Dreyfus ETF Trust, 25870-25872 [2017-11510]
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25870
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 106 / Monday, June 5, 2017 / Notices
immediate and accurate access to data
as well as an industry objective of
reduced costs and burdens of regulatory
oversight.’’ 50 In its comments about
EBS specifically, FIF states that the
retirement of the EBS requirements
should be a high priority, and that the
CAT should be designed to include the
requisite data elements to permit the
rapid retirement of the EBS system.51
Similarly, SIFMA states that ‘‘the
establishment of the CAT must be
accompanied by the prompt elimination
of duplicative systems,’’ and
‘‘recommend[ed] that the initial
technical specifications be designed to
facilitate the immediate retirement of
. . . duplicative reporting systems.’’ 52
As discussed above, Phlx agrees with
the commenters that the OATS, EBS and
COATS reporting requirements should
be replaced by the CAT reporting
requirements as soon as accurate and
reliable CAT Data is available. To this
end, Phlx anticipates that the CAT will
be designed to collect the data necessary
to permit the retirement of OATS, EBS
and COATS. As discussed above, Phlx
disagrees with the recommendation to
provide individual exemptions to those
CAT Reporters who obtain satisfactory
data reporting quality; however, Phlx
supports amendments to the CAT NMS
Plan that would accelerate reporting for
Small Industry Members that are
currently reporting to OATS to facilitate
the retirement of that system.
III. Date of Effectiveness of the
Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
Commission Action
Within 45 days of the date of
publication of this notice in the Federal
Register or within such longer period (i)
as the Commission may designate up to
90 days of such date if it finds such
longer period to be appropriate and
publishes its reasons for so finding or
(ii) as to which the Exchange consents,
the Commission shall: (a) By order
approve or disapprove such proposed
rule change, or (b) institute proceedings
to determine whether the proposed rule
change should be disapproved.
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
IV. Solicitation of Comments
Interested persons are invited to
submit written data, views, and
arguments concerning the foregoing,
including whether the proposed rule
change is consistent with the Act.
Comments may be submitted by any of
the following methods:
50 FIF
Electronic Comments
• Use the Commission’s Internet
comment form (https://www.sec.gov/
rules/sro.shtml); or
• Send an email to rule-comments@
sec.gov. Please include File Number SR–
Phlx–2017–43 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
• Send paper comments in triplicate
to Brent J. Fields, Secretary, Securities
and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street
NE., Washington, DC 20549–1090.
All submissions should refer to File
Number SR-Phlx-2017–43. This file
number should be included on the
subject line if email is used. To help the
Commission process and review your
comments more efficiently, please use
only one method. The Commission will
post all comments on the Commission’s
Internet Web site (https://www.sec.gov/
rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the
submission, all subsequent
amendments, all written statements
with respect to the proposed rule
change that are filed with the
Commission, and all written
communications relating to the
proposed rule change between the
Commission and any person, other than
those that may be withheld from the
public in accordance with the
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be
available for Web site viewing and
printing in the Commission’s Public
Reference Room, 100 F Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20549 on official
business days between the hours of
10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such
filing also will be available for
inspection and copying at the principal
office of the Exchange. All comments
received will be posted without change;
the Commission does not edit personal
identifying information from
submissions. You should submit only
information that you wish to make
available publicly. All submissions
should refer to File Number SR–Phlx–
2017–43, and should be submitted on or
before June 26, 2017.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.53
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017–11506 Filed 6–2–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
Letter at 2.
51 Id.
52 SIFMA
Letter at 2.
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Investment Company Act Release No.
32666; 812–14703]
Dreyfus ETF Trust
May 30, 2017.
Securities and Exchange
Commission (‘‘Commission’’).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Notice of an application for an order
under section 6(c) of the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (the ‘‘Act’’) for an
exemption from sections 2(a)(32),
5(a)(1), 22(d), and 22(e) of the Act and
rule 22c–1 under the Act, under
sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an
exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and
17(a)(2) of the Act, and under section
12(d)(1)(J) for an exemption from
sections 12(d)(1)(A) and 12(d)(1)(B) of
the Act. The requested order would
permit (a) index-based series of certain
open-end management investment
companies (‘‘Funds’’) to issue shares
redeemable in large aggregations only
(‘‘Creation Units’’); (b) secondary market
transactions in Fund shares to occur at
negotiated market prices rather than at
net asset value (‘‘NAV’’); (c) certain
Funds to pay redemption proceeds,
under certain circumstances, more than
seven days after the tender of shares for
redemption; (d) certain affiliated
persons of a Fund to deposit securities
into, and receive securities from, the
Fund 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
Funds (‘‘Funds of Funds’’) to acquire
shares of the Funds; and (f) certain
Funds (‘‘Feeder Funds’’) to create and
redeem Creation Units in-kind in a
master-feeder structure.
APPLICANTS: Dreyfus ETF Trust (the
‘‘Trust’’), a Massachusetts business trust
registered under the Act as an open-end
management investment company, The
Dreyfus Corporation (the ‘‘Initial
Adviser’’), a New York corporation
registered as an investment adviser
under the Investment Advisers Act of
1940 (the ‘‘Advisers Act’’) and Mellon
Capital Management Corporation, a
Delaware corporation registered with
the Commission as an investment
adviser under the Advisers Act.
FILING DATES: The application was filed
on September 28, 2016, and amended
on February 21, 2017.
HEARING OR NOTIFICATION OF HEARING:
An order granting the requested relief
will be issued unless the Commission
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 106 / Monday, June 5, 2017 / Notices
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 June 24, 2017, and
should be accompanied by proof of
service on applicants, in the form of an
affidavit, or for lawyers, a certificate of
service. Pursuant to rule 0–5 under the
Act, hearing requests should state the
nature of the writer’s interest, any facts
bearing upon the desirability of a
hearing on the matter, the reason for the
request, and the issues contested.
Persons who wish to be notified of a
hearing may request notification by
writing to the Commission’s Secretary.
ADDRESSES: Secretary, Securities and
Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20549–1090;
Applicants: The Dreyfus Corporation,
200 Park Avenue, New York, New York
10166.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rachel Loko, Senior Counsel, at (202)
551–6883, or Aaron Gilbride, Acting
Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6906
(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.
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
Summary of the Application
1. Applicants request an order that
would allow Funds to operate as index
exchange traded funds (‘‘ETFs’’).1 Fund
shares will be purchased and redeemed
at their NAV in Creation Units only. All
orders to purchase Creation Units and
all redemption requests will be placed
by or through an ‘‘Authorized
Participant’’, which will have signed a
participant agreement with a brokerdealer that will be registered under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Exchange Act’’) (the ‘‘Distributor’’).
Shares will be listed and traded
1 Applicants request that the order apply to the
existing series of the Trust that are index ETFs and
any additional series of the Trust, and any other
open-end management investment company or
series thereof, that may be created in the future
(each, included in the term ‘‘Fund’’), each of which
will operate as an ETF and will track a specified
index comprised of domestic or foreign equity and/
or fixed income securities (each, an ‘‘Underlying
Index’’). Any Fund will (a) be advised by the Initial
Adviser or an entity controlling, controlled by, or
under common control with the Initial Adviser
(each, an ‘‘Adviser’’) and (b) comply with the terms
and conditions of the application.
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17:31 Jun 02, 2017
Jkt 241001
individually on a national securities
exchange, where share prices will be
based on the current bid/offer market.
Certain Funds will operate as Feeder
Funds in a master-feeder structure. Any
order granting the requested relief
would be subject to the terms and
conditions stated in the application.
2. Each Fund will hold investment
positions selected to correspond
generally to the performance of an
Underlying Index. In the case of SelfIndexing Funds, an affiliated person, as
defined in section 2(a)(3) of the Act
(‘‘Affiliated Person’’), or an affiliated
person of an Affiliated Person (‘‘SecondTier Affiliate’’), of the Trust or a Fund,
of the Adviser, of any sub-adviser to or
promoter of a Fund, or of the Distributor
will compile, create, sponsor or
maintain the Underlying Index.2
3. Shares will be purchased and
redeemed in Creation Units and
generally on an in-kind basis. Except
where the purchase or redemption will
include cash under the limited
circumstances specified in the
application, purchasers will be required
to purchase Creation Units by
depositing specified instruments
(‘‘Deposit Instruments’’), and
shareholders redeeming their shares
will receive specified instruments
(‘‘Redemption Instruments’’). The
Deposit Instruments and the
Redemption Instruments will each
correspond pro rata to the positions in
the Fund’s portfolio (including cash
positions) except as specified in the
application.
4. Because shares will not be
individually redeemable, applicants
request an exemption from section
5(a)(1) and section 2(a)(32) of the Act
that would permit the Funds to register
as open-end management investment
companies and issue shares that are
redeemable in Creation Units only.
5. Applicants also request an
exemption from section 22(d) of the Act
and rule 22c–1 under the Act as
secondary market trading in shares will
take place at negotiated prices, not at a
current offering price described in a
Fund’s prospectus, and not at a price
based on NAV. Applicants state that (a)
secondary market trading in shares does
not involve a Fund as a party and will
not result in dilution of an investment
in shares, and (b) to the extent different
prices exist during a given trading day,
2 Each Self-Indexing Fund will post on its Web
site the identities and quantities of the investment
positions that will form the basis for the Fund’s
calculation of its NAV at the end of the day.
Applicants believe that requiring Self-Indexing
Funds to maintain full portfolio transparency will
help address, together with other protections,
conflicts of interest with respect to such Funds.
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25871
or from day to day, such variances occur
as a result of third-party market forces,
such as supply and demand. Therefore,
applicants assert that secondary market
transactions in shares will not lead to
discrimination or preferential treatment
among purchasers. Finally, applicants
represent that share market prices will
be disciplined by arbitrage
opportunities, which should prevent
shares from trading at a material
discount or premium from NAV.
6. With respect to Funds that effect
creations and redemptions of Creation
Units in kind and that are based on
certain Underlying Indexes that include
foreign securities, applicants request
relief from the requirement imposed by
section 22(e) in order to allow such
Funds to pay redemption proceeds
within fifteen calendar days following
the tender of Creation Units for
redemption. Applicants assert that the
requested relief would not be
inconsistent with the spirit and intent of
section 22(e) to prevent unreasonable,
undisclosed or unforeseen delays in the
actual payment of redemption proceeds.
7. Applicants request an exemption to
permit Funds of Funds to acquire Fund
shares beyond the limits of section
12(d)(1)(A) of the Act; and the Funds,
and any principal underwriter for the
Funds, and/or any broker or dealer
registered under the Exchange Act, to
sell shares to Funds of Funds beyond
the limits of section 12(d)(1)(B) of the
Act. The application’s terms and
conditions are designed to, among other
things, help prevent any potential (i)
undue influence over a Fund through
control or voting power, or in
connection with certain services,
transactions, and underwritings, (ii)
excessive layering of fees, and (iii)
overly complex fund structures, which
are the concerns underlying the limits
in sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the
Act.
8. Applicants request an exemption
from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the
Act to permit persons that are Affiliated
Persons, or Second Tier Affiliates, of the
Funds, solely by virtue of certain
ownership interests, to effectuate
purchases and redemptions in-kind. The
deposit procedures for in-kind
purchases of Creation Units and the
redemption procedures for in-kind
redemptions of Creation Units will be
the same for all purchases and
redemptions and Deposit Instruments
and Redemption Instruments will be
valued in the same manner as those
investment positions currently held by
the Funds. Applicants also seek relief
from the prohibitions on affiliated
transactions in section 17(a) to permit a
Fund to sell its shares to and redeem its
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25872
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 106 / Monday, June 5, 2017 / Notices
shares from a Fund of Funds, and to
engage in the accompanying in-kind
transactions with the Fund of Funds.3
The purchase of Creation Units by a
Fund of Funds directly from a Fund will
be accomplished in accordance with the
policies of the Fund of Funds and will
be based on the NAVs of the Funds.
9. Applicants also request relief to
permit a Feeder Fund to acquire shares
of another registered investment
company managed by the Adviser
having substantially the same
investment objectives as the Feeder
Fund (‘‘Master Fund’’) beyond the
limitations in section 12(d)(1)(A) and
permit the Master Fund, and any
principal underwriter for the Master
Fund, to sell shares of the Master Fund
to the Feeder Fund beyond the
limitations in section 12(d)(1)(B).
10. Section 6(c) of the Act permits the
Commission to exempt any persons or
transactions from any provision of the
Act if such exemption is necessary or
appropriate in the public interest and
consistent with the protection of
investors and the purposes fairly
intended by the policy and provisions of
the Act. 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.
Section 17(b) of the Act authorizes the
Commission to grant an order
permitting a transaction otherwise
prohibited by section 17(a) if it finds
that (a) the terms of the proposed
transaction are fair and reasonable and
do not involve overreaching on the part
of any person concerned; (b) the
proposed transaction is consistent with
the policies of each registered
investment company involved; and (c)
the proposed transaction is consistent
with the general purposes of the Act.
[FR Doc. 2017–11510 Filed 6–2–17; 8:45 am]
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BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
3 The requested relief would apply to direct sales
of shares in Creation Units by a Fund to a Fund of
Funds and redemptions of those shares. Applicants,
moreover, 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 a Second-Tier Affiliate, of a
Fund of Funds because an Adviser or an entity
controlling, controlled by or under common control
with an Adviser provides investment advisory
services to that Fund of Funds.
17:31 Jun 02, 2017
Jkt 241001
[Release No. 34–80814; File No. SR–BX–
2017–027]
Self-Regulatory Organizations;
NASDAQ BX, Inc.; Notice of Filing of
Proposed Rule Change To Eliminate
Requirements That Will Be Duplicative
of CAT
May 30, 2017.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
notice is hereby given that on May 30,
2017, NASDAQ BX, Inc. (‘‘BX’’ or
‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (‘‘SEC’’ or
‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule
change as described in Items I, II, and
III below, which Items have been
prepared by the Exchange. The
Commission is publishing this notice to
solicit comments on the proposed rule
change from interested persons.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to amend
Rule 6950 relating to the Order Audit
Trail System, Rule 8211 and Chapter IX,
Section IV relating to Electronic Blue
Sheets, Chapter VII, Section VII relating
to account identification, and Chapter
V, Section VII relating to the
Consolidated Options Audit Trail
System to reflect changes to these rules
once members are effectively reporting
to the Consolidated Audit Trail (‘‘CAT’’)
and the CAT’s accuracy and reliability
meets certain standards as described
below.
The text of the proposed rule change
is available on the Exchange’s Web site
at https://nasdaqbx.cchwallstreet.com/,
at the principal office of the Exchange,
and at the Commission’s Public
Reference Room.
II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
For the Commission, by the Division of
Investment Management, under delegated
authority.
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
In its filing with the Commission, the
Exchange included statements
concerning the purpose of and basis for
the proposed rule change and discussed
any comments it received on the
proposed rule change. The text of these
statements may be examined at the
places specified in Item IV below. The
Exchange has prepared summaries, set
forth in sections A, B, and C below, of
1 15
2 17
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U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
Frm 00118
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the most significant aspects of such
statements..
A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and the
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
1. Purpose
The Exchange proposes to amend
Rule 6950 relating to the Order Audit
Trail System (‘‘OATS’’), Rule 8211 and
Chapter IX, Section IV relating to
Electronic Blue Sheets (‘‘EBS’’), Chapter
VII, Section VII relating to account
identification, and Chapter V, Section
VII relating to the Consolidated Options
Audit Trail System (‘‘COATS’’) to reflect
changes to these rules once members are
effectively reporting to the CAT, and the
CAT’s accuracy and reliability meets
certain standards as described below.3
Background
Bats BYX Exchange, Inc.; Bats BZX
Exchange, Inc.; Bats EDGA Exchange,
Inc.; Bats EDGX Exchange, Inc.; BOX
Options Exchange LLC; C2 Options
Exchange, Incorporated; Chicago Board
Options Exchange, Incorporated;
Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc.; FINRA;
International Securities Exchange, LLC;
Investors’ Exchange LLC; ISE Gemini,
LLC; ISE Mercury, LLC; Miami
International Securities Exchange LLC;
MIAX PEARL, LLC; NASDAQ BX, Inc.;
NASDAQ PHLX LLC; The NASDAQ
Stock Market LLC; National Stock
Exchange, Inc.; New York Stock
Exchange LLC; NYSE MKT LLC; and
NYSE Arca, Inc. (collectively, the
‘‘Participants’’) filed with the
Commission, pursuant to Section 11A of
the Exchange Act 4 and Rule 608 of
Regulation NMS thereunder,5 the
National Market System Plan Governing
the Consolidated Audit Trail (the ‘‘CAT
NMS Plan’’ or ‘‘Plan’’).6 The
3 The Exchange initially filed the proposed rule
change on May 15, 2017 (SR–BX–2017–025). On
May 30, 2017, the Exchange withdrew that filing
and submitted this filing.
4 15 U.S.C. 78k–1.
5 17 CFR 242.608.
6 See Letter from the Participants to Brent J.
Fields, Secretary, Commission, dated September 30,
2014; and Letter from Participants to Brent J. Fields,
Secretary, Commission, dated February 27, 2015.
On December 24, 2015, the Participants submitted
an amendment to the CAT NMS Plan. See Letter
from Participants to Brent J. Fields, Secretary,
Commission, dated December 23, 2015.
ISE Gemini, LLC, ISE Mercury, LLC and
International Securities Exchange, LLC have been
renamed Nasdaq GEMX, LLC, Nasdaq MRX, LLC,
and Nasdaq ISE, LLC, respectively. See Securities
Exchange Act Release No. 80248 (March 15, 2017),
82 FR 14547 (March 21, 2017); Securities Exchange
Act Release No. 80326 (March 29, 2017), 82 FR
16460 (April 4, 2017); and Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 80325 (March 29, 2017), 82 FR 16445
(April 4, 2017).
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 106 (Monday, June 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25870-25872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11510]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Investment Company Act Release No. 32666; 812-14703]
Dreyfus ETF Trust
May 30, 2017.
AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'').
ACTION: Notice.
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Notice of an application for an order under section 6(c) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the ``Act'') for an exemption from
sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), 22(d), and 22(e) of the Act and rule 22c-1
under the Act, under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an
exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act, and under
section 12(d)(1)(J) for an exemption from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and
12(d)(1)(B) of the Act. The requested order would permit (a) index-
based series of certain open-end management investment companies
(``Funds'') to issue shares redeemable in large aggregations only
(``Creation Units''); (b) secondary market transactions in Fund shares
to occur at negotiated market prices rather than at net asset value
(``NAV''); (c) certain Funds to pay redemption proceeds, under certain
circumstances, more than seven days after the tender of shares for
redemption; (d) certain affiliated persons of a Fund to deposit
securities into, and receive securities from, the Fund 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 Funds (``Funds
of Funds'') to acquire shares of the Funds; and (f) certain Funds
(``Feeder Funds'') to create and redeem Creation Units in-kind in a
master-feeder structure.
Applicants: Dreyfus ETF Trust (the ``Trust''), a Massachusetts
business trust registered under the Act as an open-end management
investment company, The Dreyfus Corporation (the ``Initial Adviser''),
a New York corporation registered as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the ``Advisers Act'') and Mellon
Capital Management Corporation, a Delaware corporation registered with
the Commission as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act.
Filing Dates: The application was filed on September 28, 2016, and
amended on February 21, 2017.
Hearing or Notification of Hearing: An order granting the requested
relief will be issued unless the Commission
[[Page 25871]]
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 June 24, 2017, and should be accompanied
by proof of service on applicants, in the form of an affidavit, or for
lawyers, a certificate of service. Pursuant to rule 0-5 under the Act,
hearing requests should state the nature of the writer's interest, any
facts bearing upon the desirability of a hearing on the matter, the
reason for the request, and the issues contested. Persons who wish to
be notified of a hearing may request notification by writing to the
Commission's Secretary.
ADDRESSES: Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street
NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090; Applicants: The Dreyfus Corporation,
200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Loko, Senior Counsel, at (202)
551-6883, or Aaron Gilbride, Acting Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6906
(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.
Summary of the Application
1. Applicants request an order that would allow Funds to operate as
index exchange traded funds (``ETFs'').\1\ Fund shares will be
purchased and redeemed at their NAV in Creation Units only. All orders
to purchase Creation Units and all redemption requests will be placed
by or through an ``Authorized Participant'', which will have signed a
participant agreement with a broker-dealer that will be registered
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act'') (the
``Distributor''). Shares will be listed and traded individually on a
national securities exchange, where share prices will be based on the
current bid/offer market. Certain Funds will operate as Feeder Funds in
a master-feeder structure. Any order granting the requested relief
would be subject to the terms and conditions stated in the application.
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\1\ Applicants request that the order apply to the existing
series of the Trust that are index ETFs and any additional series of
the Trust, and any other open-end management investment company or
series thereof, that may be created in the future (each, included in
the term ``Fund''), each of which will operate as an ETF and will
track a specified index comprised of domestic or foreign equity and/
or fixed income securities (each, an ``Underlying Index''). Any Fund
will (a) be advised by the Initial Adviser or an entity controlling,
controlled by, or under common control with the Initial Adviser
(each, an ``Adviser'') and (b) comply with the terms and conditions
of the application.
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2. Each Fund will hold investment positions selected to correspond
generally to the performance of an Underlying Index. In the case of
Self-Indexing Funds, an affiliated person, as defined in section
2(a)(3) of the Act (``Affiliated Person''), or an affiliated person of
an Affiliated Person (``Second-Tier Affiliate''), of the Trust or a
Fund, of the Adviser, of any sub-adviser to or promoter of a Fund, or
of the Distributor will compile, create, sponsor or maintain the
Underlying Index.\2\
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\2\ Each Self-Indexing Fund will post on its Web site the
identities and quantities of the investment positions that will form
the basis for the Fund's calculation of its NAV at the end of the
day. Applicants believe that requiring Self-Indexing Funds to
maintain full portfolio transparency will help address, together
with other protections, conflicts of interest with respect to such
Funds.
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3. Shares will be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units and
generally on an in-kind basis. Except where the purchase or redemption
will include cash under the limited circumstances specified in the
application, purchasers will be required to purchase Creation Units by
depositing specified instruments (``Deposit Instruments''), and
shareholders redeeming their shares will receive specified instruments
(``Redemption Instruments''). The Deposit Instruments and the
Redemption Instruments will each correspond pro rata to the positions
in the Fund's portfolio (including cash positions) except as specified
in the application.
4. Because shares will not be individually redeemable, applicants
request an exemption from section 5(a)(1) and section 2(a)(32) of the
Act that would permit the Funds to register as open-end management
investment companies and issue shares that are redeemable in Creation
Units only.
5. Applicants also request an exemption from section 22(d) of the
Act and rule 22c-1 under the Act as secondary market trading in shares
will take place at negotiated prices, not at a current offering price
described in a Fund's prospectus, and not at a price based on NAV.
Applicants state that (a) secondary market trading in shares does not
involve a Fund as a party and will not result in dilution of an
investment in shares, and (b) to the extent different prices exist
during a given trading day, or from day to day, such variances occur as
a result of third-party market forces, such as supply and demand.
Therefore, applicants assert that secondary market transactions in
shares will not lead to discrimination or preferential treatment among
purchasers. Finally, applicants represent that share market prices will
be disciplined by arbitrage opportunities, which should prevent shares
from trading at a material discount or premium from NAV.
6. With respect to Funds that effect creations and redemptions of
Creation Units in kind and that are based on certain Underlying Indexes
that include foreign securities, applicants request relief from the
requirement imposed by section 22(e) in order to allow such Funds to
pay redemption proceeds within fifteen calendar days following the
tender of Creation Units for redemption. Applicants assert that the
requested relief would not be inconsistent with the spirit and intent
of section 22(e) to prevent unreasonable, undisclosed or unforeseen
delays in the actual payment of redemption proceeds.
7. Applicants request an exemption to permit Funds of Funds to
acquire Fund shares beyond the limits of section 12(d)(1)(A) of the
Act; and the Funds, and any principal underwriter for the Funds, and/or
any broker or dealer registered under the Exchange Act, to sell shares
to Funds of Funds beyond the limits of section 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act.
The application's terms and conditions are designed to, among other
things, help prevent any potential (i) undue influence over a Fund
through control or voting power, or in connection with certain
services, transactions, and underwritings, (ii) excessive layering of
fees, and (iii) overly complex fund structures, which are the concerns
underlying the limits in sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the Act.
8. Applicants request an exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and
17(a)(2) of the Act to permit persons that are Affiliated Persons, or
Second Tier Affiliates, of the Funds, solely by virtue of certain
ownership interests, to effectuate purchases and redemptions in-kind.
The deposit procedures for in-kind purchases of Creation Units and the
redemption procedures for in-kind redemptions of Creation Units will be
the same for all purchases and redemptions and Deposit Instruments and
Redemption Instruments will be valued in the same manner as those
investment positions currently held by the Funds. Applicants also seek
relief from the prohibitions on affiliated transactions in section
17(a) to permit a Fund to sell its shares to and redeem its
[[Page 25872]]
shares from a Fund of Funds, and to engage in the accompanying in-kind
transactions with the Fund of Funds.\3\ The purchase of Creation Units
by a Fund of Funds directly from a Fund will be accomplished in
accordance with the policies of the Fund of Funds and will be based on
the NAVs of the Funds.
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\3\ The requested relief would apply to direct sales of shares
in Creation Units by a Fund to a Fund of Funds and redemptions of
those shares. Applicants, moreover, 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 a
Second-Tier Affiliate, of a Fund of Funds because an Adviser or an
entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with an
Adviser provides investment advisory services to that Fund of Funds.
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9. Applicants also request relief to permit a Feeder Fund to
acquire shares of another registered investment company managed by the
Adviser having substantially the same investment objectives as the
Feeder Fund (``Master Fund'') beyond the limitations in section
12(d)(1)(A) and permit the Master Fund, and any principal underwriter
for the Master Fund, to sell shares of the Master Fund to the Feeder
Fund beyond the limitations in section 12(d)(1)(B).
10. Section 6(c) of the Act permits the Commission to exempt any
persons or transactions from any provision of the Act if such exemption
is necessary or appropriate in the public interest and consistent with
the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the
policy and provisions of the Act. 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.
Section 17(b) of the Act authorizes the Commission to grant an order
permitting a transaction otherwise prohibited by section 17(a) if it
finds that (a) the terms of the proposed transaction are fair and
reasonable and do not involve overreaching on the part of any person
concerned; (b) the proposed transaction is consistent with the policies
of each registered investment company involved; and (c) the proposed
transaction is consistent with the general purposes of the Act.
For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management,
under delegated authority.
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-11510 Filed 6-2-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P