Innovator ETFs Trust, et al., 43276-43278 [2017-19536]

Download as PDF 43276 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2017 / Notices (C) Clearing Agency’s Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others DTC has not received or solicited any written comments relating to this proposal. DTC will notify the Commission of any written comments received by DTC. III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change, and Timing for Commission Action The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act 12 and paragraph (f) of Rule 19b–4 thereunder.13 At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend such rule change if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. 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: asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES 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– DTC–2017–017 on the subject line. Paper Comments • Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549. All submissions should refer to File Number SR–DTC–2017–017. 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 12 15 13 17 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). CFR 240.19b–4(f). VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:41 Sep 13, 2017 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 the filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of DTC and on DTCC’s Web site (https://dtcc.com/legal/sec-rulefilings.aspx). 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–DTC– 2017–017 and should be submitted on or before October 5, 2017. For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.14 Eduardo A. Aleman, Assistant Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–19476 Filed 9–13–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Investment Company Act Release No. 32811; 812–14782] Innovator ETFs Trust, et al. September 11, 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 14 17 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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; and (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. APPLICANTS: Innovator ETFs Trust (formerly, Academy Funds Trust) (‘‘Trust’’), a Delaware statutory trust registered under the Act as an open-end management investment company with multiple series, Innovator Capital Management, LLC (‘‘Innovator’’), Delaware limited liability company registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and Quasar Distributors, LLC (‘‘Distributor’’), a Delaware limited liability company and broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Exchange Act’’). FILING DATES: The application was filed on June 7, 2017, and amended on September 8, 2017. 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 October 5, 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: Innovator and the Trust, 120 N. Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton IL, 60187; the Distributor, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Ehrlich, Senior Counsel, at (202) 551– 6819, or Andrea Ottomanelli Magovern, Acting Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6821 (Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel’s Office). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM 14SEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2017 / Notices 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 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. Any order granting the requested relief would be subject to the terms and conditions stated in the application (‘‘Application’’).2 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, 1 Applicants request that the order apply to the series of the Trust identified and described in an appendix to the Application and any additional series of the Trust, and any other open-end management investment company or series thereof (each, included in the term ‘‘Fund’’), each of which will operate as an ETF and will track a specified index comprised of domestic and/or foreign equity securities and/or domestic and/or foreign fixed income securities (each, an ‘‘Underlying Index’’). Each Fund will (a) be advised by Innovator or an entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with Innovator (each, an ‘‘Adviser’’) and (b) comply with the terms and conditions of the Application. 2 Prior to May 9, 2017, Innovator Management LLC (‘‘Innovator Management’’) served as the Trust’s investment adviser. (Innovator and Innovator Management are not affiliated persons of each other.) Innovator Management entered into an agreement with Innovator pursuant to which Innovator Management transferred the assets of its investment advisory business and related intellectual property to Innovator (the ‘‘Transaction’’). The closing of the Transaction (the ‘‘Closing’’) occurred on May 9, 2017. The Commission previously granted relief to Innovator Management, the Trust, and the Distributor that, other than the identity of the investment adviser, was identical in all material respects to that requested in the Application. Innovator Management LLC, et al., Investment Company Act Release Nos. 31996 (Feb. 12, 2016) (notice) and 32026 (Mar. 9, 2016) (order) (‘‘Existing Order’’). On May 5, 2017, the Commission staff provided oral no-action relief to Innovator, the Trust, and the Distributor to rely on the Existing Order until the earlier of the receipt of any order granted by the Commission on the Application or 150 days from the date of the Closing. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:41 Sep 13, 2017 Jkt 241001 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.3 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 3 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. PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 43277 relief from the requirement imposed by section 22(e) in order to allow such Funds to pay redemption proceeds within fourteen 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 shares from a Fund of Funds, and to engage in the accompanying in-kind transactions with the Fund of Funds.4 The purchase of Creation Units by a Fund of Funds directly from a Fund will be accomplished in accordance with the 4 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. E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM 14SEN1 43278 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2017 / Notices policies of the Fund of Funds and will be based on the NAVs of the Funds. 9. 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. 2017–19536 Filed 9–13–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Proposed Collection; Comment Request Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549–2736 asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES Extension: Rule 30b1–8 and Form N–CR SEC File No. 270–657, OMB Control No. 3235–0705 Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (‘‘Paperwork Reduction Act’’) (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ‘‘Commission’’) is soliciting comments on the collections of information summarized below. The Commission plans to submit this existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget for extension and approval. Rule 30b1–8 under the Act [17 CFR 270.30b1–8], entitled ‘‘Current Report VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:41 Sep 13, 2017 Jkt 241001 for Money Market Funds,’’ provides that every registered open-end management investment company, or series thereof, that is regulated as a money market fund under rule 2a–7 [17 CFR 270.2a–7], that experiences any of the events specified on Form N–CR [17 CFR 274.222], must file with the Commission a current report on Form N–CR within the time period specified in that form. The information collection requirements for rule 30b1–8 and Form N–CR are designed to assist Commission staff in its oversight of money market funds and its ability to respond to market events. It also provides investors with better and timelier disclosure of potentially important events. Finally, the Commission is able to use the information provided on Form N–CR in its regulatory, disclosure review, inspection, and policymaking roles. The rule imposes a burden per report of approximately 8.5 hours and $840, so that the total annual burden for the estimated 37 reports filed per year on Form N–CR is 315 hours and $31,080. The estimate of average burden hours is made solely for the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act. The estimate is based on communications with industry representatives, and is not derived from a comprehensive or even a representative survey or study. The collection of information on Form N–CR is mandatory for any fund that holds itself out as a money market fund in reliance on rule 2a–7. Responses will not be kept confidential. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Written comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information has practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission’s estimate of the burden(s) of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted in writing within 60 days of this publication. Please direct your written comments to Pamela Dyson, Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, C/O Remi Pavlik-Simon, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549; or send an email to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Dated: September 11, 2017. Eduardo A. Aleman, Assistant Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–19509 Filed 9–13–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34–81558; File No. SR– BatsBZX–2017–46] Self-Regulatory Organizations; Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Designation of a Longer Period for Commission Action on Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 1, To List and Trade Shares of the Aptus Fortified Value ETF, a Series of ETF Series Solutions, Under Exchange Rule 14.11(c) September 8, 2017. On July 10, 2017, Bats BZX Exchange, Inc. (‘‘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 to list and trade shares of the Aptus Fortified Value ETF, a series of ETF Series Solutions, under Exchange Rule 14.11(c), which governs the listing and trading of Index Fund Shares. The proposed rule change was published for comment in the Federal Register on July 28, 2017.3 On August 31, 2017, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule change.4 The Commission has received no comment letters on the proposed rule change. Section 19(b)(2) of the Act 5 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, 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 September 11, 1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). CFR 240.19b–4. 3 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 81191 (July 24, 2017), 82 FR 35256. 4 Amendment No. 1 is available at: https:// www.sec.gov/comments/sr-batsbzx-2017-46/ batsbzx201746-2272678-160970.pdf. 5 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2). 2 17 E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM 14SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 177 (Thursday, September 14, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43276-43278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19536]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Investment Company Act Release No. 32811; 812-14782]


Innovator ETFs Trust, et al.

September 11, 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; and (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.

Applicants:  Innovator ETFs Trust (formerly, Academy Funds Trust) 
(``Trust''), a Delaware statutory trust registered under the Act as an 
open-end management investment company with multiple series, Innovator 
Capital Management, LLC (``Innovator''), Delaware limited liability 
company registered as an investment adviser under the Investment 
Advisers Act of 1940, and Quasar Distributors, LLC (``Distributor''), a 
Delaware limited liability company and broker-dealer registered under 
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act'').

Filing Dates: The application was filed on June 7, 2017, and amended on 
September 8, 2017.

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 October 5, 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: Innovator and the Trust, 
120 N. Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton IL, 60187; the Distributor, 615 
East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Ehrlich, Senior Counsel, at (202) 
551-6819, or Andrea Ottomanelli Magovern, Acting Branch Chief, at (202) 
551-6821 (Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel's Office).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the

[[Page 43277]]

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 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. Any order 
granting the requested relief would be subject to the terms and 
conditions stated in the application (``Application'').\2\
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    \1\ Applicants request that the order apply to the series of the 
Trust identified and described in an appendix to the Application and 
any additional series of the Trust, and any other open-end 
management investment company or series thereof (each, included in 
the term ``Fund''), each of which will operate as an ETF and will 
track a specified index comprised of domestic and/or foreign equity 
securities and/or domestic and/or foreign fixed income securities 
(each, an ``Underlying Index''). Each Fund will (a) be advised by 
Innovator or an entity controlling, controlled by, or under common 
control with Innovator (each, an ``Adviser'') and (b) comply with 
the terms and conditions of the Application.
    \2\ Prior to May 9, 2017, Innovator Management LLC (``Innovator 
Management'') served as the Trust's investment adviser. (Innovator 
and Innovator Management are not affiliated persons of each other.) 
Innovator Management entered into an agreement with Innovator 
pursuant to which Innovator Management transferred the assets of its 
investment advisory business and related intellectual property to 
Innovator (the ``Transaction''). The closing of the Transaction (the 
``Closing'') occurred on May 9, 2017. The Commission previously 
granted relief to Innovator Management, the Trust, and the 
Distributor that, other than the identity of the investment adviser, 
was identical in all material respects to that requested in the 
Application. Innovator Management LLC, et al., Investment Company 
Act Release Nos. 31996 (Feb. 12, 2016) (notice) and 32026 (Mar. 9, 
2016) (order) (``Existing Order''). On May 5, 2017, the Commission 
staff provided oral no-action relief to Innovator, the Trust, and 
the Distributor to rely on the Existing Order until the earlier of 
the receipt of any order granted by the Commission on the 
Application or 150 days from the date of the Closing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 fourteen 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 shares from 
a Fund of Funds, and to engage in the accompanying in-kind transactions 
with the Fund of Funds.\4\ The purchase of Creation Units by a Fund of 
Funds directly from a Fund will be accomplished in accordance with the

[[Page 43278]]

policies of the Fund of Funds and will be based on the NAVs of the 
Funds.
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    \4\ 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. 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. 2017-19536 Filed 9-13-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
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