Capital Group ETF Trust, et al.;, 6780-6788 [2015-02318]

Download as PDF 6780 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices The United States Postal Service ® hereby gives notice that, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 3632(b)(3), on January 30, 2015, it filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission a Request of the United States Postal Service to Add Priority Mail Contract 111 to Competitive Product List. Documents are available at www.prc.gov, Docket Nos. MC2015–30, CP2015–39. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stanley F. Mires, Attorney, Federal Requirements. Elizabeth A. Reed, 202–268–3179. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Postal Service® hereby gives notice that, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 3632(b)(3), on January 30, 2015, it filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission a Request of the United States Postal Service to Add Priority Mail Contract 110 to Competitive Product List. Documents are available at www.prc.gov, Docket Nos. MC2015–29, CP2015–38. Stanley F. Mires, Attorney, Federal Requirements. [FR Doc. 2015–02363 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7710–12–P [FR Doc. 2015–02364 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7710–12–P POSTAL SERVICE Product Change—Priority Mail Negotiated Service Agreement SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Postal ServiceTM. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: [Investment Company Act Release No. 31441; 812–14338] The Postal Service gives notice of filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add a domestic shipping services contract to the list of Negotiated Service Agreements in the Mail Classification Schedule’s Competitive Products List. DATES: Effective date: February 6, 2015. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth A. Reed, 202–268–3179. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Postal Service® hereby gives notice that, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 3632(b)(3), on January 30, 2015, it filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission a Request of the United States Postal Service to Add Priority Mail Contract 106 to Competitive Product List. Documents are available at www.prc.gov, Docket Nos. MC2015–25, CP2015–34. SUMMARY: Stanley F. Mires, Attorney, Federal Requirements. [FR Doc. 2015–02356 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7710–12–P POSTAL SERVICE Product Change—Priority Mail Negotiated Service Agreement Postal ServiceTM. Notice. AGENCY: asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES ACTION: The Postal Service gives notice of filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add a domestic shipping services contract to the list of Negotiated Service Agreements in the Mail Classification Schedule’s Competitive Products List. DATES: Effective date: February 6, 2015. SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:52 Feb 05, 2015 Jkt 235001 Capital Group ETF Trust, et al.; Notice of Application February 2, 2015. Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’). ACTION: Notice of an application for an order under section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (‘‘Act’’) for an exemption from sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d) and 22(e) of the Act and rule 22c–1 under the Act, under section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act for an exemption from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the Act, and under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and (a)(2) of the Act. AGENCY: Capital Group ETF Trust (the ‘‘Trust’’); Capital Research and Management Company (the ‘‘Initial Adviser’’); and American Funds Distributors, Inc. (the ‘‘Distributor’’). SUMMARY OF APPLICATION: Applicants request an order that permits: (a) Actively-managed series of certain open-end management investment companies to issue shares (‘‘Shares’’) redeemable in large aggregations only (‘‘Creation Units’’); (b) secondary market transactions in Shares to occur at negotiated market prices; (c) certain series to pay redemption proceeds, under certain circumstances, more than seven days from the tender of Shares for redemption; (d) certain affiliated persons of the series to deposit securities into, and receive securities from, the series in connection with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units; (e) certain registered management investment companies and unit APPLICANTS: PO 00000 Frm 00100 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 investment trusts outside of the same group of investment companies as the series to acquire Shares; and (f) certain series to perform creations and redemptions of Creation Units in-kind in a master-feeder structure. FILING DATES: The application was filed on July 28, 2014, and amended on October 17, 2014 and January 26, 2015. HEARING OR NOTIFICATION OF HEARING: An order granting the requested relief will be issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. Interested persons may request a hearing by writing to the Commission’s Secretary and serving applicants with a copy of the request, personally or by mail. Hearing requests should be received by the Commission by 5:30 p.m. on February 27, 2015, and should be accompanied by proof of service on applicants, in the form of an affidavit or, for lawyers, a certificate of service. Pursuant to rule 0–5 under the Act, hearing requests should state the nature of the writer’s interest, any facts bearing upon the desirability of a hearing on the matter, the reason for the request, and the issues contested. Persons who wish to be notified of a hearing may request notification by writing to the Commission’s Secretary. ADDRESSES: Secretary, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549. Applicants: 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, California 90071. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark N. Zaruba, Senior Counsel, at (202) 551–6878 or Mary Kay Frech, Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6821 (Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel’s Office). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the application. The complete application may be obtained via the Commission’s Web site by searching for the file number, or for an applicant using the Company name box, at https:// www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or by calling (202) 551–8090. Applicants’ Representations 1. The Trust, which is organized as a Delaware statutory trust, will be registered under the Act as an open-end management investment company. The Trust will consist of multiple series. The Trust will initially offer one series (the ‘‘Initial Fund’’) that will rely on the order. The Initial Fund’s investment objective will be to seek to provide longterm growth of capital, with income as a secondary objective. 2. The Initial Adviser is, and any other Adviser (as defined below), will be registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 1940 (‘‘Advisers Act’’). An Adviser will serve as investment adviser to each of the Funds (as defined below). The Adviser may enter into sub-advisory agreements with one or more affiliated or unaffiliated investment advisers, each of which will serve as sub-adviser to a Fund (each, a ‘‘Sub-Adviser’’). Any SubAdviser will be registered under the Advisers Act or will not be subject to registration. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer (‘‘Broker’’) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Exchange Act’’) and will act as the distributor and principal underwriter of the Funds.1 3. Applicants request that the order apply to the Initial Fund as well as to future series of the Trust and any future open-end management investment companies or series thereof that would operate as actively-managed exchangetraded funds (‘‘Future Funds’’). Any Future Fund will (a) be advised by the Initial Adviser or an entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Initial Adviser (the Initial Adviser and each such other entity and any successor thereto included in the term ‘‘Adviser’’) and (b) comply with the terms and conditions of the application.2 The Initial Fund and Future Funds together are the ‘‘Funds.’’ Each Fund will operate as an actively managed exchange-traded fund (‘‘ETF’’), and a Fund may operate as a feeder fund in a master-feeder structure (‘‘Feeder Fund’’). 4. Applicants state that the Funds, or their respective Master Funds (as defined below), may invest in equity securities or fixed income securities (‘‘Fixed Income Funds’’) traded in the U.S. or non-U.S. markets. Fixed Income Funds may also include Funds that invest in a combination of equity and fixed-income securities. Funds, or their respective Master Funds, that invest in foreign equity and/or fixed income securities, are ‘‘Foreign Funds.’’ Foreign Funds may also include Funds that invest in a combination of foreign and domestic equity and/or fixed income securities. Applicants state that the Funds may also invest in a broad variety 1 Applicants request that the order apply to any future distributor of the Funds, which would be a registered broker-dealer under the Exchange Act and would comply with the terms and conditions of the application (‘‘Future Distributor’’). Applicants state that the Distributor or Future Distributor of any Fund may be an affiliated person or a second-tier affiliate of that Fund’s Adviser and/ or Sub-Advisers. 2 All entities that currently intend to rely on the order are named as applicants. Any other entity that relies on the order in the future will comply with the terms and conditions of the application. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:52 Feb 05, 2015 Jkt 235001 of other instruments 3 and that a Foreign Fund, either directly or through a Master Fund, may invest a significant portion of its assets in depositary receipts representing foreign securities in which they seek to invest (‘‘Depositary Receipts’’).4 Applicants further state that, in order to implement each Fund’s investment strategy, the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers of a Fund may review and change the securities, other assets and other positions held by the Fund or its respective Master Fund (‘‘Portfolio Instruments’’) daily. 5. With respect to section 12(d)(1), applicants are requesting relief (‘‘Fund of Funds Relief’’) to permit management investment companies and unit investment trusts (‘‘UITs’’) registered under the Act that are not part of the same ‘‘group of investment companies,’’ within the meaning of section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Act, as the Funds (such registered management investment companies are referred to as ‘‘Investing Management Companies,’’ such UITs are referred to as ‘‘Investing Trusts,’’ and Investing Management Companies and Investing Trusts are collectively referred to as ‘‘Funds of Funds’’), to acquire Shares beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(A) and to permit the Funds, and any principal underwriter for the Funds, and any Broker, to sell Shares beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(l)(B) to Funds of Funds. Applicants request that any exemption under section 12(d)(1)(J) from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) apply to: (1) Each Fund that is currently or subsequently part of the same ‘‘group of investment companies’’ as the Initial Fund within the meaning of section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Act, as well as any principal underwriter for the Funds and any Brokers selling Shares of a Fund to Funds of Funds; and (2) each Fund of Funds that enters into a participation agreement (‘‘FOF Participation 3 If a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) invests in derivatives, then (a) the board of trustees (‘‘Board’’) of the Fund will periodically review and approve the Fund’s (or, in the case of a Feeder Fund, its Master Fund’s) use of derivatives and how the Adviser assesses and manages risk with respect to the Fund’s (or, in the case of a Feeder Fund, its Master Fund’s) use of derivatives and (b) the Fund’s disclosure of its (or, in the case of a Feeder Fund, its Master Fund’s) use of derivatives in its offering documents and periodic reports will be consistent with relevant Commission and staff guidance. 4 Depositary Receipts are typically issued by a financial institution, a ‘‘depositary,’’ and evidence ownership in a security or pool of securities that have been deposited with the depositary. A Fund (or its respective Master Fund) will not invest in any Depositary Receipts that the Adviser or SubAdviser deems to be illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. No affiliated persons of applicants or any Sub-Adviser will serve as the depositary bank for any Depositary Receipts held by a Fund. PO 00000 Frm 00101 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6781 Agreement’’) with a Fund. ‘‘Funds of Funds’’ do not include the Funds. Each Investing Management Company’s investment adviser within the meaning of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the Act is the ‘‘Fund of Funds Adviser.’’ Similarly, each Investing Trust’s sponsor is the ‘‘Sponsor.’’ Applicants represent that each Fund of Funds Adviser will be registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and that no Fund of Funds Adviser or Sponsor will control, be controlled by, or be under common control with the Adviser.5 6. Applicants further request that the order permit a Fund to operate as a Feeder Fund (‘‘Master-Feeder Relief’’). Under the order, a Feeder Fund would be permitted to acquire shares of another registered investment company in the same group of investment companies having substantially the same investment objectives as the Feeder Fund (‘‘Master Fund’’) beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act,6 and the Master Fund, and any principal underwriter for the Master Fund, would be permitted to sell shares of the Master Fund to the Feeder Fund beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act. Applicants request that the Master-Feeder Relief apply to any Feeder Fund, any Master Fund and any principal underwriter for the Master Funds selling shares of a Master Fund to a Feeder Fund. Applicants state that creating an exchange-traded feeder fund may be preferable to creating entirely new series for several reasons, including avoiding additional overhead costs and economies of scale for the Feeder Funds.7 Applicants assert that, while certain costs may be higher in a masterfeeder structure and there may possibly be lower tax efficiencies for the Feeder Funds, the Feeder Funds’ Board will consider any such potential disadvantages against the benefits of economies of scale and other benefits of operating within a master-feeder structure. 7. With the exception of Shares issued in connection with a dividend 5 A Fund of Funds may rely on the order only to invest in Funds and not in any other registered investment company. 6 A Feeder Fund managed in a master-feeder structure will not make direct investments in any security or other instrument other than the securities issued by its respective Master Fund. 7 In a master-feeder structure, the Master Fund, rather than the Feeder Fund, would invest its portfolio in compliance with the order. There would be no ability by Fund shareholders to exchange shares of Feeder Funds for shares of another feeder series of the Master Fund. E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1 6782 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES reinvestment plan,8 each Fund will issue, on a continuous offering basis, its Shares in one or more groups of a fixed number of Shares (e.g., at least 50,000 Shares). Applicants believe that a conventional trading range will be between $20–$50 per Share. All orders to purchase Creation Units must be placed with the Distributor by or through a party that has entered into a participant agreement with the Distributor of the Fund (‘‘Authorized Participant’’) with respect to the creation and redemption of Creation Units. An Authorized Participant is either: (a) A Broker or other participant in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (‘‘NSCC’’), a clearing agency registered with the Commission, or (b) a participant in the DTC (such participant, ‘‘DTC Participant’’). 8. In order to keep costs low and permit each Fund to be as fully invested as possible, Shares (other than Shares issued in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan) will be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units and generally on an in-kind basis.9 Except where the purchase or redemption will include cash under the limited circumstances specified below, purchasers will be required to purchase Creation Units by making an in-kind deposit of specified instruments (‘‘Deposit Instruments’’), and shareholders redeeming their Shares will receive an in-kind transfer of specified instruments (‘‘Redemption Instruments’’).10 On any given Business Day 11 the names and quantities of the instruments that constitute the Deposit Instruments and the names and quantities of the instruments that constitute the Redemption Instruments will be identical, and these instruments may be referred to, in the case of either a purchase or redemption, as the 8 The dividend reinvestment plan that a Fund may use is described in greater detail in the application. 9 Feeder Funds will redeem shares from the appropriate Master Fund and then deliver to the redeeming shareholder the applicable redemption payment. 10 The Funds must comply with the federal securities laws in accepting Deposit Instruments and satisfying redemptions with Redemption Instruments, including that the Deposit Instruments and Redemption Instruments are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the ‘‘Securities Act’’). In accepting Deposit Instruments and satisfying redemptions with Redemption Instruments that are restricted securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, the Funds will comply with the conditions of Rule 144A. 11 Each Fund will sell and redeem Creation Units on any day the Trust is open, including as required by section 22(e) of the Act (each, a ‘‘Business Day’’). VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:52 Feb 05, 2015 Jkt 235001 ‘‘Creation Basket.’’ In addition, the Creation Basket will correspond pro rata to the positions in a Fund’s portfolio (including cash positions),12 except: (a) In the case of bonds, for minor differences when it is impossible to break up bonds beyond certain minimum sizes needed for transfer and settlement; (b) for minor differences when rounding is necessary to eliminate fractional shares or lots that are not tradeable round lots; 13 or (c) TBA Transactions,14 short positions and other positions that cannot be transferred in kind 15 will be excluded from the Creation Basket.16 If there is a difference between NAV attributable to a Creation Unit and the aggregate market value of the Creation Basket exchanged for the Creation Unit, the party conveying instruments with the lower value will also pay to the other an amount in cash equal to that difference (the ‘‘Balancing Amount’’). 9. Purchases and redemptions of Creation Units may be made in whole or in part on a cash basis, rather than in kind, solely under the following circumstances: (a) To the extent there is a Balancing Amount, as described above; (b) if, on a given Business Day, a Fund announces before the open of trading that all purchases, all redemptions or all purchases and redemptions on that day will be made entirely in cash; (c) if, upon receiving a purchase or redemption order from an Authorized Participant, a Fund determines to require the purchase or redemption, as applicable, to be made entirely in cash; (d) if, on a given Business Day, a Fund requires all Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Shares on that day to deposit or receive (as applicable) cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments, respectively, solely because: (i) Such instruments are not eligible for transfer through either the NSCC or DTC; or (ii) in the case of Foreign Funds, such instruments are not eligible for trading 12 The portfolio used for this purpose will be the same portfolio used to calculate the Fund’s net asset value (‘‘NAV’’) for that Business Day. 13 A tradeable round lot for a security will be the standard unit of trading in that particular type of security in its primary market. 14 A TBA Transaction is a method of trading mortgage-backed securities. In a TBA Transaction, the buyer and seller agree on general trade parameters such as agency, settlement date, par amount and price. 15 This includes instruments that can be transferred in kind only with the consent of the original counterparty to the extent the Fund does not intend to seek such consents. 16 Because these instruments will be excluded from the Creation Basket, their value will be reflected in the determination of the Balancing Amount (defined below). PO 00000 Frm 00102 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities transfers or other similar circumstances; or (e) if a Fund permits an Authorized Participant to deposit or receive (as applicable) cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments, respectively, solely because: (i) Such instruments are, in the case of the purchase of a Creation Unit, not available in sufficient quantity; (ii) such instruments are not eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting; or (iii) a holder of Shares of a Foreign Fund would be subject to unfavorable income tax treatment if the holder receives redemption proceeds in kind.17 10. Each Business Day, before the open of trading on a national securities exchange, as defined in section 2(a)(26) of the Act (‘‘Exchange’’), on which Shares are listed, each Fund will cause to be published through the NSCC the names and quantities of the instruments comprising the Creation Basket, as well as the estimated Balancing Amount (if any), for that day. The published Creation Basket will apply until a new Creation Basket is announced on the following Business Day, and there will be no intra-day changes to the Creation Basket except to correct errors in the published Creation Basket. The Exchange will disseminate every 15 seconds throughout the trading day an amount representing, on a per Share basis, the sum of the current value of the Portfolio Instruments that were publicly disclosed prior to the commencement of trading in Shares on the Exchange. 11. Transaction expenses, including operational processing and brokerage costs, may be incurred by a Fund when investors purchase or redeem Creation Units ‘‘in-kind’’ and such costs have the potential to dilute the interests of the Fund’s existing beneficial owners. Accordingly, applicants state that each Fund may impose purchase or redemption transaction fees (‘‘Transaction Fees’’) in connection with effecting such purchases or redemptions.18 Applicants further state 17 A ‘‘custom order’’ is any purchase or redemption of Shares made in whole or in part on a cash basis in reliance on clause (e)(i) or (e)(ii). 18 Applicants are not requesting relief from section 18 of the Act. Accordingly, a Master Fund may require a Transaction Fee payment to cover expenses related to purchases or redemptions of the Master Fund’s shares by a Feeder Fund only if it requires the same payment for equivalent purchases or redemptions by any other feeder fund. Thus, for example, a Master Fund may require payment of a Transaction Fee by a Feeder Fund for transactions for 20,000 or more shares so long as it requires payment of the same Transaction Fee by all feeder funds for transactions involving 20,000 or more shares. E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES that, because the Transaction Fees are intended to defray the transaction expenses, as well as to prevent possible shareholder dilution resulting from the purchase or redemption of Creation Units, the Transaction Fees will be borne only by purchasers or redeemers of Creation Units and will be limited to amounts that have been determined appropriate by the Fund.19 The Distributor will be responsible for delivering a Fund’s current prospectus (‘‘Prospectus’’) or summary prospectus, if applicable, to purchasers of Shares in Creation Units and for maintaining records of both the orders placed with it and the confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. 12. Shares will be listed and traded at negotiated prices on an Exchange and traded in the secondary market. When NYSE Arca, Inc. is the principal secondary market on which the Shares are listed and traded (the ‘‘Primary Listing Exchange’’), it is expected that one or more Exchange member firms will be designated by the Exchange to act as a market maker (a ‘‘Market Maker’’).20 The price of Shares trading on the Exchange will be based on a current bid/offer in the secondary market. Transactions involving the purchases and sales of Shares on the Exchange will be subject to customary brokerage commissions and charges. 13. Applicants expect that purchasers of Creation Units will include institutional investors and arbitrageurs. Market Makers, acting in their role to provide a fair and orderly secondary 19 In those instances in which a Fund permits an ‘‘in-kind’’ purchaser to substitute cash in lieu of depositing one or more of the requisite Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments, the purchaser or seller may be assessed a higher Transaction Fee on the ‘‘cash in lieu’’ portion of its investment to cover the cost of purchasing the necessary securities, including operational processing and brokerage costs, and part or all of the spread between the expected bid and offer side of the market relating to such Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments. In all cases, such Transaction Fees will be limited in accordance with requirements of the Commission applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. 20 If Shares are listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (‘‘Nasdaq’’) or a similar electronic Exchange (including NYSE Arca), one or more member firms of that Exchange will act as Market Maker and maintain a market for Shares trading on that Exchange. On Nasdaq, no particular Market Maker would be contractually obligated to make a market in Shares. However, the listing requirements on Nasdaq, for example, stipulate that at least two Market Makers must be registered in Shares to maintain a listing. In addition, on Nasdaq and NYSE Arca, registered Market Makers are required to make a continuous two-sided market or subject themselves to regulatory sanctions. No Market Maker will be an affiliated person, or a second-tier affiliate, of the Funds, except within section 2(a)(3)(A) or (C) of the Act due solely to ownership of Shares as discussed below. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:52 Feb 05, 2015 Jkt 235001 market for Shares, also may purchase Creation Units for use in their own market making activities. Applicants expect that secondary market purchasers of Shares will include both institutional and retail investors.21 Applicants expect that arbitrage opportunities created by the ability to continually purchase or redeem Creation Units should ensure that the Shares will not trade at a material discount or premium in relation to their NAV. 14. Shares will not be individually redeemable, and only Shares combined into Creation Units of a specified size will be redeemable. Redemption requests must be placed by or through an Authorized Participant. 15. Neither the Trust nor any Fund will be marketed or otherwise held out as a ‘‘mutual fund.’’ Instead, each Fund will be marketed as an ‘‘activelymanaged exchange-traded fund.’’ In any advertising material where features of obtaining, buying or selling Shares traded on the Exchange are described there will be an appropriate statement to the effect that Shares are not individually redeemable. 16. On each Business Day, before the commencement of trading in Shares on the Fund’s Primary Listing Exchange, the Fund will disclose on the Trust’s Web site (‘‘Web site’’) the identities and quantities of the Portfolio Instruments and other assets held by the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) 22 that will form the basis of the Fund’s calculation of NAV at the end of the Business Day, the Fund’s per Share NAV and the market closing price or the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at the time of the calculation of such NAV (‘‘Bid/Ask Price’’), and a calculation of the premium or discount of the market closing price or Bid/Ask Price against such NAV, all as of the prior Business Day.23 Applicants’ Legal Analysis 1. Applicants request an order under section 6(c) of the Act for an exemption from sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d) and 22(e) of the Act and rule 22c–1 under 21 Shares will be registered in book-entry form only. DTC or its nominee will be the record or registered owner of all outstanding Shares. Beneficial ownership of Shares will be shown on the records of DTC or DTC Participants. 22 Feeder Funds will disclose information about the securities and other assets held by the Master Fund. 23 Under accounting procedures followed by the Funds, trades made on the prior Business Day (‘‘T’’) will be booked and reflected in NAV on the current Business Day (‘‘T+1’’). Accordingly, the Funds will be able to disclose at the beginning of the Business Day the portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV calculation at the end of the Business Day. PO 00000 Frm 00103 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6783 the Act, under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act, and under section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act for an exemption from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the Act. 2. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that the Commission may exempt any person, security or transaction, or any class of persons, securities or transactions, from any provisions of the Act, if and to the extent that such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the Act. Section 17(b) of the Act authorizes the Commission to exempt a proposed transaction from section 17(a) of the Act if evidence establishes that the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid or received, are reasonable and fair and do not involve overreaching on the part of any person concerned, and the proposed transaction is consistent with the policies of the registered investment company and the general provisions of the Act. Section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act provides that the Commission may exempt any person, security, or transaction, or any class or classes of persons, securities or transactions, from any provision of section 12(d)(1) if the exemption is consistent with the public interest and the protection of investors. Sections 5(a)(1) and 2(a)(32) of the Act 3. Section 5(a)(1) of the Act defines an ‘‘open-end company’’ as a management investment company that is offering for sale or has outstanding any redeemable security of which it is the issuer. Section 2(a)(32) of the Act defines a redeemable security as any security, other than short-term paper, under the terms of which the holder, upon its presentation to the issuer, is entitled to receive approximately a proportionate share of the issuer’s current net assets, or the cash equivalent. Because Shares will not be individually redeemable, applicants request an order that would to permit the Trust to register as openend management investment companies and issue Shares that are redeemable in Creation Units only.24 Applicants state that investors may purchase Shares in Creation Units from each Fund and redeem Creation Units from each Fund. Applicants further state that, because of the arbitrage possibilities created by the redeemability of Creation Units, they 24 The Master Funds will not require relief from sections 2(a)(32) and 5(a)(1) because the Master Funds will issue individually redeemable securities. E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1 6784 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices margin between NAV and the price for the Shares in the secondary market remains narrow. Section 22(d) of the Act and Rule 22c–1 Under the Act asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES expect that the market price of individual Shares will not deviate materially from NAV. Section 22(e) of the Act 4. Section 22(d) of the Act, among other things, prohibits a dealer from selling a redeemable security that is currently being offered to the public by or through a principal underwriter, except at a current public offering price described in the prospectus. Rule 22c– 1 under the Act generally requires that a dealer selling, redeeming, or repurchasing a redeemable security do so only at a price based on its NAV. Applicants state that secondary market trading in Shares will take place at negotiated prices, not at a current offering price described in the Prospectus, and not at a price based on NAV. Thus, purchases and sales of Shares in the secondary market will not comply with section 22(d) of the Act and rule 22c–1 under the Act. Applicants request an exemption under section 6(c) from these provisions.25 5. Applicants state that, while there is little legislative history regarding section 22(d), its provisions, as well as those of rule 22c–1, appear to have been designed to (a) to prevent dilution caused by certain riskless-trading schemes by principal underwriters and contract dealers, (b) to prevent unjust discrimination or preferential treatment among buyers and (c) to ensure an orderly distribution system of shares by contract dealers by eliminating price competition from non-contract dealers who could offer investors shares at less than the published sales price and who could pay investors a little more than the published redemption price. 6. Applicants assert that the protections intended to be afforded by section 22(d) and rule 22c–1 are adequately addressed by the proposed methods for creating, redeeming and pricing Creation Units and pricing and trading Shares. Applicants state that (a) secondary market trading in Shares does not involve the Funds as parties and cannot result in dilution of an investment in Shares and (b) to the extent different prices exist during a given trading day, or from day to day, such variances occur as a result of thirdparty market forces but do not occur as a result of unjust or discriminatory manipulation. Finally, applicants assert that competitive forces in the marketplace should ensure that the 25 The Master Funds will not require relief from section 22(d) or rule 22c–1 because shares of the Master Funds will not trade at negotiated prices in the secondary market. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:52 Feb 05, 2015 Jkt 235001 7. Section 22(e) of the Act generally prohibits a registered investment company from suspending the right of redemption or postponing the date of payment of redemption proceeds for more than seven days after the tender of a security for redemption. Applicants observe that settlement of redemptions for Foreign Funds is contingent not only on the settlement cycle of the U.S. securities markets but also on the delivery cycles present in foreign markets in which those Funds invest. Applicants have been advised that the delivery cycles for transferring Redemption Instruments to redeeming investors, coupled with local market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days. Applicants therefore request relief from the requirement imposed by section 22(e) to provide payment or satisfaction of redemptions within seven (7) calendar days following the tender of a Creation Unit of such Funds.26 8. Applicants state that section 22(e) was designed to prevent unreasonable, undisclosed and unforeseen delays in the actual payment of redemption proceeds. Applicants assert that the protections intended to be afforded by section 22(e) are adequately addressed by the proposed method and securities delivery cycles for redeeming Creation Units. Applicants state that allowing redemption payments for Creation Units of a Fund to be made within a maximum of fifteen (15) calendar days 27 would not be inconsistent with the spirit and intent of section 22(e).28 Applicants represent that each Fund’s statement of additional information will identify those instances in a given year where, due to local holidays, more than seven calendar days, up to a maximum of fifteen (15) calendar days, will be needed to deliver redemption proceeds and will list such holidays. Applicants are not seeking relief from section 22(e) with respect to Foreign Funds that do not effect redemptions in-kind. 26 Applicants acknowledge that no relief obtained from the requirements of section 22(e) will affect any obligations that it may otherwise have under rule 15c6–1 under the Exchange Act. Rule 15c6–1 requires that most securities transactions be settled within three business days of the trade date. 27 Certain countries in which a Fund may invest have historically had settlement periods of up to 15 calendar days. 28 Other feeder funds invested in any Master Fund are not seeking, and will not rely on, the section 22(e) relief requested herein. PO 00000 Frm 00104 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Section 12(d)(1) of the Act 9. Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act prohibits a registered investment company from acquiring shares of an investment company if the securities represent more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company, more than 5% of the total assets of the acquiring company, or, together with the securities of any other investment companies, more than 10% of the total assets of the acquiring company. Section 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act prohibits a registered open-end investment company, its principal underwriter, or any other broker or dealer from selling its shares to another investment company if the sale will cause the acquiring company to own more than 3% of the acquired company’s voting stock, or if the sale will cause more than 10% of the acquired company’s voting stock to be owned by investment companies generally. 10. Applicants request relief to permit Funds of Funds to acquire Shares in excess of the limits in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act and to permit the Funds, their principal underwriters and any Broker to sell Shares to Funds of Funds in excess of the limits in section 12(d)(l)(B) of the Act. Applicants submit that the proposed conditions to the requested relief address the concerns underlying the limits in section 12(d)(1), which include concerns about undue influence, excessive layering of fees and overly complex structures. 11. Applicants submit that certain of their proposed conditions address concerns about potential for undue influence. To limit the control that a Fund of Funds may have over a Fund, applicants propose a condition prohibiting the Fund of Funds Adviser, Sponsor, any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Fund of Funds Adviser or Sponsor, and any investment company or issuer that would be an investment company but for sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act that is advised or sponsored by the Fund of Funds Adviser, the Sponsor, or any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Fund of Funds Adviser or Sponsor (‘‘Fund of Funds Advisory Group’’) from controlling (individually or in the aggregate) a Fund within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act. The same prohibition would apply to any subadviser to an Investing Management Company (‘‘Fund of Funds SubAdviser’’), any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES and any investment company or issuer that would be an investment company but for sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act (or portion of such investment company or issuer) advised or sponsored by the Fund of Funds SubAdviser or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser (‘‘Fund of Funds Sub-Advisory Group’’). 12. Applicants propose a condition to ensure that no Fund of Funds or Fund of Funds Affiliate 29 (except to the extent it is acting in its capacity as an investment adviser to a Fund) will cause a Fund to purchase a security in an offering of securities during the existence of an underwriting or selling syndicate of which a principal underwriter is an Underwriting Affiliate (‘‘Affiliated Underwriting’’).30 13. Applicants propose several conditions to address the potential for layering of fees. Applicants note that the board of directors or trustees of any Investing Management Company, including a majority of the directors or trustees who are not ‘‘interested persons’’ within the meaning of section 2(a)(19) of the Act (‘‘independent Board members’’), will be required to find that the advisory fees charged under the contract are based on services provided that will be in addition to, rather than duplicative of, services provided under the advisory contract of any Fund in which the Investing Management Company may invest. Applicants also state that any sales charges and/or service fees charged with respect to shares of a Fund of Funds will not exceed the limits applicable to a fund of funds as set forth in NASD Conduct Rule 2830.31 14. In order to address concerns about complexity, applicants propose condition B.12, which will prohibit 29 A ‘‘Fund of Funds Affiliate’’ is any Fund of Funds Adviser, Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, Sponsor, promoter or principal underwriter of a Fund of Funds, and any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with any of these entities. A ‘‘Fund Affiliate’’ is the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, promoter, or principal underwriter of a Fund or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with any of these entities. 30 An ‘‘Underwriting Affiliate’’ is a principal underwriter in any underwriting or selling syndicate that is an officer, director, member of an advisory board, Fund of Funds Adviser, Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, employee or Sponsor of the Fund of Funds, or a person of which any such officer, director, member of an advisory board, Fund of Funds Adviser, Fund of Funds SubAdviser, employee or Sponsor is an affiliated person (except any person whose relationship to the Fund is covered by section 10(f) of the Act is not an Underwriting Affiliate). 31 Any reference to NASD Conduct Rule 2830 includes any successor or replacement rule that may be adopted by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:52 Feb 05, 2015 Jkt 235001 Funds from acquiring securities of any investment company or company relying on section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act in excess of the limits contained in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act, except to the extent permitted by exemptive relief from the Commission permitting a Fund to purchase shares of other investment companies for short-term cash management purposes. 15. Finally, each Fund of Funds must enter into an FOF Participation Agreement with the respective Funds, which will include an acknowledgement from the Fund of Funds that it may rely on the order only to invest in a Fund and not in any other investment company. 16. Applicants also are seeking relief from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and 12(d)(1)(B) to the extent necessary to permit the Feeder Funds to perform creations and redemptions of Shares inkind in a master-feeder structure. Applicants assert that this structure is substantially identical to traditional master-feeder structures permitted pursuant to the exception provided in section 12(d)(1)(E) of the Act. Section 12(d)(1)(E) provides that the percentage limitations of sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) will not apply to a security issued by an investment company (in this case, the shares of the applicable Master Fund) if, among other things, that security is the only investment security held in the investing fund’s portfolio (in this case, the Feeder Fund’s portfolio). Applicants believe the proposed masterfeeder structure complies with section 12(d)(1)(E) because each Feeder Fund will hold only investment securities issued by its corresponding Master Fund; however, the Feeder Funds may receive securities other than securities of its corresponding Master Fund if a Feeder Fund accepts an in-kind creation. To the extent that a Feeder Fund may be deemed to be holding both shares of the Master Fund and other securities, applicants request relief from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B). The Feeder Funds would operate in compliance with all other provisions of section 12(d)(1)(E). Sections 17(a)(1) and (2) of the Act 17. Section 17(a) of the Act generally prohibits an affiliated person of a registered investment company, or an affiliated person of such a person (‘‘second tier affiliate’’), from selling any security to or purchasing any security from the company. Section 2(a)(3) of the Act defines ‘‘affiliated person’’ to include any person directly or indirectly owning, controlling, or holding with power to vote, 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the PO 00000 Frm 00105 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6785 other person and any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, the other person. Section 2(a)(9) of the Act defines ‘‘control’’ as the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company and provides that a control relationship will be presumed where one person owns more than 25% of another person’s voting securities. Each Fund may be deemed to be controlled by the Adviser and hence affiliated persons of each other. In addition, the Funds may be deemed to be under common control with any other registered investment company (or series thereof) advised by the Adviser (an ‘‘Affiliated Fund’’). 18. Applicants request an exemption under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act to permit in-kind purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by persons that are affiliated persons or second tier affiliates of the Funds solely by virtue of one or more of the following: (a) Holding 5% or more, or in excess of 25% of the outstanding Shares of one or more Funds; (b) having an affiliation with a person with an ownership interest described in (a); or (c) holding 5% or more, or more than 25% of the Shares of one or more Affiliated Funds.32 Applicants also request an exemption in order to permit a Fund to sell its Shares to and redeem its Shares from, and engage in the inkind transactions that would accompany such sales and redemptions with, certain Funds of Funds of which the Funds are affiliated persons or second-tier affiliates.33 19. Applicants assert that no useful purpose would be served by prohibiting such affiliated persons from making inkind purchases or in-kind redemptions of Shares of a Fund in Creation Units. The deposit procedures for in-kind purchases of Creation Units and the redemption procedures for in-kind redemptions will be the same for all purchases and redemptions. Deposit Instruments and Redemption Instruments will be valued in the same manner as those Portfolio Instruments 32 Applicants are not seeking relief from section 17(a) for, and the requested relief will not apply to, transactions where a Fund could be deemed an affiliated person, or an affiliated person of an affiliated person, of a Fund of Funds because the Adviser, or an entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser is also an investment adviser to the Fund of Funds. 33 To the extent that purchases and sales of Shares occur in the secondary market (and not through principal transactions directly between a Fund of Funds and a Fund), relief from section 17(a) would not be necessary. The requested relief is intended to cover, however, transactions directly between Funds and Funds of Funds. E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1 6786 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES currently held by the relevant Funds, and the valuation of the Deposit Instruments and Redemption Instruments will be made in the same manner and on the same terms for all, regardless of the identity of the purchaser or redeemer. Applicants do not believe that in-kind purchases and redemptions will result in abusive selfdealing or overreaching of the Fund. 20. Applicants also submit that the sale of Shares to and redemption of Shares from a Fund of Funds meets the standards for relief under sections 17(b) and 6(c) of the Act. Applicants note that any consideration paid for the purchase or redemption of Shares directly from a Fund will be based on the NAV of the Fund in accordance with policies and procedures set forth in the Fund’s registration statement.34 The FOF Participation Agreement will require any Fund of Funds that purchases Creation Units directly from a Fund to represent that the purchase of Creation Units from a Fund by a Fund of Funds will be accomplished in compliance with the investment restrictions of the Fund of Funds and will be consistent with the investment policies set forth in the Fund of Fund’s registration statement. 21. In addition, to the extent that a Fund operates in a master-feeder structure, applicants also request relief permitting the Feeder Funds to engage in in-kind creations and redemptions with the applicable Master Fund. Applicants state that the request for relief described above would not be sufficient to permit such transactions because the Feeder Funds and the applicable Master Fund could also be affiliated by virtue of having the same investment adviser. However, applicants believe that in-kind creations and redemptions between a Feeder Fund and a Master Fund advised by the same investment adviser do not involve ‘‘overreaching’’ by an affiliated person. Applicants represent that such transactions will occur only at the Feeder Fund’s proportionate share of the Master Fund’s net assets, and the distributed securities will be valued in the same manner as they are valued for the purposes of calculating the applicable Master Fund’s NAV. Further, all such transactions will be effected with respect to pre-determined 34 Applicants acknowledge that the receipt of compensation by (a) an affiliated person of a Fund of Funds, or an affiliated person of such person, for the purchase by the Fund of Funds of Shares of the Fund or (b) an affiliated person of a Fund, or an affiliated person of such person, for the sale by the Fund of its Shares to a Fund of Funds, may be prohibited by section 17(e)(1) of the Act. The FOF Participation Agreement also will include this acknowledgment. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:52 Feb 05, 2015 Jkt 235001 securities and on the same terms with respect to all investors. Finally, such transaction would only occur as a result of, and to effectuate, a creation or redemption transaction between the Feeder Fund and a third-party investor. Applicants state that, in effect, the Feeder Fund will serve as a conduit through which creation and redemption orders by Authorized Participants will be effected. 22. Applicants believe that: (a) With respect to the relief requested pursuant to section 17(b), the proposed transactions are fair and reasonable, and do not involve overreaching on the part of any person concerned, the proposed transactions are consistent with the policy of each Fund, and the proposed transactions are consistent with the general purposes of the Act; and (b) with respect to the relief requested pursuant to section 6(c), the requested exemption for the proposed transactions is appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the Act. Applicants’ Conditions Applicants agree that any order of the Commission granting the requested relief will be subject to the following conditions: A. ETF Relief 1. The requested relief to permit ETF operations will expire on the effective date of any Commission rule under the Act that provides relief permitting the operation of actively-managed ETFs, other than the Master-Feeder Relief. 2. As long as a Fund operates in reliance on the requested order, the Shares of the Fund will be listed on an Exchange. 3. Neither the Trust nor any Fund will be advertised or marketed as open-end investment companies or mutual funds. Any advertising material that describes the purchase or sale of Creation Units or refers to redeemability will prominently disclose that the Shares are not individually redeemable and that owners of the Shares may acquire Shares from the Fund (other than through a dividend reinvestment program) and tender Shares for redemption to the Fund in Creation Units only. 4. The Web site, which is and will be publicly accessible at no charge, will contain, on a per Share basis for the Fund, the prior Business Day’s NAV and the market closing price or Bid/Ask Price of the Shares, and a calculation of the premium or discount of the market PO 00000 Frm 00106 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 closing price or Bid/Ask Price against such NAV. 5. No Adviser or Sub-Adviser, directly or indirectly, will cause any Authorized Participant (or any investor on whose behalf an Authorized Participant may transact with the Fund) to acquire any Deposit Instrument for the Fund through a transaction in which the Fund could not engage directly. 6. On each Business Day, before the commencement of trading in Shares on the Fund’s Primary Listing Exchange, the Fund will disclose on the Web site the identities and quantities of the Portfolio Instruments and other assets held by the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) that will form the basis of the Fund’s calculation of NAV at the end of the Business Day. B. Section 12(d)(1) Relief 1. The members of the Fund of Funds Advisory Group will not control (individually or in the aggregate) a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act. The members of the Fund of Funds SubAdvisory Group will not control (individually or in the aggregate) a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act. If, as a result of a decrease in the outstanding voting securities of a Fund, the Fund of Funds Advisory Group or the Fund of Funds Sub-Advisory Group, each in the aggregate, becomes a holder of more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund, it will vote its Shares of the Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of the Fund’s Shares. This condition does not apply to the Fund of Funds Sub-Advisory Group with respect to a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) for which the Fund of Funds SubAdviser or a person controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser acts as the investment adviser within the meaning of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the Act. 2. No Fund of Funds or Fund of Funds Affiliate will cause any existing or potential investment by the Fund of Funds in a Fund to influence the terms of any services or transactions between the Fund of Funds or a Fund of Funds Affiliate and the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) or a Fund Affiliate. 3. The board of directors or trustees of an Investing Management Company, including a majority of the independent directors or trustees, will adopt procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the Fund of Funds Adviser and any Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser are conducting the investment program of the Investing Management Company E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1 asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices without taking into account any consideration received by the Investing Management Company or a Fund of Funds Affiliate from a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) or a Fund Affiliate in connection with any services or transactions. 4. Once an investment by a Fund of Funds in the Shares of a Fund exceeds the limit in section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, the Board of the Fund (or its respective Master Fund), including a majority of the independent Board members, will determine that any consideration paid by the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) to the Fund of Funds or a Fund of Funds Affiliate in connection with any services or transactions: (i) Is fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services and benefits received by the Fund (or its respective Master Fund); (ii) is within the range of consideration that the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) would be required to pay to another unaffiliated entity in connection with the same services or transactions; and (iii) does not involve overreaching on the part of any person concerned. This condition does not apply with respect to any services or transactions between a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) and its investment adviser(s), or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such investment adviser(s). 5. The Fund of Funds Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor of an Investing Trust, as applicable, will waive fees otherwise payable to it by the Fund of Funds in an amount at least equal to any compensation (including fees received pursuant to any plan adopted by a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) pursuant to rule 12b–1 under the Act) received from a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) by the Fund of Funds’ Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor of the Investing Trust, or an affiliated person of the Fund of Funds’ Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor of the Investing Trust, other than any advisory fees paid to the Fund of Funds’ Adviser, or trustee, or Sponsor of an Investing Trust, or its affiliated person by the Fund (or its respective Master Fund), in connection with the investment by the Fund of Funds in the Fund. Any Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser will waive fees otherwise payable to the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, directly or indirectly, by the Investing Management Company in an amount at least equal to any compensation received from a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) by the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, or an affiliated person of the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, other than any advisory fees paid to the Fund of Funds SubAdviser or its affiliated person by the VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:52 Feb 05, 2015 Jkt 235001 Fund (or its respective Master Fund), in connection with the investment by the Investing Management Company in the Fund made at the direction of the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser. In the event that the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser waives fees, the benefit of the waiver will be passed through to the Investing Management Company. 6. No Fund of Funds or Fund of Funds Affiliate (except to the extent it is acting in its capacity as an investment adviser to a Fund (or its respective Master Fund)) will cause a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) to purchase a security in an Affiliated Underwriting. 7. The Board of the Fund (or its respective Master Fund), including a majority of the independent Board members, will adopt procedures reasonably designed to monitor any purchases of securities by the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) in an Affiliated Underwriting, once an investment by a Fund of Funds in the securities of the Fund exceeds the limit of section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, including any purchases made directly from an Underwriting Affiliate. The Board will review these purchases periodically, but no less frequently than annually, to determine whether the purchases were influenced by the investment by the Fund of Funds in the Fund. The Board will consider, among other things: (i) Whether the purchases were consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund (or its respective Master Fund); (ii) how the performance of securities purchased in an Affiliated Underwriting compares to the performance of comparable securities purchased during a comparable period of time in underwritings other than Affiliated Underwritings or to a benchmark such as a comparable market index; and (iii) whether the amount of securities purchased by the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) in Affiliated Underwritings and the amount purchased directly from an Underwriting Affiliate have changed significantly from prior years. The Board will take any appropriate actions based on its review, including, if appropriate, the institution of procedures designed to ensure that purchases of securities in Affiliated Underwritings are in the best interest of beneficial owners of the Fund. 8. Each Fund (or its respective Master Fund) will maintain and preserve permanently in an easily accessible place a written copy of the procedures described in the preceding condition, and any modifications to such procedures, and will maintain and preserve for a period of not less than six PO 00000 Frm 00107 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6787 years from the end of the fiscal year in which any purchase in an Affiliated Underwriting occurred, the first two years in an easily accessible place, a written record of each purchase of securities in Affiliated Underwritings once an investment by a Fund of Funds in the securities of the Fund exceeds the limit of section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, setting forth from whom the securities were acquired, the identity of the underwriting syndicate’s members, the terms of the purchase, and the information or materials upon which the Board’s determinations were made. 9. Before investing in a Fund in excess of the limits in section 12(d)(1)(A), a Fund of Funds will execute a FOF Participation Agreement with the Fund stating that their respective boards of directors or trustees and their investment advisers, or trustee and Sponsor, as applicable, understand the terms and conditions of the order, and agree to fulfill their responsibilities under the order. At the time of its investment in Shares of a Fund in excess of the limit in section 12(d)(1)(A)(i), a Fund of Funds will notify the Fund of the investment. At such time, the Fund of Funds will also transmit to the Fund a list of the names of each Fund of Funds Affiliate and Underwriting Affiliate. The Fund of Funds will notify the Fund of any changes to the list as soon as reasonably practicable after a change occurs. The Fund and the Fund of Funds will maintain and preserve a copy of the order, the FOF Participation Agreement, and the list with any updated information for the duration of the investment and for a period of not less than six years thereafter, the first two years in an easily accessible place. 10. Before approving any advisory contract under section 15 of the Act, the board of directors or trustees of each Investing Management Company, including a majority of the independent directors or trustees, will find that the advisory fees charged under such contract are based on services provided that will be in addition to, rather than duplicative of, the services provided under the advisory contract(s) of any Fund (or its respective Master Fund) in which the Investing Management Company may invest. These findings and their basis will be recorded fully in the minute books of the appropriate Investing Management Company. 11. Any sales charges and/or service fees charged with respect to shares of a Fund of Funds will not exceed the limits applicable to a fund of funds as set forth in NASD Conduct Rule 2830. 12. No Fund (or its respective Master Fund) will acquire securities of an E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1 6788 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices investment company or company relying on section 3(c)(1) or section 3(c)(7) of the Act in excess of the limits contained in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act, except to the extent that (i) the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) acquires securities of another investment company pursuant to exemptive relief from the Commission permitting the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) to acquire securities of one or more investment companies for short-term cash management purposes, or (ii) the Fund acquires securities of the Master Fund pursuant to the MasterFeeder Relief. For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, under delegated authority. Jill M. Peterson, Assistant Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–02318 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P the Commission shall either approve the proposed rule change, disapprove the proposed rule change, or institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved. The 45th day after publication of the notice for this proposed rule change is February 6, 2015. The Commission is extending this 45-day time period. The Commission finds it appropriate to designate a longer period within which to take action on the proposed rule change so that it has sufficient time to consider this proposed rule change. Accordingly, the Commission, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,5 designates March 23, 2015, as the date by which the Commission shall either approve or disapprove, or institute proceedings to determine whether to disapprove, the proposed rule change (File No. SR–NYSEArca–2014–139). SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34–74186; File No. SR– NYSEArca-2014–139] For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.6 Jill M. Peterson, Assistant Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–02342 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Designation of a Longer Period for Commission Action on Proposed Rule Change Relating to Shares of the iShares California AMTFree Muni Bond ETF and iShares New York AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES On December 3, 2014, NYSE Arca, Inc. (‘‘NYSE Arca’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’), pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2 a proposed rule change relating to shares of the iShares California AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF and iShares New York AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF. The proposed rule change was published for comment in the Federal Register on December 23, 2014.3 The Commission received no comments on the proposal. Section 19(b)(2) of the Act 4 provides that within 45 days of the publication of notice of the filing of a proposed rule change, or within such longer period up to 90 days as the Commission may designate if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or as to which the self-regulatory organization consents, 1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). CFR 240.19b–4. 3 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 73857 (Dec. 17, 2014), 79 FR 77069. 4 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2). 2 17 19:55 Feb 05, 2015 Jkt 235001 Percent For Physical Damage: Homeowners With Credit Available Elsewhere ...................... Homeowners Without Credit Available Elsewhere .............. Businesses With Credit Available Elsewhere ...................... Businesses Without Credit Available Elsewhere .............. Non-Profit Organizations With Credit Available Elsewhere ... Non-Profit Organizations Without Credit Available Elsewhere ..................................... For Economic Injury: Businesses & Small Agricultural Cooperatives Without Credit Available Elsewhere .............. Non-Profit Organizations Without Credit Available Elsewhere ..................................... 3.875 1.938 6.000 4.000 2.625 2.625 4.000 2.625 [Disaster Declaration #14215 and #14216] Washington Disaster #WA–00052 Small Business Administration. Notice. AGENCY: February 2, 2015. VerDate Sep<11>2014 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Administrator’s disaster declaration, applications for disaster loans may be filed at the address listed above or other locally announced locations. The following areas have been determined to be adversely affected by the disaster: Primary Counties: Grays Harbor Contiguous Counties: Washington: Jefferson; Lewis; Mason; Pacific; Thurston The Interest Rates are: ACTION: This is a notice of an Administrative declaration of a disaster for the State of WASHINGTON dated 01/29/2015. Incident: Severe Storms, Flooding and Mudslides. Incident Period: 01/03/2015 through 01/06/2015. DATES: Effective Date: 01/29/2015. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 03/30/2015. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 10/29/2015. ADDRESSES: Submit completed loan applications to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A. Escobar, Office of Disaster Assistance, U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street SW., Suite 6050, Washington, DC 20416. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that as a result of the SUMMARY: 5 Id. 6 17 PO 00000 CFR 200.30–3(a)(31). Frm 00108 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 The number assigned to this disaster for physical damage is 14215 B and for economic injury is 14216 0. The State which received an EIDL Declaration # is Washington. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers 59002 and 59008) Dated: January 29, 2015. Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator. [FR Doc. 2015–02361 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8025–01–P SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Disaster Declaration #14217 and #14218] Disaster #CA–00229 U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: This is a Notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians (FEMA–4206–DR), dated 01/27/2015. Incident: Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides. Incident Period: 12/04/2014 through 12/06/2014. Effective Date: 01/27/2015. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6780-6788]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02318]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Investment Company Act Release No. 31441; 812-14338]


Capital Group ETF Trust, et al.; Notice of Application

February 2, 2015.
AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'').

ACTION: Notice of an application for an order under section 6(c) of the 
Investment Company Act of 1940 (``Act'') for an exemption from sections 
2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d) and 22(e) of the Act and rule 22c-1 under the 
Act, under section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act for an exemption from 
sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the Act, and under sections 6(c) and 
17(b) of the Act for an exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and (a)(2) of 
the Act.

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Applicants:  Capital Group ETF Trust (the ``Trust''); Capital Research 
and Management Company (the ``Initial Adviser''); and American Funds 
Distributors, Inc. (the ``Distributor'').

Summary of Application:  Applicants request an order that permits: (a) 
Actively-managed series of certain open-end management investment 
companies to issue shares (``Shares'') redeemable in large aggregations 
only (``Creation Units''); (b) secondary market transactions in Shares 
to occur at negotiated market prices; (c) certain series to pay 
redemption proceeds, under certain circumstances, more than seven days 
from the tender of Shares for redemption; (d) certain affiliated 
persons of the series to deposit securities into, and receive 
securities from, the series in connection with the purchase and 
redemption of Creation Units; (e) certain registered management 
investment companies and unit investment trusts outside of the same 
group of investment companies as the series to acquire Shares; and (f) 
certain series to perform creations and redemptions of Creation Units 
in-kind in a master-feeder structure.

Filing Dates:  The application was filed on July 28, 2014, and amended 
on October 17, 2014 and January 26, 2015.

Hearing or Notification of Hearing: An order granting the requested 
relief will be issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. 
Interested persons may request a hearing by writing to the Commission's 
Secretary and serving applicants with a copy of the request, personally 
or by mail. Hearing requests should be received by the Commission by 
5:30 p.m. on February 27, 2015, and should be accompanied by proof of 
service on applicants, in the form of an affidavit or, for lawyers, a 
certificate of service. Pursuant to rule 0-5 under the Act, hearing 
requests should state the nature of the writer's interest, any facts 
bearing upon the desirability of a hearing on the matter, the reason 
for the request, and the issues contested. Persons who wish to be 
notified of a hearing may request notification by writing to the 
Commission's Secretary.

ADDRESSES:  Secretary, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F 
Street NE., Washington, DC 20549. Applicants: 333 South Hope Street, 
Los Angeles, California 90071.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark N. Zaruba, Senior Counsel, at 
(202) 551-6878 or Mary Kay Frech, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6821 
(Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel's Office).

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

Applicants' Representations

    1. The Trust, which is organized as a Delaware statutory trust, 
will be registered under the Act as an open-end management investment 
company. The Trust will consist of multiple series. The Trust will 
initially offer one series (the ``Initial Fund'') that will rely on the 
order. The Initial Fund's investment objective will be to seek to 
provide long-term growth of capital, with income as a secondary 
objective.
    2. The Initial Adviser is, and any other Adviser (as defined 
below), will be registered as an investment adviser under the 
Investment Advisers Act of

[[Page 6781]]

1940 (``Advisers Act''). An Adviser will serve as investment adviser to 
each of the Funds (as defined below). The Adviser may enter into sub-
advisory agreements with one or more affiliated or unaffiliated 
investment advisers, each of which will serve as sub-adviser to a Fund 
(each, a ``Sub-Adviser''). Any Sub-Adviser will be registered under the 
Advisers Act or will not be subject to registration. The Distributor is 
a registered broker-dealer (``Broker'') under the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act'') and will act as the distributor and 
principal underwriter of the Funds.\1\
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    \1\ Applicants request that the order apply to any future 
distributor of the Funds, which would be a registered broker-dealer 
under the Exchange Act and would comply with the terms and 
conditions of the application (``Future Distributor''). Applicants 
state that the Distributor or Future Distributor of any Fund may be 
an affiliated person or a second-tier affiliate of that Fund's 
Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers.
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    3. Applicants request that the order apply to the Initial Fund as 
well as to future series of the Trust and any future open-end 
management investment companies or series thereof that would operate as 
actively-managed exchange-traded funds (``Future Funds''). Any Future 
Fund will (a) be advised by the Initial Adviser or an entity 
controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Initial 
Adviser (the Initial Adviser and each such other entity and any 
successor thereto included in the term ``Adviser'') and (b) comply with 
the terms and conditions of the application.\2\ The Initial Fund and 
Future Funds together are the ``Funds.'' Each Fund will operate as an 
actively managed exchange-traded fund (``ETF''), and a Fund may operate 
as a feeder fund in a master-feeder structure (``Feeder Fund'').
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    \2\ All entities that currently intend to rely on the order are 
named as applicants. Any other entity that relies on the order in 
the future will comply with the terms and conditions of the 
application.
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    4. Applicants state that the Funds, or their respective Master 
Funds (as defined below), may invest in equity securities or fixed 
income securities (``Fixed Income Funds'') traded in the U.S. or non-
U.S. markets. Fixed Income Funds may also include Funds that invest in 
a combination of equity and fixed-income securities. Funds, or their 
respective Master Funds, that invest in foreign equity and/or fixed 
income securities, are ``Foreign Funds.'' Foreign Funds may also 
include Funds that invest in a combination of foreign and domestic 
equity and/or fixed income securities. Applicants state that the Funds 
may also invest in a broad variety of other instruments \3\ and that a 
Foreign Fund, either directly or through a Master Fund, may invest a 
significant portion of its assets in depositary receipts representing 
foreign securities in which they seek to invest (``Depositary 
Receipts'').\4\ Applicants further state that, in order to implement 
each Fund's investment strategy, the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers of a 
Fund may review and change the securities, other assets and other 
positions held by the Fund or its respective Master Fund (``Portfolio 
Instruments'') daily.
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    \3\ If a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) invests in 
derivatives, then (a) the board of trustees (``Board'') of the Fund 
will periodically review and approve the Fund's (or, in the case of 
a Feeder Fund, its Master Fund's) use of derivatives and how the 
Adviser assesses and manages risk with respect to the Fund's (or, in 
the case of a Feeder Fund, its Master Fund's) use of derivatives and 
(b) the Fund's disclosure of its (or, in the case of a Feeder Fund, 
its Master Fund's) use of derivatives in its offering documents and 
periodic reports will be consistent with relevant Commission and 
staff guidance.
    \4\ Depositary Receipts are typically issued by a financial 
institution, a ``depositary,'' and evidence ownership in a security 
or pool of securities that have been deposited with the depositary. 
A Fund (or its respective Master Fund) will not invest in any 
Depositary Receipts that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser deems to be 
illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. 
No affiliated persons of applicants or any Sub-Adviser will serve as 
the depositary bank for any Depositary Receipts held by a Fund.
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    5. With respect to section 12(d)(1), applicants are requesting 
relief (``Fund of Funds Relief'') to permit management investment 
companies and unit investment trusts (``UITs'') registered under the 
Act that are not part of the same ``group of investment companies,'' 
within the meaning of section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Act, as the Funds 
(such registered management investment companies are referred to as 
``Investing Management Companies,'' such UITs are referred to as 
``Investing Trusts,'' and Investing Management Companies and Investing 
Trusts are collectively referred to as ``Funds of Funds''), to acquire 
Shares beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(A) and to permit the 
Funds, and any principal underwriter for the Funds, and any Broker, to 
sell Shares beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(l)(B) to Funds of 
Funds. Applicants request that any exemption under section 12(d)(1)(J) 
from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) apply to: (1) Each Fund that is 
currently or subsequently part of the same ``group of investment 
companies'' as the Initial Fund within the meaning of section 
12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Act, as well as any principal underwriter for 
the Funds and any Brokers selling Shares of a Fund to Funds of Funds; 
and (2) each Fund of Funds that enters into a participation agreement 
(``FOF Participation Agreement'') with a Fund. ``Funds of Funds'' do 
not include the Funds. Each Investing Management Company's investment 
adviser within the meaning of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the Act is the 
``Fund of Funds Adviser.'' Similarly, each Investing Trust's sponsor is 
the ``Sponsor.'' Applicants represent that each Fund of Funds Adviser 
will be registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and 
that no Fund of Funds Adviser or Sponsor will control, be controlled 
by, or be under common control with the Adviser.\5\
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    \5\ A Fund of Funds may rely on the order only to invest in 
Funds and not in any other registered investment company.
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    6. Applicants further request that the order permit a Fund to 
operate as a Feeder Fund (``Master-Feeder Relief''). Under the order, a 
Feeder Fund would be permitted to acquire shares of another registered 
investment company in the same group of investment companies having 
substantially the same investment objectives as the Feeder Fund 
(``Master Fund'') beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 
Act,\6\ and the Master Fund, and any principal underwriter for the 
Master Fund, would be permitted to sell shares of the Master Fund to 
the Feeder Fund beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(B) of the 
Act. Applicants request that the Master-Feeder Relief apply to any 
Feeder Fund, any Master Fund and any principal underwriter for the 
Master Funds selling shares of a Master Fund to a Feeder Fund. 
Applicants state that creating an exchange-traded feeder fund may be 
preferable to creating entirely new series for several reasons, 
including avoiding additional overhead costs and economies of scale for 
the Feeder Funds.\7\ Applicants assert that, while certain costs may be 
higher in a master-feeder structure and there may possibly be lower tax 
efficiencies for the Feeder Funds, the Feeder Funds' Board will 
consider any such potential disadvantages against the benefits of 
economies of scale and other benefits of operating within a master-
feeder structure.
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    \6\ A Feeder Fund managed in a master-feeder structure will not 
make direct investments in any security or other instrument other 
than the securities issued by its respective Master Fund.
    \7\ In a master-feeder structure, the Master Fund, rather than 
the Feeder Fund, would invest its portfolio in compliance with the 
order. There would be no ability by Fund shareholders to exchange 
shares of Feeder Funds for shares of another feeder series of the 
Master Fund.
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    7. With the exception of Shares issued in connection with a 
dividend

[[Page 6782]]

reinvestment plan,\8\ each Fund will issue, on a continuous offering 
basis, its Shares in one or more groups of a fixed number of Shares 
(e.g., at least 50,000 Shares). Applicants believe that a conventional 
trading range will be between $20-$50 per Share. All orders to purchase 
Creation Units must be placed with the Distributor by or through a 
party that has entered into a participant agreement with the 
Distributor of the Fund (``Authorized Participant'') with respect to 
the creation and redemption of Creation Units. An Authorized 
Participant is either: (a) A Broker or other participant in the 
Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing 
Corporation (``NSCC''), a clearing agency registered with the 
Commission, or (b) a participant in the DTC (such participant, ``DTC 
Participant'').
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    \8\ The dividend reinvestment plan that a Fund may use is 
described in greater detail in the application.
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    8. In order to keep costs low and permit each Fund to be as fully 
invested as possible, Shares (other than Shares issued in connection 
with a dividend reinvestment plan) will be purchased and redeemed in 
Creation Units and generally on an in-kind basis.\9\ Except where the 
purchase or redemption will include cash under the limited 
circumstances specified below, purchasers will be required to purchase 
Creation Units by making an in-kind deposit of specified instruments 
(``Deposit Instruments''), and shareholders redeeming their Shares will 
receive an in-kind transfer of specified instruments (``Redemption 
Instruments'').\10\ On any given Business Day \11\ the names and 
quantities of the instruments that constitute the Deposit Instruments 
and the names and quantities of the instruments that constitute the 
Redemption Instruments will be identical, and these instruments may be 
referred to, in the case of either a purchase or redemption, as the 
``Creation Basket.'' In addition, the Creation Basket will correspond 
pro rata to the positions in a Fund's portfolio (including cash 
positions),\12\ except: (a) In the case of bonds, for minor differences 
when it is impossible to break up bonds beyond certain minimum sizes 
needed for transfer and settlement; (b) for minor differences when 
rounding is necessary to eliminate fractional shares or lots that are 
not tradeable round lots; \13\ or (c) TBA Transactions,\14\ short 
positions and other positions that cannot be transferred in kind \15\ 
will be excluded from the Creation Basket.\16\ If there is a difference 
between NAV attributable to a Creation Unit and the aggregate market 
value of the Creation Basket exchanged for the Creation Unit, the party 
conveying instruments with the lower value will also pay to the other 
an amount in cash equal to that difference (the ``Balancing Amount'').
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    \9\ Feeder Funds will redeem shares from the appropriate Master 
Fund and then deliver to the redeeming shareholder the applicable 
redemption payment.
    \10\ The Funds must comply with the federal securities laws in 
accepting Deposit Instruments and satisfying redemptions with 
Redemption Instruments, including that the Deposit Instruments and 
Redemption Instruments are sold in transactions that would be exempt 
from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the ``Securities 
Act''). In accepting Deposit Instruments and satisfying redemptions 
with Redemption Instruments that are restricted securities eligible 
for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, the Funds 
will comply with the conditions of Rule 144A.
    \11\ Each Fund will sell and redeem Creation Units on any day 
the Trust is open, including as required by section 22(e) of the Act 
(each, a ``Business Day'').
    \12\ The portfolio used for this purpose will be the same 
portfolio used to calculate the Fund's net asset value (``NAV'') for 
that Business Day.
    \13\ A tradeable round lot for a security will be the standard 
unit of trading in that particular type of security in its primary 
market.
    \14\ A TBA Transaction is a method of trading mortgage-backed 
securities. In a TBA Transaction, the buyer and seller agree on 
general trade parameters such as agency, settlement date, par amount 
and price.
    \15\ This includes instruments that can be transferred in kind 
only with the consent of the original counterparty to the extent the 
Fund does not intend to seek such consents.
    \16\ Because these instruments will be excluded from the 
Creation Basket, their value will be reflected in the determination 
of the Balancing Amount (defined below).
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    9. Purchases and redemptions of Creation Units may be made in whole 
or in part on a cash basis, rather than in kind, solely under the 
following circumstances: (a) To the extent there is a Balancing Amount, 
as described above; (b) if, on a given Business Day, a Fund announces 
before the open of trading that all purchases, all redemptions or all 
purchases and redemptions on that day will be made entirely in cash; 
(c) if, upon receiving a purchase or redemption order from an 
Authorized Participant, a Fund determines to require the purchase or 
redemption, as applicable, to be made entirely in cash; (d) if, on a 
given Business Day, a Fund requires all Authorized Participants 
purchasing or redeeming Shares on that day to deposit or receive (as 
applicable) cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Instruments or 
Redemption Instruments, respectively, solely because: (i) Such 
instruments are not eligible for transfer through either the NSCC or 
DTC; or (ii) in the case of Foreign Funds, such instruments are not 
eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local 
restrictions on securities transfers or other similar circumstances; or 
(e) if a Fund permits an Authorized Participant to deposit or receive 
(as applicable) cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Instruments 
or Redemption Instruments, respectively, solely because: (i) Such 
instruments are, in the case of the purchase of a Creation Unit, not 
available in sufficient quantity; (ii) such instruments are not 
eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on 
whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting; or (iii) a holder of 
Shares of a Foreign Fund would be subject to unfavorable income tax 
treatment if the holder receives redemption proceeds in kind.\17\
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    \17\ A ``custom order'' is any purchase or redemption of Shares 
made in whole or in part on a cash basis in reliance on clause 
(e)(i) or (e)(ii).
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    10. Each Business Day, before the open of trading on a national 
securities exchange, as defined in section 2(a)(26) of the Act 
(``Exchange''), on which Shares are listed, each Fund will cause to be 
published through the NSCC the names and quantities of the instruments 
comprising the Creation Basket, as well as the estimated Balancing 
Amount (if any), for that day. The published Creation Basket will apply 
until a new Creation Basket is announced on the following Business Day, 
and there will be no intra-day changes to the Creation Basket except to 
correct errors in the published Creation Basket. The Exchange will 
disseminate every 15 seconds throughout the trading day an amount 
representing, on a per Share basis, the sum of the current value of the 
Portfolio Instruments that were publicly disclosed prior to the 
commencement of trading in Shares on the Exchange.
    11. Transaction expenses, including operational processing and 
brokerage costs, may be incurred by a Fund when investors purchase or 
redeem Creation Units ``in-kind'' and such costs have the potential to 
dilute the interests of the Fund's existing beneficial owners. 
Accordingly, applicants state that each Fund may impose purchase or 
redemption transaction fees (``Transaction Fees'') in connection with 
effecting such purchases or redemptions.\18\ Applicants further state

[[Page 6783]]

that, because the Transaction Fees are intended to defray the 
transaction expenses, as well as to prevent possible shareholder 
dilution resulting from the purchase or redemption of Creation Units, 
the Transaction Fees will be borne only by purchasers or redeemers of 
Creation Units and will be limited to amounts that have been determined 
appropriate by the Fund.\19\ The Distributor will be responsible for 
delivering a Fund's current prospectus (``Prospectus'') or summary 
prospectus, if applicable, to purchasers of Shares in Creation Units 
and for maintaining records of both the orders placed with it and the 
confirmations of acceptance furnished by it.
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    \18\ Applicants are not requesting relief from section 18 of the 
Act. Accordingly, a Master Fund may require a Transaction Fee 
payment to cover expenses related to purchases or redemptions of the 
Master Fund's shares by a Feeder Fund only if it requires the same 
payment for equivalent purchases or redemptions by any other feeder 
fund. Thus, for example, a Master Fund may require payment of a 
Transaction Fee by a Feeder Fund for transactions for 20,000 or more 
shares so long as it requires payment of the same Transaction Fee by 
all feeder funds for transactions involving 20,000 or more shares.
    \19\ In those instances in which a Fund permits an ``in-kind'' 
purchaser to substitute cash in lieu of depositing one or more of 
the requisite Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments, the 
purchaser or seller may be assessed a higher Transaction Fee on the 
``cash in lieu'' portion of its investment to cover the cost of 
purchasing the necessary securities, including operational 
processing and brokerage costs, and part or all of the spread 
between the expected bid and offer side of the market relating to 
such Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments. In all cases, 
such Transaction Fees will be limited in accordance with 
requirements of the Commission applicable to management investment 
companies offering redeemable securities.
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    12. Shares will be listed and traded at negotiated prices on an 
Exchange and traded in the secondary market. When NYSE Arca, Inc. is 
the principal secondary market on which the Shares are listed and 
traded (the ``Primary Listing Exchange''), it is expected that one or 
more Exchange member firms will be designated by the Exchange to act as 
a market maker (a ``Market Maker'').\20\ The price of Shares trading on 
the Exchange will be based on a current bid/offer in the secondary 
market. Transactions involving the purchases and sales of Shares on the 
Exchange will be subject to customary brokerage commissions and 
charges.
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    \20\ If Shares are listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC 
(``Nasdaq'') or a similar electronic Exchange (including NYSE Arca), 
one or more member firms of that Exchange will act as Market Maker 
and maintain a market for Shares trading on that Exchange. On 
Nasdaq, no particular Market Maker would be contractually obligated 
to make a market in Shares. However, the listing requirements on 
Nasdaq, for example, stipulate that at least two Market Makers must 
be registered in Shares to maintain a listing. In addition, on 
Nasdaq and NYSE Arca, registered Market Makers are required to make 
a continuous two-sided market or subject themselves to regulatory 
sanctions. No Market Maker will be an affiliated person, or a 
second-tier affiliate, of the Funds, except within section 
2(a)(3)(A) or (C) of the Act due solely to ownership of Shares as 
discussed below.
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    13. Applicants expect that purchasers of Creation Units will 
include institutional investors and arbitrageurs. Market Makers, acting 
in their role to provide a fair and orderly secondary market for 
Shares, also may purchase Creation Units for use in their own market 
making activities. Applicants expect that secondary market purchasers 
of Shares will include both institutional and retail investors.\21\ 
Applicants expect that arbitrage opportunities created by the ability 
to continually purchase or redeem Creation Units should ensure that the 
Shares will not trade at a material discount or premium in relation to 
their NAV.
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    \21\ Shares will be registered in book-entry form only. DTC or 
its nominee will be the record or registered owner of all 
outstanding Shares. Beneficial ownership of Shares will be shown on 
the records of DTC or DTC Participants.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    14. Shares will not be individually redeemable, and only Shares 
combined into Creation Units of a specified size will be redeemable. 
Redemption requests must be placed by or through an Authorized 
Participant.
    15. Neither the Trust nor any Fund will be marketed or otherwise 
held out as a ``mutual fund.'' Instead, each Fund will be marketed as 
an ``actively-managed exchange-traded fund.'' In any advertising 
material where features of obtaining, buying or selling Shares traded 
on the Exchange are described there will be an appropriate statement to 
the effect that Shares are not individually redeemable.
    16. On each Business Day, before the commencement of trading in 
Shares on the Fund's Primary Listing Exchange, the Fund will disclose 
on the Trust's Web site (``Web site'') the identities and quantities of 
the Portfolio Instruments and other assets held by the Fund (or its 
respective Master Fund) \22\ that will form the basis of the Fund's 
calculation of NAV at the end of the Business Day, the Fund's per Share 
NAV and the market closing price or the midpoint of the bid/ask spread 
at the time of the calculation of such NAV (``Bid/Ask Price''), and a 
calculation of the premium or discount of the market closing price or 
Bid/Ask Price against such NAV, all as of the prior Business Day.\23\
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    \22\ Feeder Funds will disclose information about the securities 
and other assets held by the Master Fund.
    \23\ Under accounting procedures followed by the Funds, trades 
made on the prior Business Day (``T'') will be booked and reflected 
in NAV on the current Business Day (``T+1''). Accordingly, the Funds 
will be able to disclose at the beginning of the Business Day the 
portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV calculation at the 
end of the Business Day.
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Applicants' Legal Analysis

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

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

    3. Section 5(a)(1) of the Act defines an ``open-end company'' as a 
management investment company that is offering for sale or has 
outstanding any redeemable security of which it is the issuer. Section 
2(a)(32) of the Act defines a redeemable security as any security, 
other than short-term paper, under the terms of which the holder, upon 
its presentation to the issuer, is entitled to receive approximately a 
proportionate share of the issuer's current net assets, or the cash 
equivalent. Because Shares will not be individually redeemable, 
applicants request an order that would to permit the Trust to register 
as open-end management investment companies and issue Shares that are 
redeemable in Creation Units only.\24\ Applicants state that investors 
may purchase Shares in Creation Units from each Fund and redeem 
Creation Units from each Fund. Applicants further state that, because 
of the arbitrage possibilities created by the redeemability of Creation 
Units, they

[[Page 6784]]

expect that the market price of individual Shares will not deviate 
materially from NAV.
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    \24\ The Master Funds will not require relief from sections 
2(a)(32) and 5(a)(1) because the Master Funds will issue 
individually redeemable securities.
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Section 22(d) of the Act and Rule 22c-1 Under the Act

    4. Section 22(d) of the Act, among other things, prohibits a dealer 
from selling a redeemable security that is currently being offered to 
the public by or through a principal underwriter, except at a current 
public offering price described in the prospectus. Rule 22c-1 under the 
Act generally requires that a dealer selling, redeeming, or 
repurchasing a redeemable security do so only at a price based on its 
NAV. Applicants state that secondary market trading in Shares will take 
place at negotiated prices, not at a current offering price described 
in the Prospectus, and not at a price based on NAV. Thus, purchases and 
sales of Shares in the secondary market will not comply with section 
22(d) of the Act and rule 22c-1 under the Act. Applicants request an 
exemption under section 6(c) from these provisions.\25\
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    \25\ The Master Funds will not require relief from section 22(d) 
or rule 22c-1 because shares of the Master Funds will not trade at 
negotiated prices in the secondary market.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    5. Applicants state that, while there is little legislative history 
regarding section 22(d), its provisions, as well as those of rule 22c-
1, appear to have been designed to (a) to prevent dilution caused by 
certain riskless-trading schemes by principal underwriters and contract 
dealers, (b) to prevent unjust discrimination or preferential treatment 
among buyers and (c) to ensure an orderly distribution system of shares 
by contract dealers by eliminating price competition from non-contract 
dealers who could offer investors shares at less than the published 
sales price and who could pay investors a little more than the 
published redemption price.
    6. Applicants assert that the protections intended to be afforded 
by section 22(d) and rule 22c-1 are adequately addressed by the 
proposed methods for creating, redeeming and pricing Creation Units and 
pricing and trading Shares. Applicants state that (a) secondary market 
trading in Shares does not involve the Funds as parties and cannot 
result in dilution of an investment in Shares and (b) to the extent 
different prices exist during a given trading day, or from day to day, 
such variances occur as a result of third-party market forces but do 
not occur as a result of unjust or discriminatory manipulation. 
Finally, applicants assert that competitive forces in the marketplace 
should ensure that the margin between NAV and the price for the Shares 
in the secondary market remains narrow.

Section 22(e) of the Act

    7. Section 22(e) of the Act generally prohibits a registered 
investment company from suspending the right of redemption or 
postponing the date of payment of redemption proceeds for more than 
seven days after the tender of a security for redemption. Applicants 
observe that settlement of redemptions for Foreign Funds is contingent 
not only on the settlement cycle of the U.S. securities markets but 
also on the delivery cycles present in foreign markets in which those 
Funds invest. Applicants have been advised that the delivery cycles for 
transferring Redemption Instruments to redeeming investors, coupled 
with local market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process 
longer than seven calendar days. Applicants therefore request relief 
from the requirement imposed by section 22(e) to provide payment or 
satisfaction of redemptions within seven (7) calendar days following 
the tender of a Creation Unit of such Funds.\26\
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    \26\ Applicants acknowledge that no relief obtained from the 
requirements of section 22(e) will affect any obligations that it 
may otherwise have under rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act. Rule 
15c6-1 requires that most securities transactions be settled within 
three business days of the trade date.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    8. Applicants state that section 22(e) was designed to prevent 
unreasonable, undisclosed and unforeseen delays in the actual payment 
of redemption proceeds. Applicants assert that the protections intended 
to be afforded by section 22(e) are adequately addressed by the 
proposed method and securities delivery cycles for redeeming Creation 
Units. Applicants state that allowing redemption payments for Creation 
Units of a Fund to be made within a maximum of fifteen (15) calendar 
days \27\ would not be inconsistent with the spirit and intent of 
section 22(e).\28\ Applicants represent that each Fund's statement of 
additional information will identify those instances in a given year 
where, due to local holidays, more than seven calendar days, up to a 
maximum of fifteen (15) calendar days, will be needed to deliver 
redemption proceeds and will list such holidays. Applicants are not 
seeking relief from section 22(e) with respect to Foreign Funds that do 
not effect redemptions in-kind.
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    \27\ Certain countries in which a Fund may invest have 
historically had settlement periods of up to 15 calendar days.
    \28\ Other feeder funds invested in any Master Fund are not 
seeking, and will not rely on, the section 22(e) relief requested 
herein.
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Section 12(d)(1) of the Act

    9. Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act prohibits a registered investment 
company from acquiring shares of an investment company if the 
securities represent more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock 
of the acquired company, more than 5% of the total assets of the 
acquiring company, or, together with the securities of any other 
investment companies, more than 10% of the total assets of the 
acquiring company. Section 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act prohibits a 
registered open-end investment company, its principal underwriter, or 
any other broker or dealer from selling its shares to another 
investment company if the sale will cause the acquiring company to own 
more than 3% of the acquired company's voting stock, or if the sale 
will cause more than 10% of the acquired company's voting stock to be 
owned by investment companies generally.
    10. Applicants request relief to permit Funds of Funds to acquire 
Shares in excess of the limits in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act and to 
permit the Funds, their principal underwriters and any Broker to sell 
Shares to Funds of Funds in excess of the limits in section 12(d)(l)(B) 
of the Act. Applicants submit that the proposed conditions to the 
requested relief address the concerns underlying the limits in section 
12(d)(1), which include concerns about undue influence, excessive 
layering of fees and overly complex structures.
    11. Applicants submit that certain of their proposed conditions 
address concerns about potential for undue influence. To limit the 
control that a Fund of Funds may have over a Fund, applicants propose a 
condition prohibiting the Fund of Funds Adviser, Sponsor, any person 
controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Fund of 
Funds Adviser or Sponsor, and any investment company or issuer that 
would be an investment company but for sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of 
the Act that is advised or sponsored by the Fund of Funds Adviser, the 
Sponsor, or any person controlling, controlled by, or under common 
control with the Fund of Funds Adviser or Sponsor (``Fund of Funds 
Advisory Group'') from controlling (individually or in the aggregate) a 
Fund within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act. The same 
prohibition would apply to any sub-adviser to an Investing Management 
Company (``Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser''), any person controlling, 
controlled by or under common control with the Fund of Funds Sub-
Adviser,

[[Page 6785]]

and any investment company or issuer that would be an investment 
company but for sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act (or portion of 
such investment company or issuer) advised or sponsored by the Fund of 
Funds Sub-Adviser or any person controlling, controlled by or under 
common control with the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser (``Fund of Funds Sub-
Advisory Group'').
    12. Applicants propose a condition to ensure that no Fund of Funds 
or Fund of Funds Affiliate \29\ (except to the extent it is acting in 
its capacity as an investment adviser to a Fund) will cause a Fund to 
purchase a security in an offering of securities during the existence 
of an underwriting or selling syndicate of which a principal 
underwriter is an Underwriting Affiliate (``Affiliated 
Underwriting'').\30\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \29\ A ``Fund of Funds Affiliate'' is any Fund of Funds Adviser, 
Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, Sponsor, promoter or principal 
underwriter of a Fund of Funds, and any person controlling, 
controlled by or under common control with any of these entities. A 
``Fund Affiliate'' is the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, promoter, or 
principal underwriter of a Fund or any person controlling, 
controlled by or under common control with any of these entities.
    \30\ An ``Underwriting Affiliate'' is a principal underwriter in 
any underwriting or selling syndicate that is an officer, director, 
member of an advisory board, Fund of Funds Adviser, Fund of Funds 
Sub-Adviser, employee or Sponsor of the Fund of Funds, or a person 
of which any such officer, director, member of an advisory board, 
Fund of Funds Adviser, Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser, employee or 
Sponsor is an affiliated person (except any person whose 
relationship to the Fund is covered by section 10(f) of the Act is 
not an Underwriting Affiliate).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    13. Applicants propose several conditions to address the potential 
for layering of fees. Applicants note that the board of directors or 
trustees of any Investing Management Company, including a majority of 
the directors or trustees who are not ``interested persons'' within the 
meaning of section 2(a)(19) of the Act (``independent Board members''), 
will be required to find that the advisory fees charged under the 
contract are based on services provided that will be in addition to, 
rather than duplicative of, services provided under the advisory 
contract of any Fund in which the Investing Management Company may 
invest. Applicants also state that any sales charges and/or service 
fees charged with respect to shares of a Fund of Funds will not exceed 
the limits applicable to a fund of funds as set forth in NASD Conduct 
Rule 2830.\31\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \31\ Any reference to NASD Conduct Rule 2830 includes any 
successor or replacement rule that may be adopted by the Financial 
Industry Regulatory Authority.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    14. In order to address concerns about complexity, applicants 
propose condition B.12, which will prohibit Funds from acquiring 
securities of any investment company or company relying on section 
3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act in excess of the limits contained in 
section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act, except to the extent permitted by 
exemptive relief from the Commission permitting a Fund to purchase 
shares of other investment companies for short-term cash management 
purposes.
    15. Finally, each Fund of Funds must enter into an FOF 
Participation Agreement with the respective Funds, which will include 
an acknowledgement from the Fund of Funds that it may rely on the order 
only to invest in a Fund and not in any other investment company.
    16. Applicants also are seeking relief from sections 12(d)(1)(A) 
and 12(d)(1)(B) to the extent necessary to permit the Feeder Funds to 
perform creations and redemptions of Shares in-kind in a master-feeder 
structure. Applicants assert that this structure is substantially 
identical to traditional master-feeder structures permitted pursuant to 
the exception provided in section 12(d)(1)(E) of the Act. Section 
12(d)(1)(E) provides that the percentage limitations of sections 
12(d)(1)(A) and (B) will not apply to a security issued by an 
investment company (in this case, the shares of the applicable Master 
Fund) if, among other things, that security is the only investment 
security held in the investing fund's portfolio (in this case, the 
Feeder Fund's portfolio). Applicants believe the proposed master-feeder 
structure complies with section 12(d)(1)(E) because each Feeder Fund 
will hold only investment securities issued by its corresponding Master 
Fund; however, the Feeder Funds may receive securities other than 
securities of its corresponding Master Fund if a Feeder Fund accepts an 
in-kind creation. To the extent that a Feeder Fund may be deemed to be 
holding both shares of the Master Fund and other securities, applicants 
request relief from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B). The Feeder Funds 
would operate in compliance with all other provisions of section 
12(d)(1)(E).

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

    17. Section 17(a) of the Act generally prohibits an affiliated 
person of a registered investment company, or an affiliated person of 
such a person (``second tier affiliate''), from selling any security to 
or purchasing any security from the company. Section 2(a)(3) of the Act 
defines ``affiliated person'' to include any person directly or 
indirectly owning, controlling, or holding with power to vote, 5% or 
more of the outstanding voting securities of the other person and any 
person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under 
common control with, the other person. Section 2(a)(9) of the Act 
defines ``control'' as the power to exercise a controlling influence 
over the management or policies of a company and provides that a 
control relationship will be presumed where one person owns more than 
25% of another person's voting securities. Each Fund may be deemed to 
be controlled by the Adviser and hence affiliated persons of each 
other. In addition, the Funds may be deemed to be under common control 
with any other registered investment company (or series thereof) 
advised by the Adviser (an ``Affiliated Fund'').
    18. Applicants request an exemption under sections 6(c) and 17(b) 
of the Act from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act to permit in-
kind purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by persons that are 
affiliated persons or second tier affiliates of the Funds solely by 
virtue of one or more of the following: (a) Holding 5% or more, or in 
excess of 25% of the outstanding Shares of one or more Funds; (b) 
having an affiliation with a person with an ownership interest 
described in (a); or (c) holding 5% or more, or more than 25% of the 
Shares of one or more Affiliated Funds.\32\ Applicants also request an 
exemption in order to permit a Fund to sell its Shares to and redeem 
its Shares from, and engage in the in-kind transactions that would 
accompany such sales and redemptions with, certain Funds of Funds of 
which the Funds are affiliated persons or second-tier affiliates.\33\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \32\ Applicants are not seeking relief from section 17(a) for, 
and the requested relief will not apply to, transactions where a 
Fund could be deemed an affiliated person, or an affiliated person 
of an affiliated person, of a Fund of Funds because the Adviser, or 
an entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with 
the Adviser is also an investment adviser to the Fund of Funds.
    \33\ To the extent that purchases and sales of Shares occur in 
the secondary market (and not through principal transactions 
directly between a Fund of Funds and a Fund), relief from section 
17(a) would not be necessary. The requested relief is intended to 
cover, however, transactions directly between Funds and Funds of 
Funds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    19. Applicants assert that no useful purpose would be served by 
prohibiting such affiliated persons from making in-kind purchases or 
in-kind redemptions of Shares of a Fund in Creation Units. The deposit 
procedures for in-kind purchases of Creation Units and the redemption 
procedures for in-kind redemptions will be the same for all purchases 
and redemptions. Deposit Instruments and Redemption Instruments will be 
valued in the same manner as those Portfolio Instruments

[[Page 6786]]

currently held by the relevant Funds, and the valuation of the Deposit 
Instruments and Redemption Instruments will be made in the same manner 
and on the same terms for all, regardless of the identity of the 
purchaser or redeemer. Applicants do not believe that in-kind purchases 
and redemptions will result in abusive self-dealing or overreaching of 
the Fund.
    20. Applicants also submit that the sale of Shares to and 
redemption of Shares from a Fund of Funds meets the standards for 
relief under sections 17(b) and 6(c) of the Act. Applicants note that 
any consideration paid for the purchase or redemption of Shares 
directly from a Fund will be based on the NAV of the Fund in accordance 
with policies and procedures set forth in the Fund's registration 
statement.\34\ The FOF Participation Agreement will require any Fund of 
Funds that purchases Creation Units directly from a Fund to represent 
that the purchase of Creation Units from a Fund by a Fund of Funds will 
be accomplished in compliance with the investment restrictions of the 
Fund of Funds and will be consistent with the investment policies set 
forth in the Fund of Fund's registration statement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \34\ Applicants acknowledge that the receipt of compensation by 
(a) an affiliated person of a Fund of Funds, or an affiliated person 
of such person, for the purchase by the Fund of Funds of Shares of 
the Fund or (b) an affiliated person of a Fund, or an affiliated 
person of such person, for the sale by the Fund of its Shares to a 
Fund of Funds, may be prohibited by section 17(e)(1) of the Act. The 
FOF Participation Agreement also will include this acknowledgment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    21. In addition, to the extent that a Fund operates in a master-
feeder structure, applicants also request relief permitting the Feeder 
Funds to engage in in-kind creations and redemptions with the 
applicable Master Fund. Applicants state that the request for relief 
described above would not be sufficient to permit such transactions 
because the Feeder Funds and the applicable Master Fund could also be 
affiliated by virtue of having the same investment adviser. However, 
applicants believe that in-kind creations and redemptions between a 
Feeder Fund and a Master Fund advised by the same investment adviser do 
not involve ``overreaching'' by an affiliated person. Applicants 
represent that such transactions will occur only at the Feeder Fund's 
proportionate share of the Master Fund's net assets, and the 
distributed securities will be valued in the same manner as they are 
valued for the purposes of calculating the applicable Master Fund's 
NAV. Further, all such transactions will be effected with respect to 
pre-determined securities and on the same terms with respect to all 
investors. Finally, such transaction would only occur as a result of, 
and to effectuate, a creation or redemption transaction between the 
Feeder Fund and a third-party investor. Applicants state that, in 
effect, the Feeder Fund will serve as a conduit through which creation 
and redemption orders by Authorized Participants will be effected.
    22. Applicants believe that: (a) With respect to the relief 
requested pursuant to section 17(b), the proposed transactions are fair 
and reasonable, and do not involve overreaching on the part of any 
person concerned, the proposed transactions are consistent with the 
policy of each Fund, and the proposed transactions are consistent with 
the general purposes of the Act; and (b) with respect to the relief 
requested pursuant to section 6(c), the requested exemption for the 
proposed transactions is appropriate in the public interest and 
consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly 
intended by the policy and provisions of the Act.

Applicants' Conditions

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

A. ETF Relief

    1. The requested relief to permit ETF operations will expire on the 
effective date of any Commission rule under the Act that provides 
relief permitting the operation of actively-managed ETFs, other than 
the Master-Feeder Relief.
    2. As long as a Fund operates in reliance on the requested order, 
the Shares of the Fund will be listed on an Exchange.
    3. Neither the Trust nor any Fund will be advertised or marketed as 
open-end investment companies or mutual funds. Any advertising material 
that describes the purchase or sale of Creation Units or refers to 
redeemability will prominently disclose that the Shares are not 
individually redeemable and that owners of the Shares may acquire 
Shares from the Fund (other than through a dividend reinvestment 
program) and tender Shares for redemption to the Fund in Creation Units 
only.
    4. The Web site, which is and will be publicly accessible at no 
charge, will contain, on a per Share basis for the Fund, the prior 
Business Day's NAV and the market closing price or Bid/Ask Price of the 
Shares, and a calculation of the premium or discount of the market 
closing price or Bid/Ask Price against such NAV.
    5. No Adviser or Sub-Adviser, directly or indirectly, will cause 
any Authorized Participant (or any investor on whose behalf an 
Authorized Participant may transact with the Fund) to acquire any 
Deposit Instrument for the Fund through a transaction in which the Fund 
could not engage directly.
    6. On each Business Day, before the commencement of trading in 
Shares on the Fund's Primary Listing Exchange, the Fund will disclose 
on the Web site the identities and quantities of the Portfolio 
Instruments and other assets held by the Fund (or its respective Master 
Fund) that will form the basis of the Fund's calculation of NAV at the 
end of the Business Day.

B. Section 12(d)(1) Relief

    1. The members of the Fund of Funds Advisory Group will not control 
(individually or in the aggregate) a Fund (or its respective Master 
Fund) within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act. The members of 
the Fund of Funds Sub-Advisory Group will not control (individually or 
in the aggregate) a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) within the 
meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act. If, as a result of a decrease in 
the outstanding voting securities of a Fund, the Fund of Funds Advisory 
Group or the Fund of Funds Sub-Advisory Group, each in the aggregate, 
becomes a holder of more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities 
of a Fund, it will vote its Shares of the Fund in the same proportion 
as the vote of all other holders of the Fund's Shares. This condition 
does not apply to the Fund of Funds Sub-Advisory Group with respect to 
a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) for which the Fund of Funds Sub-
Adviser or a person controlling, controlled by or under common control 
with the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser acts as the investment adviser 
within the meaning of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the Act.
    2. No Fund of Funds or Fund of Funds Affiliate will cause any 
existing or potential investment by the Fund of Funds in a Fund to 
influence the terms of any services or transactions between the Fund of 
Funds or a Fund of Funds Affiliate and the Fund (or its respective 
Master Fund) or a Fund Affiliate.
    3. The board of directors or trustees of an Investing Management 
Company, including a majority of the independent directors or trustees, 
will adopt procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the Fund of 
Funds Adviser and any Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser are conducting the 
investment program of the Investing Management Company

[[Page 6787]]

without taking into account any consideration received by the Investing 
Management Company or a Fund of Funds Affiliate from a Fund (or its 
respective Master Fund) or a Fund Affiliate in connection with any 
services or transactions.
    4. Once an investment by a Fund of Funds in the Shares of a Fund 
exceeds the limit in section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, the Board of 
the Fund (or its respective Master Fund), including a majority of the 
independent Board members, will determine that any consideration paid 
by the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) to the Fund of Funds or a 
Fund of Funds Affiliate in connection with any services or 
transactions: (i) Is fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and 
quality of the services and benefits received by the Fund (or its 
respective Master Fund); (ii) is within the range of consideration that 
the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) would be required to pay to 
another unaffiliated entity in connection with the same services or 
transactions; and (iii) does not involve overreaching on the part of 
any person concerned. This condition does not apply with respect to any 
services or transactions between a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) 
and its investment adviser(s), or any person controlling, controlled by 
or under common control with such investment adviser(s).
    5. The Fund of Funds Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor of an Investing 
Trust, as applicable, will waive fees otherwise payable to it by the 
Fund of Funds in an amount at least equal to any compensation 
(including fees received pursuant to any plan adopted by a Fund (or its 
respective Master Fund) pursuant to rule 12b-1 under the Act) received 
from a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) by the Fund of Funds' 
Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor of the Investing Trust, or an affiliated 
person of the Fund of Funds' Adviser, or trustee or Sponsor of the 
Investing Trust, other than any advisory fees paid to the Fund of 
Funds' Adviser, or trustee, or Sponsor of an Investing Trust, or its 
affiliated person by the Fund (or its respective Master Fund), in 
connection with the investment by the Fund of Funds in the Fund. Any 
Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser will waive fees otherwise payable to the Fund 
of Funds Sub-Adviser, directly or indirectly, by the Investing 
Management Company in an amount at least equal to any compensation 
received from a Fund (or its respective Master Fund) by the Fund of 
Funds Sub-Adviser, or an affiliated person of the Fund of Funds Sub-
Adviser, other than any advisory fees paid to the Fund of Funds Sub-
Adviser or its affiliated person by the Fund (or its respective Master 
Fund), in connection with the investment by the Investing Management 
Company in the Fund made at the direction of the Fund of Funds Sub-
Adviser. In the event that the Fund of Funds Sub-Adviser waives fees, 
the benefit of the waiver will be passed through to the Investing 
Management Company.
    6. No Fund of Funds or Fund of Funds Affiliate (except to the 
extent it is acting in its capacity as an investment adviser to a Fund 
(or its respective Master Fund)) will cause a Fund (or its respective 
Master Fund) to purchase a security in an Affiliated Underwriting.
    7. The Board of the Fund (or its respective Master Fund), including 
a majority of the independent Board members, will adopt procedures 
reasonably designed to monitor any purchases of securities by the Fund 
(or its respective Master Fund) in an Affiliated Underwriting, once an 
investment by a Fund of Funds in the securities of the Fund exceeds the 
limit of section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, including any purchases 
made directly from an Underwriting Affiliate. The Board will review 
these purchases periodically, but no less frequently than annually, to 
determine whether the purchases were influenced by the investment by 
the Fund of Funds in the Fund. The Board will consider, among other 
things: (i) Whether the purchases were consistent with the investment 
objectives and policies of the Fund (or its respective Master Fund); 
(ii) how the performance of securities purchased in an Affiliated 
Underwriting compares to the performance of comparable securities 
purchased during a comparable period of time in underwritings other 
than Affiliated Underwritings or to a benchmark such as a comparable 
market index; and (iii) whether the amount of securities purchased by 
the Fund (or its respective Master Fund) in Affiliated Underwritings 
and the amount purchased directly from an Underwriting Affiliate have 
changed significantly from prior years. The Board will take any 
appropriate actions based on its review, including, if appropriate, the 
institution of procedures designed to ensure that purchases of 
securities in Affiliated Underwritings are in the best interest of 
beneficial owners of the Fund.
    8. Each Fund (or its respective Master Fund) will maintain and 
preserve permanently in an easily accessible place a written copy of 
the procedures described in the preceding condition, and any 
modifications to such procedures, and will maintain and preserve for a 
period of not less than six years from the end of the fiscal year in 
which any purchase in an Affiliated Underwriting occurred, the first 
two years in an easily accessible place, a written record of each 
purchase of securities in Affiliated Underwritings once an investment 
by a Fund of Funds in the securities of the Fund exceeds the limit of 
section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, setting forth from whom the 
securities were acquired, the identity of the underwriting syndicate's 
members, the terms of the purchase, and the information or materials 
upon which the Board's determinations were made.
    9. Before investing in a Fund in excess of the limits in section 
12(d)(1)(A), a Fund of Funds will execute a FOF Participation Agreement 
with the Fund stating that their respective boards of directors or 
trustees and their investment advisers, or trustee and Sponsor, as 
applicable, understand the terms and conditions of the order, and agree 
to fulfill their responsibilities under the order. At the time of its 
investment in Shares of a Fund in excess of the limit in section 
12(d)(1)(A)(i), a Fund of Funds will notify the Fund of the investment. 
At such time, the Fund of Funds will also transmit to the Fund a list 
of the names of each Fund of Funds Affiliate and Underwriting 
Affiliate. The Fund of Funds will notify the Fund of any changes to the 
list as soon as reasonably practicable after a change occurs. The Fund 
and the Fund of Funds will maintain and preserve a copy of the order, 
the FOF Participation Agreement, and the list with any updated 
information for the duration of the investment and for a period of not 
less than six years thereafter, the first two years in an easily 
accessible place.
    10. Before approving any advisory contract under section 15 of the 
Act, the board of directors or trustees of each Investing Management 
Company, including a majority of the independent directors or trustees, 
will find that the advisory fees charged under such contract are based 
on services provided that will be in addition to, rather than 
duplicative of, the services provided under the advisory contract(s) of 
any Fund (or its respective Master Fund) in which the Investing 
Management Company may invest. These findings and their basis will be 
recorded fully in the minute books of the appropriate Investing 
Management Company.
    11. Any sales charges and/or service fees charged with respect to 
shares of a Fund of Funds will not exceed the limits applicable to a 
fund of funds as set forth in NASD Conduct Rule 2830.
    12. No Fund (or its respective Master Fund) will acquire securities 
of an

[[Page 6788]]

investment company or company relying on section 3(c)(1) or section 
3(c)(7) of the Act in excess of the limits contained in section 
12(d)(1)(A) of the Act, except to the extent that (i) the Fund (or its 
respective Master Fund) acquires securities of another investment 
company pursuant to exemptive relief from the Commission permitting the 
Fund (or its respective Master Fund) to acquire securities of one or 
more investment companies for short-term cash management purposes, or 
(ii) the Fund acquires securities of the Master Fund pursuant to the 
Master-Feeder Relief.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, 
under delegated authority.
Jill M. Peterson,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-02318 Filed 2-5-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
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