next Annual or Semi-Annual
Report to Shareholders, as applicable.
PORTFOLIO
MANAGER. The Funds are managed by the portfolio manager listed below.
Portfolio Manager
|
Business Experience over Past 5 Years
|
James Thomas Wolfe
|
Mr. Wolfe currently serves as portfolio manager. He has held a variety of positions since joining Vantage in 1988 including trader, operations manager, and systems developer specializing in quantitative modeling, and he is currently head trader. Mr. Wolfe is an investment professional with over 30 years of experience. Mr. Wolfe received his BA from Virginia Wesleyan College in 1983 and an MBA from the College of William and Mary in 1989.
|
Additional information about the portfolio
manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities
in the Funds is available in the SAI.
Administrator, Custodian and Transfer
Agent
State Street Bank and Trust Company is
the Administrator for the Funds, the Transfer Agent to the Funds and the Custodian for the Funds’ assets.
Distributor
Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”)
is the distributor of the Fund Shares of each Fund. The Distributor will not distribute Fund Shares in less than Creation Units,
and it does not maintain a secondary market in the Fund Shares. The Distributor may enter into selected dealer agreements with
other broker-dealers or other qualified financial institutions for the sale of Creation Units of Fund Shares.
Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm
Ernst & Young LLP serves as the independent
registered public accounting firm for the Trust.
Independent Auditors
Ernst & Young, Dublin,
Ireland, serves as the independent auditors for the Syntax 400 Series of Syntax Index Series, LP.
Legal Counsel
Chapman and Cutler LLP serves as legal
counsel to the Trust and the Funds.
INDEX/TRADEMARK LICENSES AND DISCLAIMER
Syntax LLC, the Index Provider, is affiliated
with the Trust and the Advisor. The Advisor (“Licensee”) has entered into license agreements with the Index Provider
pursuant to which the Advisor pays a fee to use the Indices. The Advisor is sub-licensing rights to the Indices to the Funds at
no charge.
The Syntax Stratified SmallCap Index and
Syntax Stratified MidCap Index (each an “Index” and collectively the “Indices”) are the property of Syntax
LLC, which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) to calculate and maintain the
Indices. The Indices are not sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates or its third-party licensors, including
Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”).
S&P Dow Jones Indices will not be liable for any errors or omissions in calculating the Indices. “Calculated by S&P
Dow Jones Indices” and the related stylized mark(s) are service marks of S&P Dow Jones Indices and have been licensed
for use by Syntax LLC. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC,
and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC.
The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed,
sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express
or implied, to the owners of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally
or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Funds’ Indices to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones
Indices’ only relationship to Syntax LLC with respect to the Indices is the licensing of the S&P MidCap 400®
Index and the S&P SmallCap 600® Index and their constituents, certain trademarks, service marks and trade
names of S&P Dow Jones Indices, and the provision of the calculation services related to the Indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices
is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the Funds or the timing of the
issuance or sale of the Funds or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Funds may be converted into cash
or other redemption mechanics. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration,
marketing or trading of the Fund. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within an
Index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it investment advice.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE
THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION WITH RESPECT
THERETO, INCLUDING, ORAL, WRITTEN, OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES
OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN EXCEPT THOSE ARISING FROM FRAUD OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF S&P.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY SYNTAX LLC, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON
OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT
WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME, OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION
Fund Shares are listed for secondary trading
on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold in the secondary market
through a broker-dealer. The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays:
New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Independence
Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Exchange may close early on the business day before certain holidays and
on the day after Thanksgiving Day. Exchange holiday schedules are subject to change without notice. If you buy or sell Shares in
the secondary market, you will pay the secondary market price for Shares. In addition, you may incur customary brokerage commissions
and charges and may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of
a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.
The trading prices of each Fund’s
Shares will fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than the Fund’s net
asset value, which is calculated at the end of each business day. The Shares will trade on the Exchange at prices that may be above
(i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount), to varying degrees, the daily net asset value of the Shares. The trading prices
of each Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from its net asset value during periods of market volatility. Given, however,
that Shares can be issued and redeemed daily in Creation Units, the Advisor believes that large discounts and premiums to net asset
value should not be sustained over long periods. Information showing the number of days the market price of a Fund’s Shares
was greater than the Fund’s net asset value and the number of days it was less than the Fund’s net asset value (i.e.,
premium or discount) for various time periods is available by visiting the Funds’ website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com.
The Exchange will disseminate, every fifteen
seconds during the regular trading day, an indicative optimized portfolio value (“IOPV”) relating to each Fund. The
IOPV calculations are estimates of the value of the Fund’s net asset value per Share using market data converted into U.S.
dollars at the current currency rates. The IOPV price is based on quotes and closing prices from the securities’ local market
and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close. Premiums and discounts between the IOPV and
the market price may occur. This should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the net asset value per Share of a
Fund, which is calculated only once a day. Neither the Funds, nor the Advisor or any of their affiliates are involved in, or responsible
for, the calculation or dissemination of such IOPVs and make no warranty as to their accuracy.
The Funds do not impose any restrictions
on the frequency of purchases and redemptions; however, the Funds reserve the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as
described in the SAI. When considering that no restriction or policy was necessary, the Board evaluated the risks posed by market
timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would occur, for example from an investor’s efforts
to take advantage of a potential arbitrage opportunity, and would interfere with the efficient implementation of each Fund’s
investment strategy, or whether they would cause the Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that,
unlike traditional mutual funds, Fund Shares are issued and redeemed only in the large quantities of Creation Units available only
from the Fund directly, and that most trading in the Fund occurs on the Exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve
the Fund directly. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is unlikely that (a) market timing would be attempted by
a Fund’s shareholders or (b) any attempts to market time a Fund by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Fund
or its shareholders.
BOOK ENTRY. Shares of the Funds are held
in book-entry form and no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), through its nominee
Cede & Co., is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial
owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. Participants
in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly
or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical
delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares.
Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants.
These procedures are the same as those
that apply to any securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” form for any publicly-traded company. Specifically,
in the case of a shareholder meeting of a Fund, DTC assigns applicable Cede & Co. voting rights to its participants that have
Shares credited to their accounts on the record date, issues an omnibus proxy and forwards the omnibus proxy to the Fund. The omnibus
proxy transfers the voting authority from Cede & Co. to the DTC participant. This gives the DTC participant through whom you
own Shares (namely, your broker, dealer, bank, trust company or other nominee) authority to vote the shares, and, in turn, the
DTC participant is obligated to follow the voting instructions you provide.
DISTRIBUTIONS
DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS. As
a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of a Fund’s income and net realized gains on its investments. Each Fund pays
out substantially all of its net earnings to its shareholders as “distributions.”
A Fund typically earns income dividends
from stocks. These amounts, net of expenses and taxes (if applicable), are passed along to Fund shareholders as “income dividend
distributions.” The Fund realizes capital gains or losses whenever it sells securities. Net long-term capital gains are distributed
to shareholders as “capital gain distributions.”
Income dividend distributions, if any,
for the Funds are generally distributed to shareholders annually, but may vary significantly from period to period. Net capital
gains for the Funds are distributed at least annually. Dividends may be declared and paid more frequently or at any other times
to improve Index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
“Internal Revenue Code”).
Distributions in cash may be reinvested
automatically in additional whole Fund Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available.
Distributions which are reinvested will nevertheless be taxable to the same extent as if such distributions had not been reinvested.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE
A description of the Funds’ policies
and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio securities is available in the Funds’ SAI.
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION
The following is a summary of certain U.S.
federal income tax considerations applicable to an investment in Shares of a Fund. The summary is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), U.S. Treasury Department regulations promulgated thereunder,
and judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all as in effect on the date of this Prospectus and all of which are subject
to change, possibly with retroactive effect. In addition, this summary assumes that a shareholder holds Shares as capital assets
within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code and does not hold Shares in connection with a trade or business. This summary does
not address all potential U.S. federal income tax considerations possibly applicable to an investment in Shares of a Fund, and
does not address the consequences to Fund shareholders subject to special tax rules, including, but not limited to, partnerships
and the partners therein, tax-exempt shareholders, those who hold Fund Shares through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged
account, and, except to the extent discussed below, “non-U.S. shareholders” (as defined below). This discussion does
not discuss any aspect of U.S. state, local, estate, and gift, or non-U.S., tax law. Furthermore, this discussion is not intended
or written to be legal or tax advice to any shareholder in a Fund or other person and is not intended or written to be used or
relied on, and cannot be used or relied on, by any such person for the purpose of avoiding any U.S. federal tax penalties that
may be imposed on such person. Prospective Fund shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the specific
U.S. federal, state and local, and non-U.S., tax consequences of investing in Shares, based on their particular circumstances.
The Funds have not requested and will not
request an advance ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) as to the U.S. federal income tax matters
described below. The IRS could adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such positions could be sustained. Prospective
investors should consult their own tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership or
disposition of Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, locality, non-U.S. country or other
taxing jurisdiction. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the section in the SAI entitled
“U.S. Federal Income Taxation.”
Tax Treatment of the Funds
Each Fund intends to qualify and elect
to be treated as a separate “regulated investment company” (a “RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code. To
qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs, a Fund must meet certain annual income and quarterly
asset diversification requirements and must distribute annually at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company taxable
income” (which includes dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains) and (ii) certain net tax-exempt income, if
any.
As a RIC, a Fund generally will not be
required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders.
If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any year (subject to certain curative measures allowed by the Internal Revenue Code), the
Fund will be subject to regular corporate-level U.S. federal income tax in that year on all of its taxable income, regardless of
whether the Fund makes any distributions to its shareholders. In addition, in such case, distributions will be taxable to the Fund’s
shareholders generally as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. The
remainder of this discussion assumes that each Fund will qualify for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs.
Each Fund will be subject to a 4% excise
tax on certain undistributed income if the Fund does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year at least 98% of its
ordinary income for the calendar year, 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year,
plus 100% of any undistributed amounts from prior years. For these purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any
amount on which it has been subject to U.S. corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. Each Fund
intends to make distributions necessary to avoid this 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to
do so.
A Fund may be required to recognize taxable
income in advance of receiving the related cash payment. For example, if a Fund invests in original issue discount obligations
(such as zero coupon debt instruments or debt instruments with payment-in-kind interest), the Fund will be required to include
in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the term of the obligation, even if the related
cash payment is not received by the Fund until a later year. Under the “wash sale” rules, a Fund may not be able to
deduct currently a loss on a disposition of a portfolio security. As a result, the Fund may be required to make an annual income
distribution greater than the total cash actually received during the year. Such distribution may be made from the existing cash
assets of the Fund or cash generated from selling portfolio securities. The Fund may realize gains or losses from such sales, in
which event its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions.
Tax Treatment of Fund Shareholders
Taxation of U.S. Shareholders
The following is a summary of certain U.S.
federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund Shares applicable to “U.S. shareholders.”
For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Fund Shares who, for U.S. federal income
tax purposes, is (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (or an entity treated
as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United
States, or of any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income
for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust, if (1) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary
supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions
of the trust, or (2) the trust has a valid election in place to be treated as a U.S. person.
Fund
Distributions. In general, Fund distributions are subject to U.S. federal income tax when paid, regardless of whether
they consist of cash or property, and regardless of whether they are re-invested in Shares. However, any Fund distribution declared
in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date during such month
will be deemed to have been received by the Fund shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year, provided such dividend is actually
paid during January of the following calendar year.
Distributions of a Fund’s net investment
income (except, as discussed below, qualified dividend income) and net short-term capital gains are taxable as ordinary income
to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. To the extent designated as capital gain dividends
by the Fund, distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses (“net
capital gain”) are taxable at long-term capital gain tax rates to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated
earnings and profits, regardless of the Fund shareholder’s holding period in the Fund’s Shares. Distributions of qualified
dividend income are, to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, taxed to certain non-corporate
Fund shareholders at the rates generally applicable to long-term capital gain, provided that the Fund shareholder meets certain
holding period and other requirements with respect to the distributing Fund’s Shares and the distributing Fund meets certain
holding period and other requirements with respect to its dividend-paying stocks. Substitute payments received on Fund Shares that
are lent out will be ineligible for being reported as qualified dividend income.
Each Fund intends to distribute its net
capital gain at least annually. However, by providing written notice to its shareholders no later than 60 days after its year-end,
the Fund may elect to retain some or all of its net capital gain and designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.”
In that event, the Fund pays U.S. federal income tax on the retained net capital gain, and the Fund shareholder recognizes a proportionate
share of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain. In addition, the Fund shareholder can claim a tax credit or refund for
the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s U.S. federal income taxes paid on the undistributed net capital
gain and increase the shareholder’s tax basis in the Shares by an amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share
of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain, reduced by the amount of the shareholder’s tax credit or refund.
Distributions in excess of a Fund’s
current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent
of the shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares of the Fund, and generally as capital gain thereafter.
In addition, high-income individuals (and
certain trusts and estates) generally will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare tax on “net investment income” in addition
to otherwise applicable U.S. federal income tax. “Net investment income” generally will include dividends (including
capital gain dividends) received from a Fund and net gains from the redemption or other disposition of Shares. Please consult your
tax advisor regarding this tax.
Investors considering buying Shares just
prior to a distribution should be aware that, although the price of the Shares purchased at such time may reflect the forthcoming
distribution, such distribution nevertheless may be taxable (as opposed to a non-taxable return of capital).
Sales
of Shares. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares generally is treated as a long-term gain
or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares
held for one year or less generally is treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on the sale or exchange
of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid
(or deemed to be paid) with respect to the Shares.
Creation
Unit Issues and Redemptions. On an issue of Shares of a Fund as part of a Creation Unit where the creation is conducted
in-kind, an Authorized Participant recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at
issue) of the issued Shares (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and (ii) the Authorized
Participant’s aggregate basis in the exchanged securities (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the
issue). On a redemption of Shares as part of a Creation Unit where the redemption is conducted in-kind, an Authorized Participant
recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at redemption) of the securities received
(plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s basis
in the redeemed Shares (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption). However, the IRS may assert,
under the “wash sale” rules or on the basis that there has been no significant change in the Authorized Participant’s
economic position, that any loss on creation or redemption of Creation Units cannot be deducted currently.
In general, any capital gain or loss recognized
upon the issue or redemption of Shares (as components of a Creation Unit) is treated either as long-term capital gain or loss,
if the deposited securities (in the case of an issue) or the Shares (in the case of a redemption) have been held for more than
one year, or otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss on a redemption of Shares held for six months
or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect
to such Shares.
Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders
The following is a summary of certain U.S.
federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund Shares applicable to “non-U.S. shareholders.”
For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Fund Shares that is not a U.S. shareholder
(as defined above) and is not an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The following
discussion is based on current law and is for general information only. It addresses only selected, and not all, aspects of U.S.
federal income taxation.
With respect to non-U.S. shareholders of
a Fund, the Fund’s ordinary income dividends generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or
at a lower rate established under an applicable tax treaty), subject to certain exceptions for “interest-related dividends”
and “short-term capital gain dividends” discussed below. U.S. federal withholding tax generally will not apply to any
gain realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of a Fund’s net capital gain. Special rules apply with respect to dividends
of the Fund that are attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of “U.S. real property interests.”
In general, all “interest-related
dividends” and “short-term capital gain dividends” (each defined below) will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding
tax, provided that the non-U.S. shareholder furnished the Fund with a completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, (or
acceptable substitute documentation) establishing the non-U.S. shareholder’s non-U.S. status and the Fund does not have actual
knowledge or reason to know that the non-U.S. shareholder would be subject to such withholding tax if the non-U.S. shareholder
were to receive the related amounts directly rather than as dividends from the Fund. “Interest-related dividends” generally
means dividends designated by the Fund as attributable to such Fund’s U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent
interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which such Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced
by expenses that are allocable to such income. “Short-term capital gain dividends” generally means dividends designated
by the Fund as attributable to the excess of such Fund’s net short-term capital gain over its net long-term capital loss.
Depending on its circumstances, the Fund may treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for these exemptions from
withholding.
In general, subject to certain exceptions,
non-U.S. shareholders will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax in respect of a sale or other disposition of
Shares of a Fund.
To claim a credit or refund for any Fund-level
taxes on any undistributed net capital gain (as discussed above) or any taxes collected through back-up withholding (discussed
below), a non-U.S. shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a U.S. federal income tax return even
if the non-U.S. shareholder would not otherwise be required to do so.
Back-Up
Withholding.
A Fund (or a financial intermediary such
as a broker through which a shareholder holds Shares in the Fund) may be required to report certain information on the Fund shareholder
to the IRS and withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”) at a current rate of 28% from taxable distributions
and redemption or sale proceeds payable to the Fund shareholder if (i) the Fund shareholder fails to provide the Fund with a correct
taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or if the IRS notifies the Fund that the Fund shareholder is otherwise
subject to backup withholding, and (ii) the Fund shareholder is not otherwise exempt from backup withholding. Non-U.S. shareholders
can qualify for exemption from backup withholding by submitting a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. Backup withholding
is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against the Fund shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
The U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance
Act (“FATCA”) generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on “withholdable payments” (defined below) made to
(i) a “foreign financial institution” (“FFI”), unless the FFI enters into an agreement with the IRS to
provide information regarding certain of its direct and indirect U.S. account holders and satisfy certain due diligence and other
specified requirements, and (ii) a “non-financial foreign entity” (“NFFE”) unless such NFFE provides certain
information about its direct and indirect “substantial U.S. owners” to the withholding agent or certifies that it has
no such U.S. owners. The beneficial owner of a withholdable payment may be eligible for a refund or credit of the withheld tax.
The U.S. government also has entered into several intergovernmental agreements with other jurisdictions to provide an alternative,
and generally easier, approach for FFIs to comply with FATCA. Withholdable payments generally include, among other items, (i) U.S.-source
interest and dividends, and (ii) gross proceeds from the sale or disposition, occurring on or after January 1, 2019, of property
of a type that can produce U.S.-source interest or dividends.
A Fund may be required to impose a 30%
withholding tax on withholdable payments to a shareholder if the shareholder fails to provide the Fund with the information, certifications
or documentation required under FATCA, including information, certification or documentation necessary for the Fund to determine
if the shareholder is a non-U.S. shareholder or a U.S. shareholder and, if it is a non-U.S. shareholder, if the non-U.S. shareholder
has “substantial U.S. owners” and/or is in compliance with (or meets an exception from) FATCA requirements. The Fund
will not pay any additional amounts to shareholders in respect of any amounts withheld. The Fund may disclose any shareholder information,
certifications or documentation to the IRS or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA.
The requirements of, and exceptions from,
FATCA are complex. All prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the potential application
of FATCA with respect to their own situation.
For a more detailed tax discussion regarding
an investment in the Funds, please see the section of the SAI entitled “U.S. Federal Income Taxation.”
GENERAL INFORMATION
Syntax ETF Trust was organized as a Delaware
statutory trust on June 27, 2013. If shareholders of a Fund are required to vote on any matters, shareholders are entitled to one
vote for each Share they own. Annual meetings of shareholders will not be held except as required by the 1940 Act and other applicable
law. See the SAI for more information concerning the Trust’s form of organization.
For purposes of the 1940 Act, Shares of
the Trust are issued by the respective series of the Trust and the acquisition of Shares by investment companies is subject to
the restrictions of section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. The Trust has received exemptive relief from Section 12(d)(1) to
allow registered investment companies to invest in the Funds beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain
terms and conditions as set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Trust, including that such investment companies enter
into an agreement with the Trust.
From time to time, a Fund may advertise
yield and total return figures. Yield is a historical measure of dividend income, and total return is a measure of past dividend
income (assuming that it has been reinvested) plus capital appreciation. Neither yield nor total return should be used to predict
the future performance of the Fund.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information showing the number of days
the market price of each Fund’s Shares was greater than the Fund’s NAV per Share (i.e. at a premium) and the number
of days it was less than the Fund’s NAV per Share (i.e. at a discount) for various time periods is available by visiting
the Funds’ website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
MAY 1, 2020 as Revised May 20, 2020
This Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the prospectus for the Trust dated May 1, 2020,
as Revised May 20, 2020, as it may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”).
Fund
|
Ticker
|
SYNTAX STRATIFIED LARGECAP ETF
|
SSPY
|
SYNTAX STRATIFIED MIDCAP ETF
|
SMDY
|
SYNTAX STRATIFIED SMALLCAP ETF
|
SSLY
|
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE
Arca, Inc.
Capitalized terms used herein that are
not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without
charge by writing to the Trust’s Distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC, at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine,
04101, by visiting the Funds’ website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com or calling (866) 972-4492.
Table of Contents
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The Trust is an open-end management investment
company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), currently consisting of
six investment series (the “Funds”). The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on June 27, 2013. The
offering of the Funds’ shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities
Act”). The investment objective of each Fund is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond
to the total return, of a specified market index (the “Index”). Syntax Advisors, LLC (“Syntax” or the “Advisor”)
serves as the investment adviser for the Funds. Vantage Consulting Group (“Vantage” or the “Sub-Advisor,”
and together with the Advisor, “Advisors”) serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Funds.
The Funds offer and issue Shares at their
net asset value (sometimes referred to herein as “NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each,
a “Creation Unit”). The Funds generally offer and issue Shares in exchange for a basket of securities included in their
Index (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”).
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”)
to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. The Shares have been approved for listing and secondary trading
on a national securities exchange (“Exchange”). The Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices
may differ from the Shares’ net asset values. The Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally
in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment. A Creation Unit of the Fund consists of 25,000 Shares, as set
forth in the Prospectus.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt
of all Deposit Securities subject to various conditions including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least
equal to a specified percentage of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities as set forth in the Participant Agreement
(as defined below). See “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units.” The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each
creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”) applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. In addition
to the fixed creation or redemption transaction fee, an additional transaction fee of up to three times the fixed creation or redemption
transaction fee and/or an additional variable charge may apply.
ADDITIONAL INDEX INFORMATION
The Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index, the
Syntax Stratified MidCap Index, and the Syntax Stratified SmallCap Index (each an “Index”, collectively the “Indices”)
are the Stratified Weight versions of the widely used S&P500® Index, S&P MidCap 400® Index,
and S&P SmallCap 600® Index, respectively. Each Index holds the same constituents as its corresponding index,
S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400 or S&P SmallCap 600, but the weight of each company in the Index is based on Syntax’s
patented methodology to control exposure to related business risks (RBRs).
The Indices were developed and are maintained
in accordance with the following criteria: (1) each of the component securities in each Index is a constituent company of the S&P
500® Index, the S&P MidCap 400® Index or S&P SmallCap 600® Index, as applicable;
and (2) the Indices are calculated by S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) based on methodology proprietary
to Syntax, LLC an affiliate of the investment adviser (the “Index Provider”), using a stratification methodology. The
Index Provider publishes information regarding the market value of each Index. For more information, please visit the Funds’
website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com.
Syntax Stratified Weight Indices represent
a major breakthrough in passive index weighting methodology in that they are designed (e.g. the product/services the company makes/provides,
the customers or end users the company sells to, or the inputs that it utilizes to make its product or service) to control for
the negative impacts of related business risks. When two or more companies’ earnings are affected by the same fundamental
drivers, we say that they share a related business risk. Syntax Indices utilize a proprietary functional information system (“FIS”)
developed by Syntax, LLC, to identify related business risks and implement a patented stratified weighting methodology that controls
for the inadvertent overweighting of related business risk that regularly occurs in capitalization-weighted and equal-weighted
indices. To learn more about FIS, please visit www.SyntaxAdvisors.com.
Stratified Weight Indices are a new class
of passive indexing that mitigates the negative impacts of overweighting related business risks without sacrificing upside performance
in normal markets. Stratified Weight Indices, together with capitalization-weight and equal-weight indices, form a complementary
suite of index weighting methods that each provide a different measure of market performance. Capitalization-weight indices measure
aggregate market performance, equal-weight indices measure average company performance, and Stratified Weight indices measure diversified
business performance. Each is an important market benchmark that offers different perspectives.
The investment objective of every Syntax
Index is to deliver returns consistent with the performance objectives of the underlying companies that make up the index. By using
FIS and stratification to control for exposure to related business risks, Syntax Indices are designed to improve the tracking of
the actual medium-to long-term performance of groups of companies and provide results that are the product of effective diversification,
rather than the overweighting of one or more outperforming groups. Because FIS defines the related business risks, Syntax Indices
are built as a more stable composite of those functional parts. While the major cap-weighted indices are designed to be a proxy
for the total market, Syntax, LLC believes that the Syntax Indices serve as a better basis for medium-to-long-term investments
in index-tracking funds.
Disclaimer
Syntax, LLC, the Index Provider, is affiliated
with the Trust and the Advisor. The Advisor (“Licensee”) has entered into license agreements with the Index Provider
pursuant to which the Advisor pays a fee to use the Index. The Advisor is sub-licensing rights to the Indices to the Funds at no
charge.
Each Index is the property of Syntax, LLC,
which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) to calculate and maintain the Indices.
The Indices are not sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates or its third-party licensors, including Standard
& Poor’s Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”).
S&P Dow Jones Indices will not be liable for any errors or omissions in calculating the Indices. “Calculated by S&P
Dow Jones Indices” and the related stylized mark(s) are service marks of S&P Dow Jones Indices and have been licensed
for use by Syntax, LLC. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC,
and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC.
The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed,
sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express
or implied, to the owners of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally
or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Indices to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’
only relationship to Syntax, LLC with respect to the Indices is the licensing of the S&P 500 Index, the S&P MidCap 400
Index, and S&P SmallCap 600 Index and their constituents, certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of S&P Dow
Jones Indices, and the provision of the calculation services related to each Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices is not responsible
for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the Funds or the timing of the issuance or sale of
the Funds or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Funds may be converted into cash or other redemption
mechanics. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading
of the Funds. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within each Index is not a recommendation
by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it investment advice.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE
THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION WITH RESPECT
THERETO, INCLUDING, ORAL, WRITTEN, OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES
OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN EXCEPT THOSE ARISING FROM FRAUD OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF S&P.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY SYNTAX, LLC, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON
OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT
WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME, OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.
INVESTMENT POLICIES
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
DIVERSIFICATION STATUS
Each Fund is classified as a
“diversified” investment company under the 1940 Act.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
Each Fund may invest in repurchase
agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities
lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security
issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject
to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day – as defined below). A repurchase
agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective
for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
In these repurchase agreement
transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess
of the value of the repurchase agreement and be held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15 percent
of a Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer
than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available
market quotations.
The use of repurchase agreements
involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying
security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If
the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code
or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of
the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an
unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
OTHER SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS
In addition to repurchase agreements,
each Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, cash and cash equivalents, on an ongoing basis
to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are
not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or
instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’
acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions;
(iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”)
or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”), or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined
by the Advisor; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date
of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi)
short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Advisor,
are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by a Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased
on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are
non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’
acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS
A discussion of the risks associated with
an investment in each Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction
with, the Prospectus.
GENERAL
Investment in a Fund should be
made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in
the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of securities generally and other factors.
An investment in a Fund should
also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial
condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities markets may deteriorate (either of which
may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of Shares). Securities are susceptible to general
market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change.
These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including expectations regarding government, economic,
monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political,
economic and banking crises.
Holders of common stocks incur
more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, have generally
inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations
or preferred stocks issued by, the issuer. Further, unlike debt securities which typically have a stated principal amount payable
at maturity (whose value, however, will be subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks which typically have
a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed
principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
The principal trading market
for some of the securities in the Index may be in the over-the-counter market. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain
securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be
made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of
a Fund’s Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent
or if bid/ask spreads are wide.
TAX RISKS
As with any investment, you should
consider how your investment in Shares of a Fund will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided
as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares of a
Fund.
CONTINUOUS OFFERING
The method by which Creation
Units of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of
Shares are issued and sold by the Trust on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in
the Securities Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending
on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory
underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker-dealer
firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Transfer Agent,
breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation
of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination
of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining
to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered
a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also
note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating
in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption
in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940
Act. Firms that incur a prospectus-delivery obligation with respect to Shares of a Fund are reminded that under Securities Act
Rule 153, a prospectus-delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection
with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the Fund’s Prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request.
The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment
restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Funds. These restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of the
holders of a majority of a Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of a Fund means the vote, at an annual or a special meeting of the security holders of the Trust, of the lesser
of (1) 67 percent or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50 percent
of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50 percent of the outstanding
voting securities of the Fund. Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, a Fund may not:
|
1.
|
Change its investment objective;
|
|
2.
|
Lend any funds or other assets except through the purchase of all or a portion of an issue of securities or obligations of the type in which it is permitted to invest (including participation interests in such securities or obligations) and except that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets;
|
|
3.
|
Issue senior securities or borrow money, except borrowings from banks for temporary or emergency purposes in an amount up to 10% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed), valued at market, less liabilities (not including the amount borrowed) valued at the time the borrowing is made, and the Fund will not purchase securities while borrowings in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets are outstanding, provided, that for purposes of this restriction, short-term credits necessary for the clearance of transactions are not considered borrowings (this limitation on purchases does not apply to acceptance by the Fund of a deposit principally of securities included in the relevant Index for creation of Creation Units);
|
|
4.
|
Pledge, hypothecate, mortgage or otherwise encumber its assets, except to secure permitted borrowings. (The deposit of underlying securities and other assets in escrow and collateral arrangements with respect to initial or variation margin for futures contracts or options contracts will not be deemed to be pledges of the Fund’s assets);
|
|
5.
|
Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, or oil, gas or mineral interests or leases, but the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are issued by companies that invest or deal in such assets;
|
|
6.
|
Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its portfolio;
|
|
7.
|
Purchase securities on margin, except for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, except that the Fund may make margin deposits in connection with transactions in options, futures and options on futures;
|
|
8.
|
Sell securities short;
|
|
9.
|
Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may transact in exchange traded futures contracts on securities, stock indices and options on such futures contracts and make margin deposits in connection with such contracts; or
|
|
10.
|
Concentrate its investments in securities of issuers in the same industry, except the Fund will concentrate, as necessary to approximate the composition of the Fund’s underlying Index (the SEC Staff considers concentration to involve more than 25 percent of the Fund’s assets to be invested in an industry or group of industries).
|
In addition to the investment restrictions
adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, each Fund observes the following restrictions, which may be changed by the
Board without a shareholder vote. A Fund:
|
1.
|
Will not invest in the securities of a company for the purpose of exercising management or control, provided that the Trust may vote the investment securities owned by the Fund in accordance with its views.
|
|
2.
|
Will not hold illiquid assets in excess of 15% of its net assets. An illiquid asset is any asset which may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the investment.
|
|
3.
|
With the exception of the Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF, each Fund will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 95% of its total assets in common stocks that compose its relevant Index. Prior to any change in the Fund’s 95% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days written notice. The Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks that compose its relevant Index. Prior to any change in the Fund’s 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days written notice.
|
|
4.
|
Will not invest in securities issued by other investment companies so that, as determined immediately after a purchase of such securities is made: (i) not more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company; (ii) not more than 10% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of investment companies as a group; and (iii) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by the Fund.
|
If a percentage limitation is
adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value
or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect
to the borrowing of money and illiquid securities will be observed continuously. With respect to the limitation on illiquid securities,
in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause the Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will
take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid instruments back within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
A discussion of exchange listing and trading
matters associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the Prospectus under “ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.”
The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.
The Shares of each Fund are approved for
listing and trading on the Exchange, subject to notice of issuance. The Shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ
to some degree from their net asset value. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain
the listing of Shares of the Fund will continue to be met.
The Exchange may, but is not required to,
remove the Shares of a Fund from listing if: (1) following the initial twelve-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading
of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the Shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days; (2) the value of
its underlying Index or portfolio of securities on which the Fund is based is no longer calculated or available; (3) the “indicative
optimized portfolio value” (“IOPV”) of the Fund is no longer calculated or available; or (4) such other event
shall occur or condition exists that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. In addition,
the Exchange will remove the Shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Trust or the Fund.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust
the Share price of a Fund in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished
through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.
As in the case of other publicly-traded
securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
The base and trading currencies of the
Funds is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which a Fund’s net asset value per Share is calculated and
the trading currency is the currency in which Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
The following information supplements and
should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “MANAGEMENT.”
The Board has responsibility for the overall
management, operations and business affairs of the Trust, including general supervision and review of its investment activities.
The Trustees elect the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the
Funds.
The Trustees and executive officers of
the Trust, along with their year of birth, principal occupations over the past five years, length of time served, total number
of portfolios overseen in the fund complex, public and fund directorships held and other positions and their affiliations, if any,
with the Advisor, are listed below:
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
TRUSTEES
NAME, ADDRESS
AND YEAR OF
BIRTH
|
POSITION(S)
WITH
TRUST
|
TERM OF
OFFICE
AND LENGTH
OF TIME
SERVED
|
PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S)
DURING PAST
5 YEARS
|
NUMBER
OF
PORTFOLIOS
IN FUND
COMPLEX
OVERSEEN
BY
TRUSTEE
|
OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY
TRUSTEE DURING THE LAST 5 YEARS
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deborah Fuhr
(1959)
|
Independent Trustee
|
Term: Unlimited
Trustee since 2018
|
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, ETFGI LLP (research and consulting) (2012 to present);
|
2
|
Co-Founder and Board Member, Women in ETFs (Not for Profit) (2014 to present); Co-founder and Board Member, Women in ETFs Europe Limited (Educational Association) (2015 to present); Director and Board Member, 2 Culford Gardens RTM (Property) (2011 to present); Director and Board Member (2 Culford Gardens Freehold (Property) (2011 to present)
|
George Hornig
(1954)
|
Independent Trustee and Chairman of the Audit Committee
|
Term: Unlimited
Trustee since 2018
|
Managing Member, George Hornig, LLC (2017 to present) (investments); Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Pinebridge Investments (investment adviser) (2010 to 2016).
|
2
|
Director, Forrester Research, Inc. (technology research company) (1996 to 2018); Director, Daniel J. Edelman Holding (2016 to present) (communications marketing firm); Director, Xometry (advanced manufacturing platform business) (2014 to present); Director, KBL Merger Corp IV (2017 to present) (healthcare).
|
NAME, ADDRESS
AND YEAR OF
BIRTH
|
POSITION(S)
WITH
TRUST
|
TERM OF
OFFICE
AND LENGTH
OF TIME
SERVED
|
PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S)
DURING PAST
5 YEARS
|
NUMBER
OF
PORTFOLIOS
IN FUND
COMPLEX
OVERSEEN
BY
TRUSTEE
|
OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY
TRUSTEE DURING THE LAST 5 YEARS
|
Richard Lyons
(1961)
|
Lead Independent Trustee and Chairman of the Nominating and
Governance Committee
|
Term: Unlimited
Trustee since 2018
|
Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer, UC Berkeley (since
2020); Professor and William & Janet Cronk Chair in Innovative Leadership (2019), Dean (2008-19), Haas School of Business,
UC Berkeley; Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley; Chief Learning
Officer (2006 to 2008), Goldman Sachs (investment banking and
investment
management); Executive Associate Dean (2005 to 2006), Acting
Dean (2004 to 2005),
Professor (2000 to 2004), Associate Professor (1996 to 2000),
Assistant Professor
(1993 to 1996), Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley.
|
2
|
Director (2013 to 2016), Matthews A Share Selections Fund, LLC (mutual funds).
|
Stewart Myers
(1940)
|
Independent Trustee
|
Term: Unlimited
Trustee since 2018
|
Professor, MIT Sloan School of Management (since 2015); Principal, The Brattle Group, Inc. (since 1991).
|
2
|
Director, Entergy Corp. (2009 to 2015).
|
Interested Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rory Riggs
(1953)
|
Trustee and Chief Executive Officer
|
Term: Unlimited
Trustee since 2017
|
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Locus Analytics, LLC (since 2010); Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Syntax Advisors, LLC (Since 2013); Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Syntax LLC (Since 2009).
|
2
|
Managing Member of Balfour, LLC (since 2001); Board Member, Nuredis, Inc. (2016 to present); Co-Founder and Chairman, RP Management, LLC Chairman and Co-Founder, Royalty Pharma (1996 to present) (biopharmaceuticals); Chairman and Co-Founder, Cibus Global, Ltd. (2012 to present) (gene editing agriculture); Director StageZero Life Sciences, fka GeneNews Limited (2000 to present); Director, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (since 2014); Director, FibroGen, Inc. (1993 to present).
|
Kathy Cuocolo
(1952)
|
Trustee and President
|
Term: Unlimited
Trustee since 2018
|
President and Senior Vice President, Syntax Advisors, LLC and predecessor companies (2014 to present); Managing Director, Head of Global ETF Services, BNY Mellon (2008 to 2013); Executive Vice President, State Street (1982 to 2003).
|
2
|
Greenbacker Renewable Energy LLC, Audit Chair (2013 to present); Guardian Life Family of Funds (2005 – 2007); Select Sector Trust, Chairman (2000 to 2007); The China Fund (1999 to 2003).
|
OFFICERS
NAME, ADDRESS
AND YEAR OF BIRTH
|
POSITION(S)
WITH TRUST
|
TERM OF
OFFICE
AND LENGTH
OF TIME SERVED
|
PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S)
DURING PAST 5 YEARS
|
OFFICERS
|
|
|
|
Rory Riggs
(1953)
|
Chief Executive
|
Since 2018
|
See Trustee table above
|
Kathy Cuocolo
(1952)
|
President
|
Since 2018
|
See Trustee table above
|
David Jaffin
(1954)
|
Treasurer
|
Since 2019
|
Partner, B2B CFO® (January 2019 to present); Chief Financial Officer, Poliwogg Holdings, Inc. (October 2012 to August 2018).
|
Carly Arison
(1990)
|
Secretary
|
Since 2018
|
Senior Vice President, Vice President, and Manager, Syntax Advisors, LLC and predecessor companies (2012 to present)
|
Brandon Kipp
(1983)
|
Chief Compliance Officer
|
Since 2019
|
Director, Foreside Financial Group, LLC (since May 2019); Senior Fund Compliance Officer, Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (from July 2017 to May 2019); Assistant Vice President and Compliance Manager, UMB Fund Services, Inc. (March 2014 to July 2017).
|
Leadership Structure
and Board of Trustees
Board
Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Funds described in this SAI,
are overseen by the Trustees. The Board has approved contracts, as described in this SAI, under which certain companies provide
essential management services to the Trust.
Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day
business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Advisor, Sub-Advisor,
Distributor and Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, have
oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify
and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder
services, investment performance or reputation of the Funds. The Funds and their service providers employ a variety of processes,
procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence
and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or
more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., a Sub-Advisor is responsible for the day-to-day management of a Fund’s
portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the
Funds’ service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Trustees’ role in risk oversight
begins before the inception of a Fund, at which time the Fund’s Advisor presents the Board with information concerning the
investment objectives, strategies and risks of the Fund, as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally,
the Fund’s Advisor provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, their investment philosophies, brokerage practices
and compliance infrastructures. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s
Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Advisor and other service providers, such as the Fund’s independent
accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The
Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which each Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing
the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Funds by the Advisor and Sub-Advisor and receives information about
those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew
the Advisory Agreement with the Advisor, Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Advisor, the Board meets with the Advisor and Sub-Advisor
to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Advisors’ adherence to each Fund’s investment
restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also
reviews information about each Fund’s investments.
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer
reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer
provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those
of its service providers, including the Advisor and Sub-Advisor. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures
of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since
the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance
matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from Fund service
providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Regular reports
are made to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered
public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of each Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major
areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal
controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of
disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its
periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also
oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s
financial statements.
From their review of these reports and
discussions with the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and
other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of a Fund, thereby facilitating
a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks
that may affect a Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate
certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals,
and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover,
reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the
Funds’ investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Funds’ Advisor, Sub-Advisor and
other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which
one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Funds’ and each other’s in the setting of
priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors,
the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Trustees
and Officers. There are 6 members of the Board of Trustees, 4 of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that
term is defined in the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”). Mr. Riggs, an Interested Trustee, serves as Chairman of the
Board to act as liaison with the investment Advisor, other service providers, counsel and other Trustees generally between meetings.
Mr. Lyons serves as Lead Independent Trustee and is a spokesperson for and leader of the Independent Trustees. The Board has determined
its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Board made this
determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees constitute a majority of the Board,
the fact that the chairperson of each Committee of the Board is an Independent Trustee, the amount of assets under management in
the Trust, and the number of funds (and classes of shares) overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure
facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from fund management.
The Board of Trustees has two standing
committees: the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Audit Committee and the Nominating and Governance
Committee are each chaired by an Independent Trustee and composed of all of the Independent Trustees.
Individual Trustee Qualifications
The Board has concluded that each of the
Trustees should serve on the Board because of his or her ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided
to him or her by management, to identify and request other information he or she may deem relevant to the performance of his or
her duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration
of the Funds, and to exercise his or her business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of each Fund’s shareholders.
The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications,
attributes and skills as described below.
Rory
Riggs: Rory Riggs is the CEO and Founder of Syntax LLC.
Rory’s idea for Syntax Stratified
Indices came from his career in healthcare and the industry’s statistical use of population sampling and stratification across
sub-populations to control for inadvertent biases in clinical trial results. To address the potential of similar biases in index
results, he and his team identified a new risk category called related business risks; developed a new classification system with
which to identify and group related business risk; and implemented a stratified weighting methodology to control for the inadvertent
over-weighting of related business risks that regularly occur capitalization-weight and equal-weight methodologies. Using this
Stratified Weight methodology, Syntax operates a family of Syntax Stratified Indices that includes a Stratified Syntax LargeCap
and MidCap Index that provide Stratified Weight versions of the widely-followed S&P 500 and the S&P MidCap 400.
Prior to founding Syntax and its parent,
Locus LP, Rory has been involved in the creation and development of many successful companies in healthcare and bio-technology.
These companies include: Royalty Pharma; Fibrogen, Inc.; Cibus, LLC; GeneNews Ltd., Sugen, Inc. and eReceivables Inc. He is currently
the chairman and co-founder of Royalty Pharma, the largest investor in revenue-producing intellectual property, principally royalty
interests in marketed and late-stage development biopharmaceutical products. In addition, Rory is Chairman and Co-founder of Cibus,
the leader in non-transgenic (non-GMO) gene editing in agriculture. He also served as the president and director of Biomatrix Corporation
(NYSE: BXM) where he launched Synvisc, an important product in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
Rory received a BA from Middlebury College
and an MBA from Columbia University.
Kathy
Cuocolo: Kathy Cuocolo is president of Syntax ETF Trust and has served as President and Senior Vice President of
Syntax Advisors, bringing over 30 years of experience in the asset management and ETF industry to Syntax.
Prior to Syntax, Kathy was Managing Director,
Head of Global ETF Services at BNY Mellon. Before BNY, Kathy spent 22 years at State Street Corporation, where she rose to Executive
Vice President. While at State Street, Kathy brought the first ETF to market, the S&P 500 SPDR, as well as several of the other
early ETF products such as the Select Sector SPDR, the Dow Diamond, and CountryBaskets. She began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers
as an audit and consulting manager. She is a Board Member and Audit Chair of Greenbacker Renewable Energy LLC and has been on the
Boards of Select Sector SPDRs, The China Fund and Guardian Family of Funds.
Kathy received her B.A. in Accounting Summa
Cum Laude from Boston College and is a Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts.
George
Hornig: George Hornig has had a career as a senior operating officer in the financial services industry (asset
management, investment banking, insurance and fin-tech).
From 2010 - 2016, George was a Senior Managing
Director of PineBridge Investments. George led the restructuring of the operations of this former division of AIG Insurance to
make it an independent company after its divestiture. Prior to joining PineBridge, George spent 11 years at Credit Suisse Asset
Management as Global Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Americas,
at Deutsche Bank. In 1988, he was a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Wasserstein Perella and Company, following his tenure
at The First Boston Corp. George also practiced law for two years at Skadden Arps at the start of his career. In addition, George’s
career has spanned investments, management and advisor in industries as diverse as health care, manufacturing and the outsourcing
of business services, social media, cybersecurity, augmented reality, and e-waste management. Presently he is managing a portfolio
of acquisition transactions and venture capital investments. Also he is the Chairman of KBL Merger Corp IV (healthcare industry
SPAC), a Director of Edelman (communications marketing firm), and a Director of Xometry (advanced manufacturing platform business).
From 1992 to 2012, he was a Director of Unity Mutual Life and from 1996 to 2018, he was a Director of Forrester Research and Chairman
of the Audit Committee.
George received his AB in Economics from Harvard College, his
MBA from Harvard Business School and his JD from Harvard Law School.
Deborah
Fuhr: Deborah Fuhr is the managing partner and co-founder of ETFGI. Previously she served as global head
of ETF research and implementation strategy and as a managing director at BlackRock/Barclays Global Investors from 2008-2011. Fuhr
also worked as a managing director and head of the investment strategy team at Morgan Stanley in London from 1997-2008, and as
an associate at Greenwich Associates.
Deborah Fuhr is the recipient of the 2014
William F. Sharpe Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding and lasting contributions to the field of index investing, the Nate
Most Greatest Contributor to the ETF industry award, and the ETF.com Lifetime achievement award. She has been named as one of the
“100 Most Influential Women in Finance” by Financial News in 2014, 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008 and 2007. Ms. Fuhr won the
award for the Greatest Overall Contribution to the development of the Global ETF industry in the ExchangeTradedFunds.com survey
in 2011 and 2008, Ms. Fuhr is one of the founders and on the board of Women in ETFs and is on the board of Cancer Research UK’s
‘Women of Influence’ initiative to support female scientists. Ms. Fuhr is on the editorial board of the Journal of
Indexes, and Money Management Executive; the advisory board for the Journal of Index Investing; and the investment panel of experts
for Portfolio Adviser, the FTSE ICB Advisory Committee, the NASDAQ listing and hearing review council, the International Advisory
Committee for the Egyptian Exchange, and the University of Connecticut School of Business International Advisory Board.
She holds a BS degree from the University of Connecticut and
an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Richard
Lyons: Richard Lyons is Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer at UC Berkeley, and previously served as the
dean of the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, where he held the Bank of America Dean’s Chair.
Prior to becoming dean in July 2008, he
served as the chief learning officer at Goldman Sachs in New York, a position he held since 2006. As chief learning officer, Rich
was responsible for leadership development among the firm’s managing directors. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Rich served as acting
dean of the Haas School from 2004 to 2005 and as executive associate dean and Sylvan Coleman Professor of Finance from 2005 to
2006.
He received his BS with highest honors from UC Berkeley (finance)
and his Ph.D. from MIT (economics). Before coming to Haas, Professor Lyons spent six years on the faculty at Columbia Business
School. His teaching expertise is in international finance.
Stewart
Myers: Stewart C. Myers is the Robert C. Merton (1970) Professor of Finance, Emeritus at the MIT Sloan
School of Management.
Mr. Myers is past President of the American
Finance Association, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a principal of the Brattle Group, Inc.
His textbook Principles of Corporate Finance (12th ed., with Richard Brealey and Franklin Allen) is known as the “bible”
of financial management. His research focuses on the valuation of real and financial assets, corporate finance and financial
aspects of government regulation of business. He introduced both the tradeoff and pecking order theories of capital structure and
was the first to recognize the importance of real options in corporate finance. Myers is the author of influential research
papers on many topics, including adjusted present value (APV), rate of return regulation, capital allocation and risk management
in banking and insurance, real options, payout policy, and moral hazard and information issues in financing decisions. He has served
as a director of Entergy Corporation and CAT Ltd. and as a manager of the Cambridge Endowment for Research in Finance.
He holds an AB from Williams College and an MBA and a PhD from
Stanford University.
References to the experience, attributes
and skills of Trustees above are pursuant to requirements of the SEC and do not constitute holding out of the Board or any Trustee
as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person
or on the Board by reason thereof.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness
of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the
broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately
diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Funds.
REMUNERATION OF THE TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
No officer, director or employee of the
Advisor, its parent or subsidiaries receives any compensation from the Trust for serving as an officer or Trustee of the Trust.
The Trust pays, in the aggregate, each Independent Trustee an annual fee of $25,000. Trustee fees are allocated between the Funds
in such a manner as deemed equitable, taking into consideration the relative net assets of the series.
STANDING COMMITTEES
Audit
Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee consisting of all Independent Trustees. George Hornig serves as Chair. The
Audit Committee meets with the Trust’s independent auditors to review and approve the scope and results of their professional
services; to review the procedures for evaluating the adequacy of the Trust’s accounting controls; to consider the range
of audit fees; and to make recommendations to the Board regarding the engagement of the Trust’s independent auditors. The
Audit Committee was established on March 28, 2018. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Audit Committee met three
times.
Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has established a Nominating and Governance Committee consisting of all Independent
Trustees. Richard Lyons serves as Chairperson. The responsibilities of the Nominating and Governance Committee are to: (1) nominate
Independent Trustees; (2) review on a periodic basis the governance structures and procedures of the Funds; (3) periodically review
Trustee compensation, (4) annually review committee and committee chair assignments, (5) annually review the responsibilities and
charter of each committee, (6) to plan and administer the Board’s annual self-evaluation, (7) annually consider the structure,
operations and effectiveness of the Nominating and Governance Committee, and (8) at least annually evaluate the independence of
counsel to the Independent Trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee was established on March 28, 2018. During the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2019, the Nominating and Governance Committee did not meet.
The Trustees adopted the following procedures
with respect to the consideration of nominees recommended by security holders.
|
1.
|
The shareholder must submit any such recommendation (a “Shareholder Recommendation”) in writing to the Trust, to the attention of the Trust’s Secretary, at the address of the principal executive offices of the Trust.
|
|
2.
|
The Shareholder Recommendation must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Trust not less than sixty (60) calendar days nor more than ninety (90) calendar days prior to the date of the Board or shareholder meeting at which the nominee candidate would be considered for election. Shareholder Recommendations will be kept on file for two years after receipt of the Shareholder Recommendation. A Shareholder Recommendation considered by the Committee in connection with the Committee’s nomination of any candidate(s) for appointment or election as an independent Trustee need not be considered again by the Committee in connection with any subsequent nomination(s).
|
|
3.
|
The Shareholder Recommendation must include: (i) a statement in writing setting forth (A) the name, age, date of birth, business address, residence address and nationality of the person recommended by the shareholder (the “candidate”), and the names and addresses of at least three professional references; (B) the number of all shares of the Trust (including the series and class, if applicable) owned of record or beneficially by the candidate, the date such shares were acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition(s), as reported to such shareholder by the candidate; (C) any other information regarding the candidate called for with respect to director nominees by paragraphs (a), (d), (e) and (f) of Item 401 of Regulation S-K or paragraph (b) of Item 22 of Rule 14a-101 (Schedule 14A) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), adopted by the SEC (or the corresponding provisions of any applicable regulation or rule subsequently adopted by the SEC or any successor agency with jurisdiction related to the Trust); (D) any other information regarding the candidate that would be required to be disclosed if the candidate were a nominee in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitation of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or any other applicable law or regulation; and (E) whether the recommending shareholder believes that the candidate is or will be an “interested person” of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and, if not an “interested person,” information regarding the candidate that will be sufficient, in the discretion of the Board or the Committee, for the Trust to make such determination; (ii) the written and signed consent of the candidate to be named as a nominee and to serve as a Trustee if elected; (iii) the recommending shareholder’s name as it appears on the Trust’s books; (iv) the number of all shares of the Trust (including the series and class, if applicable) owned beneficially and of record by the recommending shareholder; (v) a complete description of all arrangements or understandings between the recommending shareholder and the candidate and any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the recommendation is being made by the recommending shareholder including, without limitation, all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings between the candidate and recommending shareholder during the past three years, and (vi) a brief description of the candidate’s relevant background and experience for membership on the Board, such as qualification as an audit committee financial expert.
|
|
4.
|
The Committee may require the recommending shareholder to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require or deem necessary to verify any information furnished pursuant to paragraph 3 above or to determine the eligibility of the candidate to serve as a Trustee of the Trust or to satisfy applicable law. If the recommending shareholder fails to provide such other information in writing within seven days of receipt of a written request from the Committee, the recommendation of such candidate as a nominee will be deemed not properly submitted for consideration, and the Committee will not be required to consider such candidate.
|
OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES
As of December 31, 2019, neither the Independent
Trustees nor their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities in the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, Principal
Underwriter or any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Advisor, Sub-Advisor or Principal Underwriter.
The following table sets forth information describing the dollar
range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Trust as of December 31, 2019.
Name of Trustee
|
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities
in the
Syntax Stratified
LargeCap ETF
|
Aggregate Dollar
Range of Equity
Securities in All Funds
Overseen by Trustee in
Family of Investment
Companies
|
Independent Trustees:
|
|
|
Deborah Fuhr
|
None
|
None
|
George Hornig
|
$0-$10,000
|
$0-$10,000
|
Richard Lyons
|
$10,000-$50,000
|
$10,000-$50,000
|
Stewart Myers
|
$10,000-$50,000
|
$10,000-$50,000
|
|
|
|
Interested Trustees:
|
|
|
Rory Riggs
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Kathy Cuocolo
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
CODE
OF ETHICS. The Trust, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor and Foreside Financial Group, LLC (on behalf of Foreside Fund Officer
Services, LLC) have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit, subject
to certain conditions, personnel of each of those entities to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds.
The Distributor relies on the principal underwriters exception under Rule 17j-1(c)(3), specifically where the Distributor is not
affiliated with the Trust or the Advisor, and no officer, director or general partner of the Distributor serves as an officer,
director or general partner of the Trust or the Advisor. Each code of ethics, filed as an exhibit to the Trust’s registration
statement, may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
PROXY
VOTING POLICY. The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by the Funds is an important element
of the overall investment process. As such, the Board has delegated the responsibility to vote such proxies to the Sub-Advisor.
The Sub-Advisor’s proxy voting policy is attached at the end of this SAI as Appendix A. Information regarding how the a Fund
voted proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available: (1) without
charge by calling (866) 972-4492; (2) on the Funds’ website at www.SyntaxAdvisors.com; and (3) on the SEC’s website
at http://www.sec.gov.
DISCLOSURE
OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS POLICY. The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Trust’s
portfolio holdings. The Board must approve all material amendments to this policy. Each Fund’s portfolio holdings are publicly
disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly accessible
Internet web sites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in
exchange for each Fund’s shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is publicly disseminated daily prior
to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (the “NSCC”). The basket represents
one Creation Unit of the Fund. The Trust, the Advisor or State Street will not disseminate non-public information concerning the
Trust, except: (i) to a party for a legitimate business purpose related to the day-to-day operations of the Fund or (ii) to any
other party for a legitimate business or regulatory purpose, upon waiver or exception.
THE INVESTMENT ADVISOR
Syntax Advisors, LLC (“Syntax”
or “Advisor”) acts as investment Advisor to the Trust and, subject to the supervision of the Board, is responsible
for the investment management of the Funds. The Advisor’s principal address is One Liberty Plaza, 46th Fl. New York, NY 10006.
The Advisor serves as investment adviser
to the Funds pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (“Investment Advisory Agreement”) between the Trust and the
Advisor. The Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to each Fund, continues in effect for two years from its effective date,
and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (1) the Board or (2) vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities
(as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a majority of the
Board who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for
the purpose of voting on such approval. The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund is terminable without penalty,
on 60 days’ notice, by the Board or by a vote of the holders of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund’s
outstanding voting securities. The Investment Advisory Agreement is also terminable upon 60 days’ notice by the Advisor and
will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
Under the Investment Advisory Agreement,
the Advisor, subject to the supervision of the Board and in conformity with the stated investment policies of each Fund, manages
the investment of the Fund’s assets. The Advisor is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and providing continuous
supervision of the investment portfolio of the Fund. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify
the Advisor for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss
or liability results from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard
of its obligations and duties.
For the services provided to the Funds
under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays the Advisor monthly fees based on a percentage of the Fund’s average
daily net assets as set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus. From time to time, the Advisor may waive all or a portion of its
fee. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Advisor agrees to pay all expenses of the Trust, except (i) interest expense,
(ii) taxes, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) brokerage expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with
the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with
shareholder meetings, (vi) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s
chief compliance officer and his or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan
adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or
pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith, and (x) extraordinary expenses
of the Fund.
The net advisory fees paid to the Advisor
for the Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF for the period from the commencement of operations on January 2, 2019 to fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019, were $156,763. Total advisory fees were $235,145, of which $78,382 were waived. The advisor compensation information
for the last three fiscal years for the Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF and the Stratified MidCap ETF have been omitted because
those Funds had not commenced investment operations as of December 31, 2019.
Syntax has agreed to waive its fees and/or
absorb expenses of the Funds to ensure that Total Annual Operating Expenses (excluding, as applicable, (i) interest expense, (ii)
taxes, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses, (iv) brokerage expenses and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the
execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (v) expenses associated with shareholder
meetings, (vi) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees, (vii) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s chief
compliance officer and his or her staff, (viii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (ix) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending
or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith, and (x) extraordinary expenses of the
Funds) do not exceed the rates below. Subject to approval by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, any waiver under the Expense Limitation
Agreement is subject to repayment by the Fund within 36 months following the month in which fees are waived or reimbursed, if the
Fund is able to make the payment without exceeding the applicable expense limitation. These arrangements cannot be terminated prior
to one year from the effective date of this prospectus without the approval of the Board of Trustees.
Fund
|
Total Operating Expenses after
Waiver/Reimbursement
|
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF
|
0.30%
|
Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF
|
0.30%
|
Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF
|
0.30%
|
A discussion regarding the Board’s
consideration of the Trust’s Investment Advisory and Sub-Advisory Agreements will be found in the Trust’s next Annual
or Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders, as applicable.
SUB-ADVISOR
Vantage Consulting Group (“Vantage”
or the “Sub-Advisor”), 3500 Pacific Ave. Virginia Beach, VA 23451, serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Funds
pursuant to an Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Advisor and Vantage, dated March 2, 2018 (referred to as a “Sub-Advisory
Agreement). The Sub-Advisor is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and shall make investment decisions for each Fund,
subject to the supervision by the Advisor. For its services, the Sub-Advisor is compensated by the Advisor.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
The Sub-Advisor manages each Fund using
a team of investment professionals. The professional primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Funds
is James Thomas Wolfe.
The following table lists the number and
types of accounts, other than the Funds, managed by Mr. Wolfe and the assets under management in those accounts.
Other Accounts Managed
as of December 31, 2019
Portfolio Manager
|
Registered
Investment
Company
Accounts
|
Assets
Managed
(millions)
|
Pooled
Investment
Vehicle
Accounts
|
Assets
Managed
(millions)
|
Other
Accounts
|
Assets
Managed
(millions)
|
James Thomas Wolfe
|
1
|
$62,148,931
|
2
|
$26,083,283
|
0
|
$0
|
* Mr. Wolfe serves as the portfolio manager
for the Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF’s and Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF’s predecessor private fund.
OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
The portfolio manager listed above does not beneficially own
any Shares of the Funds as of December 31, 2019.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Description
of Material Conflicts of Interest. Because the portfolio manager may manage multiple portfolios for multiple clients,
the potential for conflicts of interest exists. The portfolio manager generally manages portfolios having substantially the same
investment style as the Funds. However, the portfolios managed by the portfolio manager may not have portfolio compositions identical
to those of the Funds due, for example, to specific investment limitations or guidelines present in some portfolios or accounts
but not others. The portfolio manager may purchase securities for one portfolio and not another portfolio, and the performance
of securities purchased for one portfolio may vary from the performance of securities purchased for other portfolios. The portfolio
manager may place transactions on behalf of other accounts that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made
on behalf of a Fund, or make investment decisions that are similar to those made for a Fund, both of which have the potential to
adversely impact the Fund depending on market conditions. For example, the portfolio manager may purchase a security in one portfolio
while appropriately selling that same security in another portfolio. In addition, some of these portfolios have fee structures
that are or have the potential to be higher than the advisory fees paid by the Funds, which can cause potential conflicts in the
allocation of investment opportunities between the Funds and the other accounts. However, the compensation structure for portfolio
manager does not generally provide incentive to favor one account over another because that part of a manager’s bonus based
on performance is not based on the performance of one account to the exclusion of others. There are many other factors considered
in determining the portfolio manager’s bonus and there is no formula that is applied to weight the factors listed.
COMPENSATION
The Sub-Advisor’s compensation and
incentive program varies by professional and discipline. A portfolio manager’s compensation is comprised of a fixed based
salary and a bonus. The base salary is not based on the value of the assets managed but rather on the individual portfolio manager’s
experience and responsibilities. The bonus also varies by individual and is based upon criteria that incorporate the Sub-Advisor’s
assessment of each Fund’s performance as well as a portfolio manager’s corporate citizenship and overall contribution
to the Firm.
THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER
AGENT
State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State
Street”), located at State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as Administrator
for the Trust pursuant to an administration agreement (“Administration Agreement”). Under the Administration Agreement,
State Street is responsible for certain administrative services associated with day-to-day operations of the Funds.
Pursuant to the Administration Agreement,
the Trust has agreed to a limitation on damages and to indemnify the Administrator for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities
arising under the federal securities laws; provided, however, such indemnity of the Administrator shall not apply in the case of
the Administrator’s gross negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties. Under the Custodian Agreement
and Transfer Agency Agreement, as described below, the Trust has also provided indemnities to State Street for certain liabilities.
State Street also serves as Custodian for
the Funds pursuant to a custodian agreement (“Custodian Agreement”). As Custodian, State Street holds each Fund’s
assets, calculates the net asset value of the Shares and calculates net income and realized capital gains or losses. State Street
and the Trust will comply with the self-custodian provisions of Rule 17f-2 under the 1940 Act.
State Street also serves as Transfer Agent
of the Funds pursuant to a transfer agency agreement (“Transfer Agency Agreement”).
As compensation for the foregoing services,
State Street receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees, asset-based fees, and fixed fees which are paid by the Advisor.
These payments made by the Advisor to State Street do not represent an additional expense to the Trust or its shareholders.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Foreside”
or the “Distributor”) is the principal underwriter and Distributor of the Funds’ Creation Units. Its principal
address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine, 04101. Investor information can be obtained by calling (866) 972-4492.
The Distributor has entered into a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”) with the Trust pursuant to which
it distributes Creation Units of the Funds. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and
is renewable annually thereafter. Shares will be continuously offered for sale by the Trust through the Distributor only in Creation
Units, as described in the Prospectus and below under “PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS.” Shares in numbers
less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor will deliver the Prospectus to Authorized Participants
(as defined below) purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance
furnished by it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Trust or which securities
are to be purchased or sold by the Trust.
The Advisor, or an affiliate of the Advisor,
may directly or indirectly make cash payments to certain broker-dealers for participating in activities that are designed to make
registered representatives and other professionals more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Funds, or for
other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences,
the development of technology platforms and reporting systems.
The Funds have adopted a Rule 12b-1 Distribution and Service
Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which payments of up to 0.25% of a Fund’s average daily
net assets may be made for the sale and distribution of its Shares. However, the Board of Trustees has determined not to authorize
payment of a 12b-1 Plan fee at this time. The 12b-1 Plan fee may only be imposed or increased when the Board of Trustees determines
that it is in the best interests of shareholders to do so. Rule 12b-1 fees are paid out of a Fund’s assets, and over time,
these fees increase the cost of your investment and they may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.
The Distribution Agreement provides that
it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, as to each Fund: (i) by vote of a majority of the Independent
Trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, on at least
60 days written notice to the Distributor. The Distribution Agreement is also terminable upon 60 days’ notice by the Distributor
and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
The continuation of the Distribution Agreement,
any Investor Services Agreements and any other related agreements is subject to annual approval of the Board, including by a majority
of the Independent Trustees, as described above.
Each of the Investor Services Agreements
will provide that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, (i) by vote of a majority of the Independent
Trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the relevant Fund,
on at least 60 days’ written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement is also terminable upon 60 days’
notice by the Distributor and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). Each Investor
Services Agreement is also terminable by the applicable Investor Service Organization upon 60 days’ notice to the other party
thereto.
The Distributor may also enter into agreements
with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Unit aggregations of Fund Shares.
Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Participating Parties (as defined in the “Book Entry Only System” section below),
DTC Participants (as defined below) and/or Investor Services Organizations.
Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement,
the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Distributor, and may indemnify Soliciting Dealers and Authorized Participants (as described
below) entering into agreements with the Distributor, for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the
federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance
of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement or other agreement, as applicable.
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases
and sales of securities for the Funds is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient
executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s
policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible
commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission
cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude a Fund and the Advisor from obtaining a high quality of brokerage
and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Advisor
relies upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating
the brokerage and research services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective
and imprecise, as in most cases an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and
procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of a Fund’s Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer
to execute its portfolio transactions.
In selecting a broker/dealer for each specific
transaction, the Sub-Advisor chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most
favorable execution and does not take the sale of Fund Shares into account. The Sub-Advisor considers the full range of brokerage
services applicable to a particular transaction that may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not
limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading
coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing,
use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of
information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending
upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among
multiple broker/dealers. The Sub-Advisor will also use electronic crossing networks when appropriate.
The Sub-Advisor does not currently use
the Funds’ assets for, or participate in, third party soft dollar arrangements, although the Sub-Advisor may receive proprietary
research from various full service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services.
The Sub-Advisor does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research.
The Sub-Advisor assumes general supervision
over placing orders on behalf of the Trust for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio
securities of the Trust and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Sub-Advisor are considered at or
about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner
deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Advisor. In some cases, this procedure could have
a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Trust is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible
that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Trust.
The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.
The Funds will not deal with affiliates
in principal transactions unless permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation. The aggregate dollar amount of
brokerage commissions paid by the Syntax Stratifed LargeCap ETF for the period from the commencement of operations on January 2,
2019 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, was $14,329. As the Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF commenced operation after December
31, 2019, and the Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF has not yet commenced operation, these Funds have omitted this information.
Each Fund is required to identify any securities
of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its
most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the
most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio transactions;
(ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar
amounts of the Trust’s Shares.
Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular
brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year.
“Regular brokers or dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year:
(i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as
principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the
Trust’s Shares. As of December 31, 2019 there were no securities held “regular brokers and dealers” by the Syntax
Stratified LargeCap ETF. As the Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF commenced operation after December 31, 2019, and the Syntax Stratified
SmallCap ETF has not yet commenced operation, these Funds have omitted this information.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to
year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses or transaction
costs. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions and transaction costs is evaluated by the Advisor based upon its knowledge
of available information as to the general level of commissions and transaction costs paid by other institutional investors for
comparable services.
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
The following information supplements and
should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.”
DTC acts as securities depositary for the
Shares. Shares of the Funds are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co. and deposited
with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in the limited circumstance provided below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was
created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement
of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the
DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities
brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their
representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange
(“NYSE”) and the FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust
companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect
Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited
to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership
of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”)
is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants)
and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants).
Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements and
other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC,
DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares of
the Funds held by each DTC Participant. The Trust, either directly or through a third party service, shall inquire of each such
DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The
Trust, either directly or through a third party service, shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement
or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such
notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners.
In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant and/or third party service a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement
for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC
or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions,
shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial
interests in Shares of the Funds as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants
and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices,
as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,”
and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability
for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership
interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests
or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants
and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing
its service with respect to Shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with
respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC
to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates
representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Although the Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF and the Syntax Stratified
MidCap ETF did not have information concerning their beneficial ownership held in the names of DTC Participants, as of April 3,
2020 the names, addresses and percentage ownership of each DTC Participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding Shares
of the Fund were as follows:
FUND NAME
|
NAME & ADDRESS
|
% OWNERSHIP (RECORD OR BENEFICIAL)
|
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF
|
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
211 MAIN STREET
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94105
|
39.0%
|
National Financial Services LLC
82 DEVONSHIRE STREET
BOSTON MA 02109
|
36.0%
|
Citibank, N.A.
399 PARK AVE
NEW YORK NY 10043
|
9.6%
|
JP Morgan Chase Bank, National Association
1111 POLARIS PARKWAY
COLUMBUS OH 43240
|
6.7%
|
Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF
|
Citibank, N.A.
399 PARK AVE
NEW YORK NY 10043
|
93.1%
|
The Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF had not commenced operations
prior to the date of this SAI and therefore did not have any beneficial owners that owned greater than 5% of the outstanding voting
securities as of the date of this SAI.
An Authorized Participant (as defined below)
may hold of record more than 25% of the outstanding Shares of a Fund. From time to time, Authorized Participants may be a beneficial
and/or legal owner of a Fund, may be deemed to have control of the Fund and may be able to affect the outcome of matters presented
for a vote of the shareholders of the Fund(s). Authorized Participants may execute an irrevocable proxy granting the Distributor,
State Street or an affiliate (the “Agent”) power to vote or abstain from voting such Authorized Participant’s
beneficially or legally owned Shares of the applicable Fund. In such cases, the Agent shall mirror vote (or abstain from voting)
such Shares in the same proportion as all other beneficial owners of the applicable Fund.
As of April 3, 2020, the Trustees and officers of the Trust,
as a group, owned 1.6% of the Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF’s outstanding Shares and 2.2% of the Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF’s
outstanding Shares.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS
A Fund issues and redeems its Shares on
a continuous basis, at net asset value, only in a large specified number of Shares called a “Creation Unit,” either
principally in-kind for securities included in the relevant Index or in cash for the value of such securities. The value of a Fund
is determined once each business day, as described under “Determination of Net Asset Value.” Creation Unit sizes are
set forth in the table below:
FUND
|
Creation
Unit Size
|
|
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF
|
25,000
|
|
Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF
|
25,000
|
|
Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF
|
25,000
|
|
PURCHASE
(CREATION). The Trust issues and sells Shares of a Fund only: in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Principal
Underwriter, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per Share next determined after receipt of an
order, on any Business Day (as defined below), in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant
Agreement”). A “Business Day” with respect to the Funds is, generally, any day on which the NYSE Arca is open
for business.
FUND DEPOSIT. The consideration
for purchase of a Creation Unit of a Fund generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities
instruments (“Deposit Instruments”) per each Creation Unit, constituting a substantial replication, or (ii) the Deposit
Cash constituting the cash value of the Deposit Instruments and “Cash Amount,” computed as described below. When accepting
purchases of Creation Units for cash, a Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Instruments
that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Instruments or Deposit
Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Amount constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent
investment amount for a Creation Unit of any Fund. The “Cash Amount” is an amount equal to the difference between the
net asset value of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the aggregate market value of the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as
applicable. If the Cash Amount is a positive number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the
Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Amount shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Amount is a negative
number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as
applicable), the Cash Amount shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal
to the Cash Amount. The Cash Amount serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation
Unit and the market value of the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Amount excludes any
stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Instruments, if applicable,
which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Custodian, through NSCC, makes available
on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list
of the names and the required amount of the instruments comprising the Deposit Instruments or the required amount of Deposit Cash,
as applicable, as well as the estimated amount of the Cash Amount to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information
at the end of the previous Business Day) for each Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described
below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Funds until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit
Instruments or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and required amount of each
instrument comprising the Deposit Instruments or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for a
Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Advisor with a view
to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Instruments may also change in response to adjustments
to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the Fund’s Index.
As noted above, the Trust reserves the
right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Instrument which shall be added to the Deposit
Instruments, including, without limitation, in situations where such Deposit Instrument: (i) may not be eligible for transfer through
the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (ii) in the case of foreign funds holding non-US Deposit
Instruments, where such instruments are not eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities
transfers, or other similar circumstances; (iii) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (iv) may not be eligible
for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; or (v) a holder of Shares of
a foreign fund holding non-US instruments would be subject to unfavorable income tax treatment if the holder receives redemption
proceed “in-kind” (collectively, “non-standard orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to include or
remove Deposit Instruments from the basket in anticipation of index rebalancing changes. The adjustments described above will reflect
changes, known to the Advisor on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition
of the subject Index being tracked by the relevant Fund or resulting from certain corporate actions.
PROCEDURES
FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS. To be eligible to place orders with the Principal Underwriter, as facilitated via the
Transfer Agent, to purchase a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer
or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”),
a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition,
each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement
that has been agreed to by the Principal Underwriter and the Transfer Agent, and that has been accepted by the Trust, with respect
to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant
Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to
the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Deposit Instruments together with the creation transaction fee (described below)
and any other applicable fees, taxes and additional variable charge.
All orders to purchase Shares directly
from a Fund, including non-standard orders, must be placed for one or more whole Creation Units and in the manner and by the time
set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or
an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
An Authorized Participant may require an
investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, (e.g., to provide for payments of
cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and
that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from a Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker
through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such
investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and
only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier
than normal, a Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets
on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s).
Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor
pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. Those placing orders
through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order by the cut-off
time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the
ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized
Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent
for (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign
Deposit Instruments, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of such Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant
shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Instruments. Foreign Deposit Instruments
must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the
Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Instruments or Deposit
Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The “Settlement Date”
for the Funds is generally the third Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Instruments
or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit
of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding.
The amount of cash represented by the Deposit Instruments must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve
Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash
Amount and the Deposit Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received in a timely manner by the Settlement Date,
the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Transfer Agent, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following
Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund. The delivery of Creation
Units so created generally will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed
received by the Transfer Agent.
The order shall be deemed to be received
on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off
time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions),
with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate
amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, then the order
may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom.
A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order
form and this SAI are properly followed.
ISSUANCE
OF A CREATION UNIT. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to
the Trust of the Deposit Instruments or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Deposit Instruments has
been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Instruments (or the cash value
thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Principal Underwriter and the
Advisor shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units.
In instances where the Trust accepts Deposit
Instruments for the purchase of a Creation Unit, the Creation Unit may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or
a portion of the applicable Deposit Instruments as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value
greater than the net asset value of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit
Instruments, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Deposit Instruments, plus (ii) an additional amount
of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Instruments
(the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a general non-interest bearing collateral account. An
additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Instruments
to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage,
as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Instruments. The Trust may
use such Additional Cash Deposit to buy the missing Deposit Instruments at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to
the Trust for all costs, expenses, dividends, income and taxes associated with missing Deposit Instruments, including the costs
incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual
purchase price of the Deposit Instruments exceeds the market value of such Deposit Instruments on the day the purchase order was
deemed received by the Principal Underwriter plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The
Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Instruments have been properly
received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee as set forth below
under “Creation Transaction Fees” will be charged and an additional variable charge may also be applied. The delivery
of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
ACCEPTANCE
OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted
in respect of a Fund at its discretion, including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit
Instruments or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the
NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80 percent or more of the
currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Instruments would have certain adverse tax consequences
to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Fund
Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Advisor, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial
owners; (g) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful;
or (h) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Advisor make
it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units. Examples of such circumstances include acts of
God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone,
telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other
information systems affecting the Trust, the Principal Underwriter, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve
System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Trust or its agents shall communicate
to the Authorized Participant its rejection of an order. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Principal Underwriter
are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either
of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the
Principal Underwriter shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of shares
of each security in the Deposit Instruments and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to
be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
REDEMPTION.
Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption
request in proper form by a Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF A FUND, THE
TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN WHOLE CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary
market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that
there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should
expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable
Creation Unit.
With respect to the Funds, the Custodian,
through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern time)
on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of each Fund’s portfolio instruments that will be applicable
(subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Redemption
Instruments”). In certain circumstances, Redemption Instruments received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Instruments.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit
are paid either in-kind or in cash, or a combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of
a Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Redemption Securities – as announced by the Custodian on
the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the
net asset value of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of
the Redemption Instruments (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee and any applicable
additional variable charge as set forth below. In the event that the Redemption Instruments have a value greater than the net asset
value of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant
by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive
the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more redemption Instruments.
PROCEDURES
FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS. After the Trust has deemed an order for redemption received, the Trust will initiate
procedures to transfer the requisite Redemption Instruments and the Cash Redemption Amount to the Authorized Participant by the
Settlement Date. With respect to in-kind redemptions of a Fund, the calculation of the value of the Redemption Instruments and
the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered upon redemption will be made by the Custodian according to the procedures set forth
under “Determination of Net Asset Value,” computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received
by the Trust. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Principal Underwriter by a DTC Participant by
the specified time on the Order Placement Date, and the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior
to 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, then the value of the Redemption Instruments
and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered will be determined by the Custodian on such Order Placement Date. If the requisite
number of Shares of the Fund are not delivered by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement
Date, the Fund will not release the underlying securities for delivery unless collateral is posted in such percentage amount of
missing Shares as set forth in the Participant Agreement (marked to market daily).
With respect to in kind redemptions of
the Fund, in connection with taking delivery of shares of Redemption Instruments upon redemption of Creation Units, an Authorized
Participant must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each
jurisdiction in which any of the Redemption Instruments are customarily traded (or such other arrangements as allowed by the Trust
or its agents), to which account such Redemption Instruments will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will
be made within three Business Days of the trade date. Due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, however, the delivery
of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than three business days after the day on which the redemption request is received
in proper form. The section below entitled “Local Market Holidays Schedules” identifies the instances where more than
seven days would be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Pursuant to an order of the SEC, in respect of the Funds, the Trust
will make delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in the Local Market Holidays section to be the
maximum number of days necessary to deliver redemption proceeds. If the Authorized Participant has not made appropriate arrangements
to take delivery of the Redemption Instruments in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such
arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Instruments in such jurisdiction, the Trust may,
in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the Authorized Participant will be required to receive
its redemption proceeds in cash.
If it is not possible to make other such
arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Instruments, the Trust may in its discretion exercise
its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that a Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the
investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant Fund next determined
after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested
cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition
of Redemption Instruments). Each Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a
portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Redemption Instruments but does not differ in net asset
value.
An Authorized Participant submitting a
redemption request is deemed to represent to the Trust that it (or its client) (i) owns outright or has full legal authority and
legal beneficial right to tender for redemption the requisite number of Shares to be redeemed and can receive the entire proceeds
of the redemption, and (ii) the Shares to be redeemed have not been loaned or pledged to another party nor are they the subject
of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement which would preclude the delivery of such Shares
to the Trust. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification
with respect to a redemption request from a Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest
in the Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of
its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form
and may be rejected by the Trust.
Redemptions of Shares for Redemption Instruments
will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and a Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits
cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver
specific Redemption Instruments upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Redemption Instruments under
such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular
security included in the Redemption Instruments applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount
of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into
agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified
institutional buyer,” (“QIB”), as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able
to receive Redemption Instruments that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant
may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Redemption Instruments.
The right of redemption may be suspended
or the date of payment postponed with respect to a Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary
weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any
period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of
the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
CREATION
AND REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEES. A transaction fee, as set forth in the table below, is imposed for the transfer and
other transaction costs associated with the purchase or redemption of Creation Units, as applicable. Authorized Participants will
be required to pay a fixed creation transaction fee and/or a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, on a given day regardless
of the number of Creation Units created or redeemed on that day. A Fund may adjust the transaction fee from time to time. The Creation/Redemption
Transaction Fee may be waived for the Fund when the Advisor believes that waiver of such fee is in the best interest of the Fund.
When determining whether to waive the Creation/Redemption Transaction Fee, the Advisor considers a number of factors including
whether waiving such fee will facilitate the initial launch of the Fund; facilitate portfolio rebalancings in a less costly manner;
improve the quality of the secondary trading market for the Fund’s shares; and not result in the Fund bearing additional
costs or expenses as a result of such waiver.
An additional charge or a variable charge
(discussed below) will be applied to certain creation and redemption transactions, including non-standard orders and whole or partial
cash purchases or redemptions. With respect to creation orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring
the securities constituting the Deposit Instruments to the account of the Trust and with respect to redemption orders, Authorized
Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring the Redemption Instruments from the Trust to their account or on their
order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may also be charged a fee for such services.
FUND
|
|
TRANSACTION
FEE
|
|
|
MAXIMUM
TRANSACTION
FEE
|
|
Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF
|
|
$
|
1,250
|
|
|
|
2,000
|
|
Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF
|
|
$
|
1,000
|
|
|
|
2,000
|
|
Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF
|
|
$
|
1,500
|
|
|
|
2,000
|
|
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The following information supplements and
should be read in conjunction with the sections in the Prospectus entitled “PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES” and “ADDITIONAL
PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.”
Net asset value per Share for each Fund
of the Trust is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of such Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities)
by the total number of Shares outstanding. Expenses and fees, including the management, administration and distribution fees, are
accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining net asset value. The net asset value of the Fund is calculated
by the Custodian and determined as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00p.m. Eastern time) on
each day that such exchange is open.
In computing a Fund’s net asset value
per Share, the Fund’s securities holdings are based on the market price of the securities, which generally means a valuation
obtained from an exchange or other market (or based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an
exchange or other market) or a valuation obtained from an independent pricing service. In the case of shares of funds that are
not traded on an exchange (e.g., mutual funds), last sale price means such fund’s published net asset value per share. Other
portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations are not readily available are valued based on fair value as determined
in good faith by the Oversight Committee in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. In these cases, the Fund’s net
asset value may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices. Fair value pricing involves
subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value
that could be realized upon the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the
prices used to calculate a Fund’s net asset value and the prices used by the Index. This may result in a difference between
the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Index.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and
should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “DISTRIBUTIONS.”
GENERAL
POLICIES. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually for each Fund. Distributions
of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Trust may make distributions on
a more frequent basis for a Fund to improve index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue
Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act. In addition, the Trust intends to distribute at
least annually amounts representing the full dividend yield on the underlying portfolio securities of each Fund, net of expenses
of such Fund, as if such Fund owned such underlying portfolio securities for the entire dividend period. As a result, some portion
of each distribution may result in a return of capital for tax purposes for shareholders.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares
are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through
DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
The Trust may make additional distributions
to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Trust, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to
avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Internal Revenue Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right
to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of
a Fund as a “regulated investment company” under the Internal Revenue Code or to avoid imposition of income or excise
taxes on undistributed income.
DIVIDEND
REINVESTMENT. Broker dealers, at their own discretion, may also offer a dividend reinvestment service under which Shares
are purchased in the secondary market at current market prices. Investors should consult their broker dealer for further information
regarding any dividend reinvestment service offered by such broker dealer.
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION
Set forth below is a discussion of certain
U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Funds and the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares. It is based upon
the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), U.S. Treasury Department regulations
promulgated thereunder, judicial authorities, and administrative rulings and practices, all as in effect as of the date of this
SAI and all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The following information supplements and should
be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “U.S. Federal Income Taxation.”
Except to the extent discussed below, this
summary assumes that a Fund’s shareholder holds Shares as capital assets within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code,
and does not hold Shares in connection with a trade or business. This summary does not address all potential U.S. federal income
tax considerations possibly applicable to an investment in Shares, and does not address the tax consequences to Fund shareholders
subject to special tax rules, including, but not limited to, partnerships and the partners therein, those who hold Shares through
an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged account, and, except to the extent discussed below, tax-exempt shareholders. This discussion
does not discuss any aspect of U.S. state, local, estate, and gift, or non-U.S., tax law. This discussion is not intended or written
to be legal or tax advice to any shareholder in the Fund or other person and is not intended or written to be used or relied on,
and cannot be used or relied on, by any such person for the purpose of avoiding any U.S. federal tax penalties that may be imposed
on such person. Prospective Fund shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the specific U.S. federal,
state, and local, and non-U.S., tax consequences of investing in Shares based on their particular circumstances.
The Funds have not requested and will not
request an advance ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) as to the U.S. federal income tax matters
described below. The IRS could adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such positions could be sustained. Prospective
investors should consult their own tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership or
disposition of Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, non-U.S. country or other taxing jurisdiction.
Tax Treatment of the Funds
In
General. Each Fund intends to qualify and elect to be treated as a separate regulated investment company (“RIC”)
under the Internal Revenue Code. As a RIC, a Fund generally will not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes
on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders.
To qualify and remain eligible for the
special tax treatment accorded to RICs, a Fund must meet certain income, asset and distribution requirements, described in more
detail below. Specifically, the Fund must (i) derive at least 90% of its gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest,
payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies,
other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business
of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships
(“QPTPs”) (i.e., partnership that are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary
market, other than partnerships that derive at least 90% of their income from interest, dividends, and other qualifying RIC income
described above), and (ii) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (a) at
least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash, securities of other RICs, U.S. government securities
and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than
5% of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more
than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other
RICs) of any one issuer, any two or more issuers of which 20% or more of the voting stock of each such issuer is held by the Fund
and that are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or business or in the securities
of one or more QPTPs. Furthermore, a Fund must distribute annually at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company
taxable income” (which includes dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains) and (ii) certain net tax-exempt income,
if any.
Failure
to Maintain RIC Status. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any year (subject to certain curative measures allowed
by the Internal Revenue Code), the Fund will be subject to regular corporate-level U.S. federal income tax in that year on all
of its taxable income, regardless of whether the Fund makes any distributions to its shareholders. In addition, in such case, distributions
will be taxable to the Fund’s shareholders generally as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and
accumulated earnings and profits, possibly eligible for (i) in the case of an individual Fund shareholder, treatment as a qualified
dividend (as discussed below) subject to tax at preferential long-term capital gains rates or (ii) in the case of a corporate Fund
shareholder, a dividends-received deduction. The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund will qualify for the special
tax treatment accorded to RICs.
Excise
Tax. A Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income generally if the Fund does not distribute
to its shareholders in each calendar year at least 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, 98.2% of its capital gain
net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, plus 100% of any undistributed amounts from prior years. For these
purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to U.S. corporate income tax for
the taxable year ending within such calendar year. The Funds intend to make distributions necessary to avoid this 4% excise tax,
although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.
Phantom
Income. With respect to some or all of its investments, a Fund may be required to recognize taxable income in advance
of receiving the related cash payment. For example, under the “wash sale” rules, the Fund may not be able to deduct
currently a loss on a disposition of a portfolio security. As a result, the Fund may be required to make an annual income distribution
greater than the total cash actually received during the year. Such distribution may be made from the existing cash assets of the
Fund or cash generated from selling Portfolio Securities. The Fund may realize gains or losses from such sales, in which event
the Fund’s shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions.
(See also “Certain Debt Instruments” below.)
Certain
Debt Instruments. Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance)
that may be acquired by a Fund (such as zero coupon debt instruments or debt instruments with payment in-kind interest) may be
treated as debt securities that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of original issue discount is treated
as interest income and is included in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received
until a later time, usually when the debt security matures.
If a Fund acquires debt securities (with
a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) in the secondary market, such debt securities may be treated
as having market discount. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt
security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the
“accrued market discount” on such debt security. Market discount generally accrues in equal daily installments. A Fund
may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having market discount, which could affect the character and
timing of recognition of income.
Some debt securities (with a fixed maturity
date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by a Fund may be treated as having acquisition discount,
or original issue discount in the case of certain types of debt securities. Generally, the Fund will be required to include the
acquisition discount, or original issue discount, in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount
is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable
to debt securities having acquisition discount, or original issue discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition
of income.
Non-U.S.
Investments. Dividends, interest and proceeds from the direct or indirect sale of non-U.S. securities may be subject
to non-U.S. withholding tax and other taxes, including financial transaction taxes. Even if a Fund is entitled to seek a refund
in respect of such taxes, it may not have sufficient information to do so or may choose not to do so. Tax treaties between certain
countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. Non-U.S. taxes paid by a Fund will reduce the
return from the Fund’s investments.
Special
or Uncertain Tax Consequences. A Fund’s investment or other activities could be subject to special and complex
tax rules that may produce differing tax consequences, such as disallowing or limiting the use of losses or deductions, causing
the recognition of income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, affecting the time as to when a purchase or sale of
stock or securities is deemed to occur or altering the characterization of certain complex financial transactions.
A Fund may engage in investment or other
activities the treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. In particular, the tax treatment
of swaps and certain other derivatives and income from foreign currency transactions is unclear for purposes of determining the
Fund’s status as a RIC. If a final determination on the tax treatment of a Fund’s investment or other activities differs
from the Fund’s original expectations, the final determination could adversely affect the Fund’s status as a RIC or
the timing or character of income recognized by the Fund, requiring the Fund to purchase or sell assets, alter its portfolio or
take other action in order to comply with the final determination.
Tax Treatment of Fund Shareholders
Taxation of U.S. Shareholders
The following is a summary of certain U.S.
federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund Shares applicable to “U.S. shareholders.”
For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Fund Shares who, for U.S. federal income
tax purposes, is (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (or an entity treated
as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United
States, or of any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income
for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust, if (a) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary
supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions
of the trust, or (b) the trust has a valid election in place to be treated as a U.S. person.
Fund
Distributions. In general, Fund distributions are subject to U.S. federal income tax when paid, regardless of whether
they consist of cash or property and regardless of whether they are re-invested in Shares. However, any Fund distribution declared
in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date during such month
will be deemed to have been received by the Fund shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year, provided such dividend is actually
paid during January of the following calendar year.
Distributions of a Fund’s net investment
income and the Fund’s net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses (collectively referred to as
“ordinary income dividends”) are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated
earnings and profits (subject to an exception for “qualified dividend income, as discussed below). Corporate shareholders
of the Fund may be eligible to take a dividends-received deduction with respect to such distributions, provided the distributions
are attributable to dividends received by the Fund on stock of U.S. corporations with respect to which the Fund meets certain holding
period and other requirements. To the extent designated as “capital gain dividends” by the Fund, distributions of the
Fund’s net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses (“net capital gain”) are taxable
at long-term capital gain tax rates to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, regardless
of the Fund shareholder’s holding period in the Fund’s Shares. Such dividends will not be eligible for a dividends-received
deduction by corporate shareholders.
A Fund’s net capital gain is computed
by taking into account the Fund’s capital loss carryforwards, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization
Act of 2010, capital losses incurred in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 can be carried forward indefinitely and retain
the character of the original loss. To the extent that these carryforwards are available to offset future capital gains, it is
probable that the amount offset will not be distributed to shareholders. In the event that a Fund were to experience an ownership
change as defined under the Code, the Fund’s loss carryforwards, if any, may be subject to limitation.
Distributions of “qualified dividend
income” (defined below) are taxed to certain non-corporate shareholders at the reduced rates applicable to long-term capital
gain to the extent of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, provided that the Fund shareholder meets certain
holding period and other requirements with respect to the distributing Fund’s Shares and the distributing Fund meets certain
holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stocks. Dividends subject to these special rules, however,
are not actually treated as capital gains and, thus, are not included in the computation of a non-corporate shareholder’s
net capital gain and generally cannot be used to offset capital losses. The portion of distributions that a Fund may report as
qualified dividend income generally is limited to the amount of qualified dividend income received by the Fund, but if for any
Fund taxable year 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain from sales of stock and securities)
consist of qualified dividend income, all distributions of such income for that taxable year may be reported as qualified dividend
income. For this purpose, “qualified dividend income” generally means income from dividends received by a Fund from
U.S. corporations and qualified non-U.S. corporations. Income from dividends received by the Fund from a real estate investment
trust (“REIT”) or another RIC generally is qualified dividend income only to the extent that the dividend distributions
are made out of qualified dividend income received by such REIT or other RIC.
To the extent that a Fund makes a distribution
of income received by such Fund in lieu of dividends with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction,
such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received
deduction for corporate shareholders.
Distributions in excess of a Fund’s
current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent
of the shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares of the Fund, and as a capital gain thereafter (assuming the shareholder holds
its Shares of the Fund as capital assets).
Each Fund intends to distribute its net
capital gain at least annually. However, by providing written notice to its shareholders no later than 60 days after its year-end,
a Fund may elect to retain some or all of its net capital gain and designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.”
In that event, the Fund pays U.S. federal income tax on the retained net capital gain, and the Fund shareholder recognizes a proportionate
share of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain. In addition, a shareholder can claim a tax credit or refund for the shareholder’s
proportionate share of the Fund’s U.S. federal income taxes paid on the undistributed net capital gain and increase the shareholder’s
tax basis in the Fund Shares by an amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed
net capital gain, reduced by the amount of the shareholder’s tax credit or refund. Organizations or persons not subject to
U.S. federal income tax on such net capital gain may be entitled to a refund of their pro rata share of such taxes paid by the
Fund upon timely filing appropriate returns or claims for refund with the IRS.
With respect to non-corporate Fund shareholders
(i.e., individuals, trusts and estates), ordinary income and short-term capital gain are taxed at a current maximum rate
of 39.6% and long-term capital gain is taxed at a current maximum rate of 20%. Corporate shareholders are taxed at a current maximum
rate of 35% on their income and gain.
In addition, high-income individuals (and
certain trusts and estates) generally will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare tax on “net investment income,” in addition
to otherwise applicable U.S. federal income tax. “Net investment income” generally will include dividends (including
capital gain dividends) received from a Fund and net gains from the redemption or other disposition of Shares. Please consult your
tax advisor regarding this tax.
Investors considering buying Shares just
prior to a distribution should be aware that, although the price of the Shares purchased at such time may reflect the forthcoming
distribution, such distribution nevertheless may be taxable (as opposed to a non-taxable return of capital).
Sales
of Shares. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares generally is treated as a long-term gain
or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares
held for one year or less generally is treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on the sale of Shares
held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed
to be paid) with respect to such Shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Fund Shares will be disallowed
under the “wash sale” rules if substantially identical shares are purchased (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise)
within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the Fund Shares. In such a case, the
basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
Legislation passed by Congress requires
reporting to the IRS and to taxpayers of adjusted cost basis information for “covered securities,” which generally
include shares of a RIC acquired on or after January 1, 2012. Shareholders should contact their brokers to obtain information with
respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and available elections for their accounts.
Creation
Unit Issues and Redemptions. On an issue of Shares as part of a Creation Unit, made by means of an in-kind deposit,
an Authorized Participant recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at issue)
of the issued Shares (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s
aggregate basis in the exchanged securities (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue). On a redemption
of Shares as part of a Creation Unit where the redemption is conducted in-kind by a payment of Fund Securities, an Authorized Participant
recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at redemption) of the securities received
(plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s basis
in the redeemed Shares (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption). However, the IRS may assert,
under the “wash sale” rules or on the basis that there has been no significant change in the Authorized Participant’s
economic position, that any loss on an issue or redemption of Creation Units cannot be deducted currently.
In general, any capital gain or loss recognized
upon the issue or redemption of Shares (as components of a Creation Unit) is treated either as long-term capital gain or loss,
if the deposited securities (in the case of an issue) or the Shares (in the case of a redemption) have been held for more than
one year, or otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss on a redemption of Shares held for six months
or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect
to such Shares.
Reportable
Transactions. If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to Shares of $2 million or more (for an individual Fund
shareholder) or $10 million or more (for a corporate shareholder) in any single taxable year (or a greater loss over a combination
of years), the Fund shareholder may be required to file a disclosure statement with the IRS. Significant penalties may be imposed
upon the failure to comply with these reporting rules. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability
of these rules in light of their individual circumstances.
Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders
The following is a summary of certain U.S.
federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund Shares applicable to “non-U.S. shareholders.”
For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Fund Shares that is not a U.S. shareholder
(as defined above) and is not an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The following
discussion is based on current law, and is for general information only. It addresses only selected, and not all, aspects of U.S.
federal income taxation.
Dividends.
With respect to non-U.S. shareholders of a Fund, the Fund’s ordinary income dividends generally will be subject to U.S. federal
withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate established under an applicable tax treaty). However, ordinary income dividends
that are “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” (each as defined below) and
capital gain dividends generally will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding (or income tax), provided that the non-U.S. shareholder
furnishes the Fund with a completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, (or acceptable substitute documentation) establishing
the non-U.S. shareholder’s non-U.S. status and the Fund does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the non-U.S.
shareholder would be subject to such withholding tax if the non-U.S. shareholder were to receive the related amounts directly rather
than as dividends from the Fund. “Interest-related dividends” generally means dividends designated by the Fund as attributable
to such Fund’s U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation
or partnership in which such Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income. “Short-term
capital gain dividends” generally means dividends designated by the Fund as attributable to the excess of such Fund’s
net short-term capital gain over its net long-term capital loss. Depending on its circumstances, the Fund may treat such dividends,
in whole or in part, as ineligible for these exemptions from withholding.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, special
rules apply in certain cases, including as described below. For example, in cases where dividend income from a non-U.S. shareholder’s
investment in the Fund is effectively connected with a trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder conducted in the United States,
the non-U.S. shareholder generally will be exempt from withholding tax, but will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the graduated
rates applicable to U.S. shareholders. Such income generally must be reported on a U.S. federal income tax return. Furthermore,
such income also may be subject to the 30% branch profits tax in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder that is a corporation. In addition,
if a non-U.S. shareholder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and
has a “tax home” in the United States, any gain incurred by such shareholder with respect to his or her capital gain
dividends and short-term capital gain dividends would be subject to a 30% U.S. federal income tax (which, in the case of short-term
capital gain dividends, may, in certain instances, be withheld at source by the Fund). Lastly, special rules apply with respect
to dividends that are subject to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Act (“FIRPTA”), discussed below (see “Investments
in U.S. Real Property”).
Sales
of Fund Shares. Under current law, gain on a sale or exchange of Shares generally will be exempt from U.S. federal income
tax (including withholding at the source) unless (i) the non-U.S. shareholder is an individual who was physically present in the
United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a “tax home” in the United States, in which case
the non-U.S. shareholder would incur a 30% U.S. federal income tax on his capital gain, (ii) the gain is effectively connected
with a U.S. trade or business conducted by the non-U.S. shareholder (in which case the non-U.S. shareholder generally would be
taxable on such gain at the same graduated rates applicable to U.S. shareholders, would be required to file a U.S. federal income
tax return and, in the case of a corporate non-U.S. shareholder, may also be subject to the 30% branch profits tax), or (iii) the
gain is subject to FIRPTA, as discussed below (see —“Investments in U.S. Real Property”).
Credits
or Refunds. To claim a credit or refund for any Fund-level taxes on any undistributed long-term capital gains (as discussed
above) or any taxes collected through withholding, a non-U.S. Fund shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number
and file a U.S. federal income tax return even if the non-U.S. Fund shareholder would not otherwise be required to do so.
Investments
in U.S. Real Property. Subject to the exemptions described below, a non-U.S. shareholder generally will be subject to
U.S. federal income tax under FIRPTA on any gain from the sale or exchange of Shares if the Fund is a “U.S. real property
holding corporation” (as defined below) at any time during the shorter of the period during which the non-U.S. shareholder
held such Shares and the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition of those Shares. Any such gain will be taxed in
the same manner as for a U.S. Fund shareholder and in certain cases will be collected through withholding at the source in an amount
equal to 15% of the sales proceeds. A Fund will be a “U.S. real property holding corporation” if the fair market value
of its “U.S. real property interests” (“USRPIs”) (which includes shares of U.S. real property holding corporations
and certain participating debt securities) equals or exceeds 50% of the fair market value of such interests plus its interests
in real property located outside the United States plus any other assets used or held for use in a business.
An exemption from FIRPTA applies if either
(i) the class of Shares disposed of by the non-U.S. shareholder is regularly traded on an established securities market (as determined
for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and the non-U.S. shareholder did not actually or constructively hold more than 5% of such
class of Shares at any time during the five-year period prior to the disposition, or (ii) the Fund is a “domestically-controlled
RIC.” A “domestically-controlled RIC” is any RIC in which at all times during the relevant testing period 50%
or more in value of the RIC’s stock is owned by U.S. persons.
Furthermore, special rules apply under
FIRPTA in respect of distributions attributable to gains from USRPIs. In general, if a Fund is a U.S. real property holding corporation
(taking certain special rules into account), distributions by such Fund attributable to gains from USRPIs will be treated as income
effectively connected with a trade or business within the United States, subject generally to tax at the same graduated rates applicable
to U.S. shareholders and, in the case of a corporation that is a non-U.S. shareholder, a “branch profits” tax at a
rate of 30% (or other applicable lower treaty rate). Such distributions will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax and generally
will give rise to an obligation on the part of the non-U.S. shareholder to file a U.S. federal income tax return.
Even if a Fund is treated as a U.S. real
property holding corporation, distributions on the Fund’s Shares will not be treated, under the rule described above, as
income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder that owns (for the applicable
period) 5% or less (by class) of Shares and such class is regularly traded on an established securities market for U.S. federal
income tax purposes (but such distribution will be treated as ordinary dividends subject to a 30% withholding tax or lower applicable
treaty rate).
Non-U.S. shareholders that engage in certain
“wash sale” and/or substitute dividend payment transactions the effect of which is to avoid the receipt of distributions
from the Fund that would be treated as gain effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business will be treated as having received
such distributions.
All shareholders of the Funds should consult
their tax advisers regarding the application of the rules described above.
Back-Up Withholding
A Fund (or a financial intermediary such
as a broker through which a shareholder holds Shares in the Fund) may be required to report certain information on the Fund shareholder
to the IRS and withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”) at a 28% rate from taxable distributions and
redemption or sale proceeds payable to the Fund shareholder if (i) the Fund shareholder fails to provide the Fund with a correct
taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or if the IRS notifies the Fund that the Fund shareholder is otherwise
subject to backup withholding, and (ii) the Fund shareholder is not otherwise exempt from backup withholding. Non-U.S. shareholders
can qualify for exemption from backup withholding by submitting a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. Backup withholding
is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against the Fund shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
The U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance
Act (“FATCA”) generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on “withholdable payments” (defined below) made to
(i) a “foreign financial institution” (“FFI”), unless the FFI enters into an agreement with the IRS to
provide information regarding certain of its direct and indirect U.S. account holders and satisfy certain due diligence and other
specified requirements, and (ii) a “non-financial foreign entity” (“NFFE”) unless such NFFE provides certain
information to the withholding agent about certain of its direct and indirect “substantial U.S. owners” or certifies
that it has no such U.S. owners. The beneficial owner of a “withholdable payment” may be eligible for a refund or credit
of the withheld tax. The U.S. government also has entered into several intergovernmental agreements with other jurisdictions to
provide an alternative, and generally easier, approach for FFIs to comply with FATCA.
“Withholdable payments” generally
include, among other items, (i) U.S.-source interest and dividends, and (ii) gross proceeds from the sale or disposition, occurring
on or after January 1, 2019, of property of a type that can produce U.S.-source interest or dividends.
A Fund may be required to impose a 30%
withholding tax on withholdable payments to a shareholder if the shareholder fails to provide the Fund with the information, certifications
or documentation required under FATCA, including information, certification or documentation necessary for the Fund to determine
if the shareholder is a non-U.S. shareholder or a U.S. shareholder and, if it is a non-U.S. shareholder, if the non-U.S. shareholder
has “substantial U.S. owners” and/or is in compliance with (or meets an exception from) FATCA requirements. The Fund
will not pay any additional amounts to shareholders in respect of any amounts withheld. The Fund may disclose any shareholder information,
certifications or documentation to the IRS or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA.
The requirements of, and exceptions from,
FATCA are complex. All prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the potential application
of FATCA with respect to their own situation.
Section 351
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, have
the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Funds if the purchase (including any purchases of shares in the same
Fund by a related group of purchasers) would not qualify as a tax-free transaction described in Section 351 of the Internal Revenue
Code. The Trust also has the right to require information from a purchaser of shares in a Fund for purposes of determining
if an order for a purchase of shares of the Fund qualifies as a tax-free transaction described in Section 351 of the Internal Revenue
Code.
CAPITAL STOCK AND SHAREHOLDER REPORTS
Each Fund issues Shares of beneficial interest,
with no par value. The Board may designate additional funds.
Each Share issued by the Trust has a pro
rata interest in the assets of the corresponding series of the Trust. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion
rights and are freely transferable. Each Share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the
Board with respect to the Fund, and in the net distributable assets of the Fund on liquidation.
Each Share has one vote with respect to
matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder.
Shares of all series of the Trust (i.e., Shares of the Funds) vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being
voted on affects only a particular Fund it will be voted on only by that Fund and if a matter affects a particular Fund differently
from other Funds, that Fund will vote separately on such matter. Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual
meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. The policy of the Trust is not to hold an annual meeting of
shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. All Shares of the Trust (regardless of the Fund) have noncumulative voting
rights for the election of Trustees. Under Delaware law, Trustees of the Trust may be removed by vote of the shareholders.
The Declaration of Trust contains an express
disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust, requires that Trust obligations include such disclaimer,
and provides for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses out of the Trust’s property for any shareholder held personally
liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability
is limited to circumstances in which the Trust itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Given the above limitations on shareholder
personal liability, and the nature of a Fund’s assets and operations, the risk to shareholders of personal liability is believed
to be remote.
Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing
to the Trust, c/o Syntax Advisors, LLC, One Liberty Plaza, 46th Fl. New York, NY 10006.
COUNSEL AND INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM
Chapman and Cutler LLP serves as counsel
to the Trust and the Funds. Ernst & Young LLP serves as the independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust.
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Ernst
& Young, Dublin, Ireland, are the independent auditors of Syntax 500 Series and Syntax 400 Series of Syntax Index Series, LP
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial
statements and financial highlights for Syntax 400 Series of Syntax Index Series, LP, a privately offered account which was the
predecessor of the Syntax Stratified MidCap ETF, for the years ended December 31, 2017, December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2019,
have been audited by Ernst & Young, Dublin, Ireland, independent auditors.
The audited financial
statements and financial highlights for Syntax 500 Series of Syntax Index Series, LP, privately offered account which was the predecessor
of the Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF, for the years ended December 31, 2017, December 31, 2018; have been audited by Ernst &
Young, Dublin, Ireland, independent auditors. The audited financial statements and financial highlights for Syntax Stratified LargeCap
ETF for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors for the Trust.
The audited financial
statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 for the Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF, including the financial highlights,
appearing in the annual report to shareholders, is incorporated by reference in this SAI.
Financial statements
are not included for the Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF, which had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.
Syntax Index Series LP
Syntax 400 Series
Financial statements for the year
ended December 31, 2019
|
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
Syntax 400 Series
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
for the year ended December 31, 2019
Report of Independent Auditors
To the General Partner, Syntax Index Series,
L.P.
We have audited the accompanying financial
statements of Syntax 400 Series (the ’’Series’’) of Syntax Index Series, L.P. (the ’‘Partnership’’),
which comprise the statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2019, and the
related statements of operations, changes in partners’ capital and cash flows for the year then ended, and the related notes to
the financial statements.
Management’s Responsibility for
the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation
and fair presentation of these financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; this includes
the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements
that are free of material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion
on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted
in the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the
financial statements are free of material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures
to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s
judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error.
In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation
of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose
of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting
estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have
obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion
In our opinion, the financial statements
referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Syntax 400 Series of Syntax Index Series,
L.P. at December 31, 2019, and the results of its operations, changes in its partners’ capital and its cash flows,
for the year then ended in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Ernst & Young
Dublin, Ireland
April 29, 2020
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
Syntax 400 Series
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
December 31, 2019
|
|
|
|
Syntax 400
|
|
|
|
|
|
Series
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
2(c)
|
|
$
|
17,137
|
|
Investments (cost: $2,336,433)
|
|
2(d)
|
|
|
2,734,304
|
|
Dividends receivable
|
|
|
|
|
1,935
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
|
$
|
2,753,376
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities and Partners’ Capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
|
|
|
$
|
4,703
|
|
Amounts due to broker
|
|
|
|
|
7,637
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
12,340
|
|
General Partner capital
|
|
|
|
|
15,159
|
|
Limited Partners’ capital
|
|
|
|
|
2,725,877
|
|
Total Partners’ capital
|
|
|
|
|
2,741,036
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Liabilities and Partners’ Capital
|
|
|
|
$
|
2,753,376
|
|
See accompanying Notes, which are an integral
part of the Financial Statements.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
Syntax 400 Series
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
December 31, 2019
Syntax 400 Series
Common Stocks
|
|
Shares
|
|
Fair Value (US$)
|
|
Common Stocks
|
|
Shares
|
|
Fair Value (US$)
|
ACI Worldwide Inc
|
|
388
|
|
14,699
|
|
Cathay General Bancorp
|
|
38
|
|
1,446
|
AECOM
|
|
112
|
|
4,831
|
|
Ceridian HCM Holding Inc
|
|
85
|
|
5,770
|
AGCO Corporation
|
|
78
|
|
6,025
|
|
Charles River Laboratories International I
|
|
58
|
|
8,860
|
ALLETE Inc
|
|
101
|
|
8,198
|
|
Cheesecake Factory Incorporated
|
|
241
|
|
9,365
|
AMC Networks Inc Class A
|
|
285
|
|
11,257
|
|
Chemed Corporation
|
|
18
|
|
7,907
|
ASGN Inc
|
|
114
|
|
8,091
|
|
Chemours Co.
|
|
188
|
|
3,401
|
Aaron’s Inc
|
|
135
|
|
7,710
|
|
Chesapeake Energy Corporation
|
|
5,055
|
|
4,175
|
Acadia Healthcare Company Inc
|
|
332
|
|
11,029
|
|
Choice Hotels Intl Inc
|
|
16
|
|
1,655
|
Acuity Brands Inc
|
|
46
|
|
6,348
|
|
Churchill Downs Incorporated
|
|
12
|
|
1,646
|
Adient plc
|
|
116
|
|
2,465
|
|
Ciena Corporation
|
|
770
|
|
32,871
|
Adtalem Global Education Inc
|
|
153
|
|
5,350
|
|
Cinemark Holdings Inc
|
|
310
|
|
10,493
|
Affiliated Managers Group Inc
|
|
63
|
|
5,339
|
|
Cirrus Logic Inc
|
|
139
|
|
11,455
|
Alexander & Baldwin Inc
|
|
46
|
|
964
|
|
Clean Harbors Inc
|
|
57
|
|
4,888
|
Alleghany Corporation
|
|
13
|
|
10,394
|
|
Cognex Corporation
|
|
110
|
|
6,164
|
Allegheny Technologies Incorporated
|
|
179
|
|
3,698
|
|
Coherent Inc
|
|
68
|
|
11,312
|
Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc
|
|
1,485
|
|
14,575
|
|
Colfax Corporation
|
|
152
|
|
5,530
|
Amedisys Inc
|
|
66
|
|
11,017
|
|
Columbia Sportswear Company
|
|
29
|
|
2,906
|
American Campus Communities Inc
|
|
231
|
|
10,864
|
|
CommVault Systems Inc
|
|
117
|
|
5,223
|
American Eagle Outfitters Inc
|
|
945
|
|
13,891
|
|
Commerce Bancshares Inc
|
|
54
|
|
3,669
|
American Financial Group Inc
|
|
48
|
|
5,263
|
|
Commercial Metals Company
|
|
180
|
|
4,009
|
Antero Midstream Corp
|
|
815
|
|
6,186
|
|
Compass Minerals International Inc
|
|
69
|
|
4,206
|
Apergy Corp
|
|
184
|
|
6,216
|
|
Core Laboratories NV
|
|
119
|
|
4,483
|
Aptargroup Inc
|
|
23
|
|
2,659
|
|
CoreCivic Inc
|
|
251
|
|
4,362
|
Aqua America Inc
|
|
106
|
|
4,976
|
|
CoreLogic Inc
|
|
110
|
|
4,808
|
Arrow Electronics Inc
|
|
24
|
|
2,034
|
|
CoreSite Realty Corporation
|
|
24
|
|
2,691
|
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc.
|
|
239
|
|
15,160
|
|
Corporate Office Properties Trust
|
|
42
|
|
1,234
|
Ashland Global Holdings Inc
|
|
35
|
|
2,679
|
|
Cousins Properties Incorporated
|
|
30
|
|
1,236
|
Associated Banc-Corp
|
|
65
|
|
1,433
|
|
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc
|
|
62
|
|
9,532
|
AutoNation Inc
|
|
240
|
|
11,671
|
|
Crane Co.
|
|
140
|
|
12,093
|
Avanos Medical Inc
|
|
55
|
|
1,853
|
|
Cree Inc
|
|
88
|
|
4,061
|
Avis Budget Group Inc
|
|
382
|
|
12,316
|
|
Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc
|
|
37
|
|
3,618
|
Avnet Inc
|
|
47
|
|
1,995
|
|
Curtiss-Wright Corporation
|
|
28
|
|
3,945
|
Axon Enterprise Inc
|
|
83
|
|
6,082
|
|
Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
|
|
455
|
|
10,615
|
BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc
|
|
338
|
|
7,686
|
|
CyrusOne Inc
|
|
262
|
|
17,143
|
BancorpSouth Bank
|
|
45
|
|
1,413
|
|
Dana Incorporated
|
|
216
|
|
3,931
|
Bank OZK
|
|
46
|
|
1,403
|
|
Deckers Outdoor Corporation
|
|
84
|
|
14,184
|
Bank of Hawaii Corporation
|
|
87
|
|
8,279
|
|
Delphi Technologies Plc
|
|
297
|
|
3,811
|
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc
|
|
208
|
|
3,598
|
|
Deluxe Corporation
|
|
94
|
|
4,692
|
Belden Inc
|
|
73
|
|
4,015
|
|
Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc
|
|
167
|
|
8,265
|
Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc Class A
|
|
30
|
|
11,101
|
|
Dillard’s Inc Class A
|
|
199
|
|
14,623
|
Bio-Techne Corporation
|
|
40
|
|
8,780
|
|
Domino’s Pizza Inc
|
|
27
|
|
7,932
|
Black Hills Corporation
|
|
62
|
|
4,869
|
|
Domtar Corporation
|
|
69
|
|
2,639
|
Blackbaud Inc
|
|
68
|
|
5,413
|
|
Donaldson Company Inc
|
|
94
|
|
5,416
|
Boston Beer Company Inc Class A
|
|
32
|
|
12,091
|
|
Douglas Emmett Inc
|
|
28
|
|
1,229
|
Boyd Gaming Corporation
|
|
54
|
|
1,617
|
|
Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc
|
|
107
|
|
8,083
|
Brighthouse Financial Inc
|
|
253
|
|
9,925
|
|
Dycom Industries Inc
|
|
101
|
|
4,762
|
Brink’s Company
|
|
52
|
|
4,715
|
|
EMCOR Group Inc
|
|
55
|
|
4,746
|
Brinker International Inc
|
|
227
|
|
9,534
|
|
EPR Properties
|
|
14
|
|
989
|
Brixmor Property Group Inc
|
|
46
|
|
994
|
|
EQT Corporation
|
|
429
|
|
4,676
|
Brown & Brown Inc
|
|
274
|
|
10,818
|
|
Eagle Materials Inc
|
|
59
|
|
5,349
|
Brunswick Corporation
|
|
134
|
|
8,037
|
|
East West Bancorp Inc
|
|
30
|
|
1,461
|
CACI International Inc Class A
|
|
33
|
|
8,250
|
|
EastGroup Properties Inc
|
|
20
|
|
2,653
|
CDK Global Inc
|
|
145
|
|
7,929
|
|
Eaton Vance Corp
|
|
113
|
|
5,276
|
CNO Financial Group Inc
|
|
565
|
|
10,243
|
|
Edgewell Personal Care Co.
|
|
608
|
|
18,824
|
CNX Resources Corporation
|
|
536
|
|
4,744
|
|
Eldorado Resorts Inc
|
|
29
|
|
1,730
|
Cable One Inc
|
|
11
|
|
16,373
|
|
Encompass Health Corporation
|
|
151
|
|
10,460
|
Cabot Corporation
|
|
67
|
|
3,184
|
|
EnerSys
|
|
65
|
|
4,864
|
Cabot Microelectronics Corp.
|
|
78
|
|
11,257
|
|
Energizer Holdings Inc
|
|
382
|
|
19,184
|
Caesars Entertainment Corporation
|
|
121
|
|
1,646
|
|
Equitrans Midstream Corp
|
|
440
|
|
5,878
|
Camden Property Trust
|
|
101
|
|
10,716
|
|
Etsy Inc
|
|
151
|
|
6,689
|
Cantel Medical Corp
|
|
48
|
|
3,403
|
|
Evercore Inc Class A
|
|
106
|
|
7,925
|
Carlisle Companies Incorporated
|
|
17
|
|
2,751
|
|
Exelixis Inc
|
|
896
|
|
15,788
|
Carpenter Technology Corporation
|
|
75
|
|
3,733
|
|
F.N.B. Corporation
|
|
116
|
|
1,473
|
Carter’s Inc
|
|
134
|
|
14,652
|
|
FTI Consulting Inc
|
|
72
|
|
7,968
|
Casey’s General Stores Inc
|
|
52
|
|
8,267
|
|
FactSet Research Systems Inc
|
|
59
|
|
15,830
|
Catalent Inc
|
|
306
|
|
17,228
|
|
Fair Isaac Corporation
|
|
40
|
|
14,987
|
See accompanying Notes, which are an integral
part of the Financial Statements.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
Syntax 400 Series
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
December 31, 2019
Syntax 400 Series (Continued)
Common Stocks
|
|
Shares
|
|
Fair Value (US$)
|
|
Common Stocks
|
|
Shares
|
|
Fair Value (US$)
|
Federated Investors Inc Class B
|
|
159
|
|
5,182
|
|
Lamar Advertising Company Class A
|
|
11
|
|
982
|
First American Financial Corporation
|
|
75
|
|
4,374
|
|
Lancaster Colony Corporation
|
|
77
|
|
12,328
|
First Financial Bankshares Inc
|
|
41
|
|
1,439
|
|
Landstar System Inc
|
|
43
|
|
4,896
|
First Horizon National Corporation
|
|
217
|
|
3,594
|
|
Lear Corporation
|
|
21
|
|
2,881
|
First Industrial Realty Trust Inc
|
|
65
|
|
2,698
|
|
Legg Mason Inc
|
|
149
|
|
5,351
|
First Solar Inc
|
|
73
|
|
4,085
|
|
LendingTree Inc
|
|
37
|
|
11,227
|
FirstCash Inc
|
|
44
|
|
3,548
|
|
Lennox International Inc
|
|
23
|
|
5,611
|
Five Below Inc
|
|
64
|
|
8,183
|
|
Liberty Property Trust
|
|
20
|
|
1,201
|
Flowers Foods Inc
|
|
558
|
|
12,131
|
|
Life Storage Inc
|
|
102
|
|
11,045
|
Fluor Corporation
|
|
278
|
|
5,249
|
|
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
|
|
150
|
|
15,643
|
Foot Locker Inc
|
|
368
|
|
14,348
|
|
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc
|
|
85
|
|
8,222
|
Fulton Financial Corporation
|
|
82
|
|
1,429
|
|
Littelfuse Inc
|
|
25
|
|
4,782
|
GATX Corporation
|
|
48
|
|
3,977
|
|
LivaNova Plc
|
|
186
|
|
14,030
|
GEO Group Inc
|
|
272
|
|
4,518
|
|
LiveRamp Holdings Inc
|
|
110
|
|
5,288
|
GRAND CANYON ED INC
|
|
59
|
|
5,652
|
|
LogMeIn Inc
|
|
64
|
|
5,487
|
Gentex Corporation
|
|
144
|
|
4,173
|
|
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation
|
|
124
|
|
3,679
|
Genworth Financial Inc Class A
|
|
2,308
|
|
10,155
|
|
Lumentum Holdings Inc
|
|
428
|
|
33,940
|
Globus Medical Inc Class A
|
|
243
|
|
14,308
|
|
MAXIMUS Inc
|
|
62
|
|
4,612
|
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
|
|
167
|
|
2,598
|
|
MDU Resources Group Inc
|
|
184
|
|
5,467
|
Graco Inc
|
|
104
|
|
5,408
|
|
MEDNAX Inc
|
|
388
|
|
10,783
|
Graham Holdings Co.
|
|
8
|
|
5,112
|
|
MKS Instruments Inc
|
|
97
|
|
10,671
|
Green Dot Corporation Class A
|
|
173
|
|
4,031
|
|
MSA Safety Inc
|
|
47
|
|
5,939
|
Greif Class A
|
|
40
|
|
1,768
|
|
MSC Industrial Direct Co. Inc Class A
|
|
27
|
|
2,119
|
Grubhub Inc
|
|
147
|
|
7,150
|
|
Macerich Company
|
|
37
|
|
996
|
HNI Corporation
|
|
151
|
|
5,656
|
|
Mack-Cali Realty Corporation
|
|
57
|
|
1,318
|
Haemonetics Corporation
|
|
30
|
|
3,447
|
|
Manhattan Associates Inc
|
|
69
|
|
5,503
|
Hain Celestial Group Inc
|
|
319
|
|
8,280
|
|
ManpowerGroup Inc
|
|
83
|
|
8,059
|
Hancock Whitney Corporation
|
|
83
|
|
3,642
|
|
Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation
|
|
21
|
|
2,704
|
Hanover Insurance Group Inc
|
|
39
|
|
5,330
|
|
MasTec Inc
|
|
264
|
|
16,938
|
Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc
|
|
176
|
|
8,247
|
|
Masimo Corporation
|
|
68
|
|
10,748
|
HealthEquity Inc
|
|
64
|
|
4,740
|
|
Matador Resources Company
|
|
514
|
|
9,237
|
Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated
|
|
494
|
|
16,485
|
|
Mattel Inc
|
|
449
|
|
6,084
|
Healthcare Services Group Inc
|
|
197
|
|
4,791
|
|
Medical Properties Trust Inc
|
|
803
|
|
16,951
|
Helen of Troy Limited
|
|
115
|
|
20,676
|
|
Mercury General Corporation
|
|
219
|
|
10,672
|
Herman Miller Inc
|
|
129
|
|
5,373
|
|
Mercury Systems Inc
|
|
56
|
|
3,870
|
Highwoods Properties Inc
|
|
26
|
|
1,272
|
|
Meredith Corporation
|
|
151
|
|
4,903
|
Hill-Rom Holdings Inc
|
|
32
|
|
3,633
|
|
Minerals Technologies Inc
|
|
56
|
|
3,227
|
Home BancShares Inc
|
|
75
|
|
1,474
|
|
Molina Healthcare Inc
|
|
82
|
|
11,127
|
Hubbell Incorporated Class B
|
|
33
|
|
4,878
|
|
Monolithic Power Systems Inc
|
|
61
|
|
10,859
|
ICU Medical Inc
|
|
10
|
|
1,871
|
|
Murphy Oil Corporation
|
|
318
|
|
8,522
|
IDACORP Inc
|
|
76
|
|
8,117
|
|
Murphy USA Inc
|
|
68
|
|
7,956
|
II-VI Incorporated
|
|
125
|
|
4,209
|
|
NCR Corporation
|
|
469
|
|
16,490
|
ITT Inc
|
|
55
|
|
4,065
|
|
NOW Inc
|
|
178
|
|
2,001
|
Ingevity Corporation
|
|
36
|
|
3,146
|
|
National Fuel Gas Company
|
|
103
|
|
4,794
|
Ingredion Incorporated
|
|
91
|
|
8,458
|
|
National Instruments Corporation
|
|
501
|
|
21,212
|
Insperity Inc
|
|
55
|
|
4,732
|
|
National Retail Properties Inc
|
|
19
|
|
1,019
|
Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation
|
|
29
|
|
1,690
|
|
Navient Corp
|
|
752
|
|
10,287
|
InterDigital Inc
|
|
198
|
|
10,789
|
|
Nektar Therapeutics
|
|
751
|
|
16,210
|
Interactive Brokers Group Inc Class A
|
|
228
|
|
10,629
|
|
NetScout Systems Inc
|
|
672
|
|
16,175
|
International Bancshares Corporation
|
|
34
|
|
1,464
|
|
New Jersey Resources Corporation
|
|
110
|
|
4,903
|
JBG SMITH Properties
|
|
30
|
|
1,197
|
|
New York Community Bancorp Inc
|
|
122
|
|
1,466
|
Jabil Inc
|
|
399
|
|
16,491
|
|
New York Times Company Class A
|
|
163
|
|
5,244
|
Jack in the Box Inc
|
|
104
|
|
8,115
|
|
NewMarket Corporation
|
|
6
|
|
2,919
|
Janus Henderson Group PLC
|
|
214
|
|
5,232
|
|
Nordson Corporation
|
|
49
|
|
7,979
|
Jefferies Financial Group Inc
|
|
248
|
|
5,300
|
|
NorthWestern Corporation
|
|
114
|
|
8,170
|
JetBlue Airways Corporation
|
|
645
|
|
12,074
|
|
Nu Skin Enterprises Inc Class A
|
|
492
|
|
20,162
|
John Wiley & Sons Inc Class A
|
|
109
|
|
5,289
|
|
NuVasive Inc
|
|
187
|
|
14,463
|
Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated
|
|
62
|
|
10,794
|
|
OGE Energy Corp
|
|
184
|
|
8,182
|
KAR Auction Services Inc
|
|
558
|
|
12,159
|
|
ONE Gas Inc
|
|
53
|
|
4,959
|
KB Home
|
|
305
|
|
10,452
|
|
Old Republic International Corporation
|
|
237
|
|
5,302
|
KBR Inc
|
|
160
|
|
4,880
|
|
Olin Corporation
|
|
155
|
|
2,674
|
Kemper Corporation
|
|
141
|
|
10,927
|
|
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc
|
|
116
|
|
7,576
|
Kennametal Inc
|
|
213
|
|
7,858
|
|
Omega Healthcare Investors Inc
|
|
195
|
|
8,258
|
Kilroy Realty Corporation
|
|
14
|
|
1,175
|
|
Oshkosh Corp
|
|
44
|
|
4,165
|
Kirby Corporation
|
|
65
|
|
5,819
|
|
Owens Corning
|
|
41
|
|
2,670
|
Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc A
|
|
128
|
|
4,588
|
|
Owens-Illinois Inc
|
|
160
|
|
1,909
|
See accompanying Notes, which are an integral
part of the Financial Statements.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
Syntax 400 Series
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
December 31, 2019
Common Stocks
|
|
Shares
|
|
Fair Value (US$)
|
|
Common Stocks
|
|
Shares
|
|
Fair Value (US$)
|
PBF Energy Inc Class A
|
|
267
|
|
8,376
|
|
Stifel Financial Corp
|
|
173
|
|
10,492
|
PNM Resources Inc
|
|
160
|
|
8,114
|
|
Synaptics Incorporated
|
|
166
|
|
10,918
|
PRA Health Sciences Inc
|
|
83
|
|
9,225
|
|
Syneos Health Inc Class A
|
|
151
|
|
8,981
|
PS Business Parks Inc
|
|
7
|
|
1,154
|
|
Synovus Financial Corp
|
|
37
|
|
1,450
|
PTC Inc
|
|
285
|
|
21,344
|
|
TCF Financial Corporation
|
|
32
|
|
1,498
|
PacWest Bancorp
|
|
38
|
|
1,454
|
|
TEGNA Inc
|
|
658
|
|
10,982
|
Papa John’s International Inc
|
|
132
|
|
8,336
|
|
TRI Pointe Group Inc
|
|
677
|
|
10,548
|
Park Hotels & Resorts Inc
|
|
64
|
|
1,656
|
|
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc
|
|
64
|
|
943
|
Patterson Companies Inc
|
|
85
|
|
1,741
|
|
Taubman Centers Inc
|
|
32
|
|
995
|
Patterson-UTI Energy Inc
|
|
529
|
|
5,554
|
|
Tech Data Corporation
|
|
14
|
|
2,010
|
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
|
|
61
|
|
1,635
|
|
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated
|
|
34
|
|
11,782
|
Penn National Gaming Inc
|
|
64
|
|
1,636
|
|
Telephone and Data Systems Inc
|
|
664
|
|
16,886
|
Penumbra Inc
|
|
11
|
|
1,807
|
|
Tempur Sealy International Inc
|
|
69
|
|
6,007
|
Perspecta Inc
|
|
304
|
|
8,038
|
|
Tenet Healthcare Corporation
|
|
287
|
|
10,915
|
Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation
|
|
249
|
|
8,146
|
|
Teradata Corporation
|
|
201
|
|
5,381
|
Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc
|
|
23
|
|
1,472
|
|
Teradyne Inc
|
|
160
|
|
10,910
|
Polaris Inc
|
|
81
|
|
8,238
|
|
Terex Corporation
|
|
134
|
|
3,991
|
PolyOne Corporation
|
|
85
|
|
3,127
|
|
Tetra Tech Inc
|
|
62
|
|
5,342
|
Pool Corporation
|
|
10
|
|
2,124
|
|
Texas Capital Bancshares Inc
|
|
132
|
|
7,494
|
Post Holdings Inc
|
|
75
|
|
8,182
|
|
Texas Roadhouse Inc
|
|
169
|
|
9,518
|
PotlatchDeltic Corporation
|
|
83
|
|
3,591
|
|
Thor Industries Inc
|
|
116
|
|
8,618
|
Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc
|
|
411
|
|
16,645
|
|
Timken Company
|
|
47
|
|
2,647
|
Primerica Inc
|
|
78
|
|
10,184
|
|
Toll Brothers Inc
|
|
268
|
|
10,589
|
Prosperity Bancshares Inc(R)
|
|
20
|
|
1,438
|
|
Tootsie Roll Industries Inc
|
|
342
|
|
11,676
|
RLI Corp.
|
|
58
|
|
5,221
|
|
Toro Company
|
|
74
|
|
5,896
|
RPM International Inc
|
|
35
|
|
2,687
|
|
Transocean Ltd.
|
|
872
|
|
5,999
|
Rayonier Inc
|
|
112
|
|
3,669
|
|
TreeHouse Foods Inc
|
|
162
|
|
7,857
|
Regal Beloit Corp
|
|
48
|
|
4,109
|
|
Trex Company Inc
|
|
68
|
|
6,112
|
Reinsurance Group of America Incorporated
|
|
65
|
|
10,599
|
|
Trimble Inc
|
|
148
|
|
6,170
|
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.
|
|
33
|
|
3,952
|
|
Trinity Industries Inc
|
|
175
|
|
3,876
|
RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.
|
|
55
|
|
10,781
|
|
TripAdvisor Inc
|
|
218
|
|
6,623
|
Repligen Corporation
|
|
96
|
|
8,880
|
|
Trustmark Corporation
|
|
42
|
|
1,449
|
Resideo Technologies Inc
|
|
505
|
|
6,025
|
|
Tyler Technologies Inc
|
|
19
|
|
5,700
|
Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc.
|
|
22
|
|
4,697
|
|
UGI Corporation
|
|
109
|
|
4,922
|
Royal Gold Inc
|
|
34
|
|
4,156
|
|
UMB Financial Corporation
|
|
232
|
|
15,924
|
Ryder System Inc
|
|
77
|
|
4,182
|
|
Umpqua Holdings Corporation
|
|
83
|
|
1,469
|
SEI Investments Company
|
|
81
|
|
5,304
|
|
United Bankshares Inc
|
|
38
|
|
1,469
|
SLM Corp
|
|
1,194
|
|
10,639
|
|
United States Steel Corporation
|
|
291
|
|
3,320
|
SYNNEX Corporation
|
|
16
|
|
2,061
|
|
United Therapeutics Corporation
|
|
178
|
|
15,678
|
Sabra Health Care REIT Inc
|
|
389
|
|
8,301
|
|
Universal Display Corporation
|
|
21
|
|
4,327
|
Sabre Corp
|
|
284
|
|
6,373
|
|
Urban Edge Properties
|
|
51
|
|
978
|
Sally Beauty Holdings Inc
|
|
178
|
|
3,248
|
|
Urban Outfitters Inc
|
|
511
|
|
14,190
|
Sanderson Farms Inc
|
|
48
|
|
8,459
|
|
Valley National Bancorp
|
|
126
|
|
1,443
|
Science Applications International Corp
|
|
95
|
|
8,267
|
|
Valmont Industries Inc
|
|
18
|
|
2,696
|
Scientific Games Corporation
|
|
573
|
|
15,345
|
|
Valvoline Inc
|
|
124
|
|
2,655
|
Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Class A
|
|
188
|
|
19,962
|
|
ViaSat Inc
|
|
222
|
|
16,249
|
Selective Insurance Group Inc
|
|
81
|
|
5,280
|
|
Vishay Intertechnology Inc
|
|
520
|
|
11,071
|
Semtech Corporation
|
|
221
|
|
11,691
|
|
Visteon Corporation
|
|
44
|
|
3,810
|
Senior Housing Properties Trust
|
|
1,084
|
|
9,149
|
|
WEX Inc
|
|
22
|
|
4,608
|
Sensient Technologies Corporation
|
|
50
|
|
3,304
|
|
WPX Energy Inc
|
|
365
|
|
5,015
|
Service Corporation International
|
|
70
|
|
3,222
|
|
WW International Inc
|
|
84
|
|
3,210
|
Service Properties Trust
|
|
68
|
|
1,654
|
|
Washington Federal Inc
|
|
217
|
|
7,953
|
Signature Bank
|
|
11
|
|
1,503
|
|
Watsco Inc
|
|
11
|
|
1,982
|
Silgan Holdings Inc
|
|
59
|
|
1,834
|
|
Webster Financial Corporation
|
|
153
|
|
8,164
|
Silicon Laboratories Inc
|
|
94
|
|
10,902
|
|
Weingarten Realty Investors
|
|
32
|
|
1,000
|
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
|
|
59
|
|
2,661
|
|
Wendy’s Company
|
|
366
|
|
8,129
|
Skechers U.S.A. Inc Class A
|
|
329
|
|
14,210
|
|
Werner Enterprises Inc
|
|
130
|
|
4,731
|
SolarEdge Technologies Inc
|
|
53
|
|
5,040
|
|
West Pharmaceutical Services Inc
|
|
12
|
|
1,804
|
Sonoco Products Company
|
|
43
|
|
2,654
|
|
Williams-Sonoma Inc
|
|
46
|
|
3,378
|
Southwest Gas Holdings Inc
|
|
64
|
|
4,862
|
|
Wintrust Financial Corporation
|
|
52
|
|
3,687
|
Spire Inc
|
|
60
|
|
4,999
|
|
Woodward Inc
|
|
32
|
|
3,790
|
Spirit Realty Capital Inc
|
|
20
|
|
984
|
|
World Fuel Services Corporation
|
|
188
|
|
8,163
|
Sprouts Farmers Markets Inc
|
|
487
|
|
9,423
|
|
World Wrestling Entertainment Inc Class A
|
|
254
|
|
16,477
|
Steel Dynamics Inc
|
|
115
|
|
3,915
|
|
Worthington Industries Inc
|
|
67
|
|
2,826
|
Stericycle Inc
|
|
75
|
|
4,786
|
|
Wyndham Destinations Inc
|
|
54
|
|
2,791
|
Sterling Bancorp
|
|
69
|
|
1,455
|
|
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc
|
|
27
|
|
1,696
|
See accompanying Notes, which are an integral
part of the Financial Statements.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
Syntax 400 Series
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Continued)
December 31, 2019
Syntax
400 Series (Continued)
Common Stocks
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Fair Value (US$)
|
|
Risk Group
|
|
|
Percent of
Net Assets
|
XPO Logistics Inc
|
|
58
|
|
|
4,623
|
|
Syntax 400 Series
|
|
|
|
Yelp Inc
|
|
190
|
|
|
6,618
|
|
Financials Risk Group
|
|
|
13.90%
|
j2 Global Inc
|
|
170
|
|
|
15,931
|
|
Energy Risk Group
|
|
|
7.58%
|
nVent Electric plc
|
|
195
|
|
|
4,988
|
|
Industrials Risk Group
|
|
|
13.76%
|
Total Common Stocks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Information Tools Risk Group
|
|
|
14.39%
|
(Cost $2,336,433)
|
|
|
|
$
|
2,734,304
|
|
Information Products & Services Risk Group
|
|
|
14.21%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consumer Risk Group
|
|
|
14.55%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food Risk Group
|
|
|
7.05%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Healthcare Risk Group
|
|
|
14.31%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
99.75%
|
See accompanying Notes, which are an integral
part of the Financial Statements.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
Syntax 400 Series
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
Year ended December 31, 2019
|
|
Syntax 400
|
|
|
|
Series
|
|
Income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividend income
|
|
$
|
38,286
|
|
Interest income
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total income
|
|
|
38,293
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses
|
|
|
|
|
Custodian fees
|
|
|
1,626
|
|
Management fees
|
|
|
7,573
|
|
Expenses in excess of cap
|
2(g)
|
|
(3,143
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total expenses
|
|
|
6,056
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income
|
|
|
32,237
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net realized gain/(loss) on investments
|
|
|
(37,163
|
)
|
Net unrealized gain/(loss) on investments
|
|
|
523,828
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net realized gains/(losses) and net change in unrealized
|
|
|
|
|
gain/(loss) on investments
|
|
|
486,665
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net increase/(decrease) in partners’ capital resulting
|
|
|
|
|
from operations
|
|
$
|
518,902
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro-rata allocation of income
|
|
|
|
|
Limited Partners
|
|
$
|
516,032
|
|
General Partner
|
|
|
2,870
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net increase/(decrease) in partners’ capital resulting
|
|
|
|
|
from operations
|
|
$
|
518,902
|
|
See accompanying Notes, which are an integral
part of the Financial Statements.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
Syntax 400 Series
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS’ CAPITAL
Year ended December 31, 2019
|
|
General
|
|
|
Limited
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Partner
|
|
|
Partners
|
|
|
Total
|
|
Syntax 400 Series
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Partners’ capital January 1, 2019
|
|
$
|
12,289
|
|
|
$
|
2,209,845
|
|
|
$
|
2,222,134
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital contributions
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Capital withdrawals
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Net decrease in Partners’ capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
resulting from operations
|
|
|
2,870
|
|
|
|
516,032
|
|
|
|
518,902
|
|
Total increase/(decrease) in Partners’ capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
during the year
|
|
|
2,870
|
|
|
|
516,032
|
|
|
|
518,902
|
|
Partners’ capital December 31, 2019
|
|
$
|
15,159
|
|
|
$
|
2,725,877
|
|
|
$
|
2,741,036
|
|
See accompanying Notes, which are an integral
part of the Financial Statements.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
Syntax 400 Series
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Year ended December 31, 2019
|
|
Syntax 400
|
|
|
|
Series
|
|
Cash Flows from operating activities:
|
|
|
|
Net increase/(decrease) in partners’ capital from operations
|
|
$
|
518,902
|
|
Adjustments to reconcile net increase in partners’ capital from
|
|
|
|
|
operations to net cash flows from operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase of investment securities
|
|
|
(1,083,179
|
)
|
Proceeds from disposition of investment securities
|
|
|
1,051,614
|
|
Unrealized gain/(loss) on investments
|
|
|
(523,828
|
)
|
Net realized gain/(loss) from investments
|
|
|
37,163
|
|
Decrease (increase) in interest and dividends receivable
|
|
|
257
|
|
Increase (decrease) in amounts due to brokers
|
|
|
7,637
|
|
Decrease (increase) in amounts due from brokers
|
|
|
-
|
|
Increase (decrease) in accrued expenses
|
|
|
1,353
|
|
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities
|
|
|
9,919
|
|
Cash flows from financing activities:
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from contributions
|
|
|
-
|
|
Decrease (Increase) in contributions receivable
|
|
|
-
|
|
Increase (Decrease) in contributions received in advance
|
|
|
-
|
|
Increase (Decrease) in withdrawals payable
|
|
|
-
|
|
Payments for withdrawals
|
|
|
-
|
|
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities
|
|
|
-
|
|
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
9,919
|
|
Beginning cash and cash equivalents balance
|
|
|
7,218
|
|
Ending cash and cash equivalents balance
|
|
$
|
17,137
|
|
See accompanying Notes, which are an integral
part of the Financial Statements.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2019
|
1.
|
ORGANIZATION AND PURPOSE
|
These separate set of financial statements
of the Syntax 400 Series within the Syntax Index Series, LP have been prepared for the purpose of the Syntax ETF Trust’s
Statement of Additional Information in the Registration Statement (Form N-1A No. 333-215607). As further described in Note 10 Subsequent
Events, on January 15, 2020 the Syntax 400 Series transferred substantially all of its asset and liabilities to the Syntax Stratified
Midcap ETF (ticker: SMDY). In exchange for the transfer the investors of the Syntax 400 Series received shares in the Syntax Stratified
Midcap ETF in place of each investors holding in the Syntax 400 Series. Following this, the Syntax 400 Series within Syntax Index
Series, LP ceased its trading activities.
Syntax Index Series LP (“Fund”
or “Partnership”) was formed as a limited partnership and organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. The name
was changed from Syntax 900 I, L.P. to Syntax Index Series LP on January 1, 2015. The Partnership commenced operations on November
28, 2010. The General Partner of the Partnership is Syntax Index Series GP, LLC (“General Partner”). The name of the
General Partner was changed from Syntax 900 I GP, LLC to Syntax Index Series GP, LLC on December 14, 2016. The Partnership’s
investment manager is Syntax Advisors LLC (“Manager”). The registered offices of the General Partner are located at
One Liberty Plaza, New York, NY 10006.
On January 1, 2015, with the consent of
a majority of the Limited Partners, the Partnership was restructured into a Delaware Series Limited Partnership. The Partnership
also changed its name from Syntax 900 I, L.P. to Syntax Index Series LP at the time of the restructuring. Prior to the restructuring,
the Partnership operated as a single investment vehicle that was managed as eleven sub-portfolios. These sub-portfolios reflect
the securities included in each of the Syntax 900, 500 and 400 as well as the Syntax Financials, Energy, Industrials, Information
Tools, Information Products, Consumer Products, Food and Healthcare Portfolios. In the opinion of the General Partner, it was in
the best interests of the Partnership and the Limited Partners to create segregated, individually investable portfolios (“Series”)
within the Partnership to hold securities included in each index and industry grouping described above. The assets, liabilities
and income of each Series are accounted for individually and separate from other Series. The assets and liabilities of the Partnership
were split among the newly created Series.
The investment objective of the Partnership
is to deliver returns that provide an equity risk premium commensurate with the risk of a broad-based, diversified US large cap
equity portfolio. The Manager utilizes a proprietary methodology developed by its affiliate, Syntax Indices LLC, called “stratification”.
Stratification is a statistical technique designed to identify and quantify non-systematic risk. The investment universe that Syntax
uses to accomplish its investment objectives are 900 large and mid-cap US companies. An integral part of the Fund’s investment
objective is to provide this broad-based equity exposure while minimizing non-systematic risk. A portfolio is exposed to non-systematic
risk when its intended weights or exposures to specific business risks deviate from their original values due to changes in market
values of the constituents of the portfolio. Syntax manages its portfolio’s exposure to non-systematic risk by hierarchically
stratifying the constituents of its portfolio into specific predetermined risk groups and sub-groups. It then assigns specific
relative weights to each predetermined risk exposure. Syntax actively maintains these risk exposures by resetting the weights no
less than quarterly. Syntax believes that through this active risk management process, a portfolio’s exposure to and the
impact from non-systematic risks can be minimized and Syntax can create an optimal risk profile in which the only concentrated
risk is systematic. Traditional stock indices use another approach: capitalization weighting. These indices typically have relative
weights based on their respective market capitalizations.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2019
|
1.
|
ORGANIZATION
AND PURPOSE (Continued)
|
Because of the hierarchical risk stratification
methodology used by the Fund to manage specific risk exposure and control for selection biases in a portfolio, the Fund’s
investment objective is, by definition, not to provide returns consistent with a capitalization-weighted portfolio. Rather, the
Fund’s investment strategy is to provide investors with normalized returns that should be expected from an equity portfolio
that consistently maintains broad-based and well-distributed exposure to each risk category in its portfolio. By using Syntax’
patented attribute-based bar code technology, the Fund’s strategy is to control for these selection biases that are endemic
to a capitalization weighted portfolio and, thus, protect its portfolio from the downside pressure that results from non-systematic
variables. By using the 900 large and mid-cap companies as its investment universe, the Fund provides a direct ongoing comparison
between these two different approaches to portfolio management.
The debts, liabilities and obligations
incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the Series are enforceable only against the assets of the Series
and not against any other assets of the Partnership generally or any other Series and none of the debts, liabilities, obligations
and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the Partnership generally or any other Series are enforceable
against the assets of the Series.
|
2.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
|
(a) Basis of Accounting
The financial statements are expressed
in US dollars. They are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US
GAAP”). The Fund is an investment company and follows accounting and reporting guidance in Accounting Standards Codification
Topic 946, Financial Services - Investment Companies.
(b) Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements
in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial
statements and accompanying notes. Management believes that the estimates utilized in preparing its financial statements are reasonable
and prudent. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
(c) Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include amounts
due from banks on demand and interest bearing deposits with original maturities of three months or less. There are no restrictions
on cash balances.
(d) Investments
Security transactions are recorded on the
trade date basis. Realized gains and losses are computed by use of the specific identification method. Dividend income is recognized
on the ex-dividend date while interest is recorded on an accrual basis.
Securities are fair valued as of the close
of trading on the primary market in which each security trades on the reporting date. Equity securities are valued at the latest
quoted sales prices or official closing prices taken from the primary market in which each security trades. Securities not traded
on the valuation date are fair valued at the mean of the latest quoted bid and ask prices. To the extent these securities are actively
traded and valuation adjustments are not applied, they are categorized in level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2019
|
2.
|
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)
|
(e) Accrued Expenses
Expenses such as custodian fees are estimated
and accrued monthly. Management believes that the amounts so accrued are reasonable and reflective of actual charges incurred.
The General Partner pays or reimburses the Fund for all Fund expenses including the cost of the audit of the Partnership’s
financial statements, tax return preparation fees, bank charges.
(f) Expense Cap
The Manager and the General Partner have
agreed to limit the expenses for the life of the Fund, including management fees and trading costs, charged to limited partners
to no more than 0.30% per annum in the 400 Series. Actual expenses to the Fund exceeded this limit by $3,143 during the year which
amount the General Partner reimbursed the Fund.
(g) Tax
The Partnership files annual
tax returns as a combined whole and, therefore, the Series is included in the Partnership’s annual tax filing. As a result,
the following discussion is related to the Partnership as a whole and not to the Series individually. The Partnership is subject
to the provisions of the FASB ASC 740-10-65-1 requirements for accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. These standards establish
consistent thresholds as it relates to accounting for income taxes. It defines the threshold for recognizing the benefits of tax-return
positions in the financial statements as “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the taxing authority and requires
measurement of a tax position meeting the more-likely-than-not criterion, based on the largest benefit that is more than 50% likely
to be realized. The general partner has analyzed the Partnership’s inventory of tax positions taken with respect to applicable
income tax issues for all open tax years (in each respective jurisdiction) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is
required in the Partnership’s financial statements nor in the 400 Series financial statements. The federal and state income tax
returns of the Partnership for 2019 are subject to examination by the IRS and state taxing authorities, generally for three years
after they were filed.
(h) Recently Adopted Accounting
Pronouncement
In August 2018, the FASB issued
ASU No. 2018-13 (“ASU 2018-13”), “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework – Changes to
the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement”.
ASU 2018-13 removes the requirement
to disclose the following: the policy for the timing of transfers between the levels of the fair value hierarchy, the valuation
processes for Level 3 fair value measurements and the changes in unrealized gains/(losses) for the period included in earnings
for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period. ASU 2018-13 also requires the following
modification: in lieu of a rollforward for recurring Level 3 investments, the Partnership is required to disclose the purchases
of Level 3 assets and liabilities and the transfers into and out of Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. ASU 2018-13 is effective
for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, however early adoption is permitted. The General Partner has elected to early
adopt ASU 2018-13 as of January 1, 2018.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2019
Investments in securities are carried at
fair value. Under ASC Topic 820, fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability
in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC Topic 820 establishes a three-tier fair value
hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority
to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurement) and lowest priority to
unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under ASC Topic 820 are described below:
|
Level 1
|
Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible
at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities:
|
|
Level 2
|
Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial
instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly:
|
|
Level 3
|
Prices or valuation that requires inputs that are both
significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.
|
There were no transfers of securities between
levels of the fair value hierarchy during the year ended December 31, 2019. All investments in securities were classified as Level
1 at December 31, 2019 with a fair value of $2,734,304.
The Investment Manager (Syntax Analytics
LLC) is entitled to receive a management fee at an annual rate of between 0.25% and 0.30% calculated based on assets under management
as of the last day of each calendar month including General Partner capital. Management fees are charged at the Series level. The
rates charged vary by Series between 0.25% and 0.30%. Management fees are charged to the 400 Series at 0.30% per annum and totaled
$7,573 during the year.
|
5.
|
FINANCIAL
INSTRUMENTS WITH OFF-BALANCE SHEET RISK AND CONCENTRATION OF CREDIT RISK
|
At December 31, 2019, the Partnership had
all of its individual counterparty credit risk with Citibank N.A. in the United States. Senior debt of Citibank N.A. is rated A+
by Standard and Poor’s and is rated A1 by Moody’s. In addition, all cash and cash equivalents are held with Citibank
N.A. in the United States. The Partnership continuously monitors the credit standing of its broker and does not expect any material
losses as a result of this concentration.
All securities transactions of the Partnership
are cleared by registered brokers/dealers pursuant to customer agreements. In the event the brokers/dealers are unable to fulfill
their obligations, the Partnership would be subject to credit risk.
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2019
|
6.
|
PORTFOLIO
GAINS AND LOSSES
|
The 400 Series within the Fund is a passive
portfolio in that it owns and maintains a portfolio of securities whose only constituents are those constituting the Syntax 400.
Gains and losses for the Series are allocated pro-rata to those Partners invested in the Series. Except for additions and deletions
to the constituent base that happen from time to time as part of the indexing process, the underlying securities in the Series
do not change. The primary difference between the Fund and a traditional US stock index is their approach to risk management. As
opposed to capitalization-weighting the constituents, the Fund hierarchically stratifies the constituents into specific risk exposures.
The Fund manages the portfolio’s specific risk exposure using a predetermined weighting algorithm for each group and each
hierarchically ordered sub-group. Because the constituents of a Series are dynamic and their relative market values change over
time, the relative weights of these risk groups will change over time also. To adjust for this, the Fund resets the relative weights
of each risk group within a Series on a quarterly basis. This process by which the Fund resets risk exposures will generate inter-period
gains and losses. The only source of gains and/or losses from the sales of securities for the Fund is from this quarterly rebalancing
process of resetting the relative risk exposures of the constituents within each Series of the Fund and from additions and deletions
to the portfolio as the underlying constituents change.
Index Series
|
|
Net
Investment Income
|
|
Realized
Gain
|
|
Unrealized
Gain
|
|
Net
Increase/(Decrease)
in Assets from
Operations
|
Syntax 400 Series
|
|
$ 32,237
|
|
$ (37,163)
|
|
$ 523,828
|
|
$ 518,902
|
|
7.
|
COMMITMENTS
AND CONTINGENCIES
|
Management is aware of no outstanding commitments
or contingencies.
The following represents operating performance
of the 400 Series within the Fund, ratios to average net assets and total return information for the year ended December 31, 2019:
Syntax 400 Series Financial Highlights:
|
|
Total return to limited partners (a)
|
23.35%
|
Ratio of gross expenses to average limited partners’ capital (b)
|
0.36%
|
Ratio of net expenses to average limited partners’ capital (b)
|
0.24%
|
Ratio of net investment income to average partners’ capital (c)
|
1.26%
|
|
(a)
|
Total
return is calculated based on net asset value for the limited partner class taken as a whole. An individual investor’s return
may vary from these returns based on timing of capital transactions.
|
|
(b)
|
The
expense ratios are calculated as a percentage of average net assets and is calculated for the limited partner class taken as a
whole. The computation of such ratios based on the amount of expenses assessed to an individual investor’s capital may vary
from these ratios based on the timing of capital transactions.
|
|
(c)
|
The
ratio of net investment income is calculated as a percentage of average net assets.
|
SYNTAX INDEX SERIES LP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2019
|
9.
|
RELATED
PARTY TRANSACTIONS
|
Capital Transactions
The General Partner had $15,159 invested
in the 400 Series at December 31, 2019. Persons who are members of the General Partner’s family had $112,279 invested in
the 400 Series at December 31, 2019 and management of the Investment Manager had $6,672invested in the Series at December 31, 2019.
The minimum required initial capital contribution
of each Limited Partner in respect of a Series shall be $250,000, or such lesser amount as the General Partner may permit, in its
sole discretion. The General Partner reserves the right to reject subscriptions and may change the required minimum contribution
amount at any time. Interests generally will be available for subscription on the first Business Day of each calendar quarter or
such other times as the General Partner shall determine. However, subscriptions may be suspended or restricted to existing investors,
as determined by the General Partner. The Partnership may accept additional contributions in such amounts as of the first Business
Day of each calendar quarter or at such other times as the General Partner may permit, but no Limited Partner shall be obligated
to make any additional capital contribution to the Partnership.
Limited Partners may voluntarily withdraw
all or part of its Series Capital Account balance effective as of the last Business Day of any calendar quarter (and at such other
times as the General Partner may determine). Irrevocable written notice of any withdrawal must be given to the General Partner
at least 60 days prior to the proposed Withdrawal Date.
In connection with the preparation of the
accompanying financial statements as of December 31, 2019, management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the
Fund through April 27, 2020, the date the financial statements were issued, and has determined that there were no additional subsequent
events requiring recognition or disclosure other than as set forth below.
On January 15, 2020, the Syntax 400 Series
made an in-kind, tax free distribution of its entire Net Asset Value to the Syntax Stratified Midcap ETF (ticker: SMDY). In exchange
for the in-kind contribution, the Syntax 400 Series received 93,096 shares of the Syntax Stratified Midcap ETF. Such shares, and
residual cash, were subsequently distributed on a pro rata basis to the investors in the Syntax 400 Series. Following the distribution,
the Syntax 400 Series ceased trading activities.
Certain impacts to public health conditions
particular to the coronavirus (covid-19) outbreak that occurred subsequent to year end and the resulting potential for further
subsequent events particular to the industries in which the Fund’s investment conducts its operations, as well as general
economic, political and public health conditions, may have a significant negative impact on the Fund’s operations and profitability.
The extent of the impact to the financial performance of the Fund will depend of future developments, including (i) the duration
and spread of the outbreak, (ii) the restrictions and advisories, (III) the effects on the financial markets, and (iv) the effects
on the economy overall, all of which are highly uncertain and unpredictable at this time.