Northern Lights Fund Trust III, et al., 34217-34219 [2019-15146]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 137 / Wednesday, July 17, 2019 / Notices during the transition to Pillar communication protocols, and second, to provide that the fees for the few firms that do not transition to during the ninemonth period offset the Exchange’s continuing costs of supporting the Phase I ports. The Exchange believes that the proposal represents a reasonable attempt to provide member organizations with an orderly transition to upgraded technology without needing to incur any additional costs. If a member organization is unable to complete this transition within the ninemonth period, the pricing is designed to offset the Exchange’s continuing costs of supporting the Phase I ports. C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the proposed rule change. III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action The foregoing rule change is effective upon filing pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) 37 of the Act and subparagraph (f)(2) of Rule 19b–4 38 thereunder, because it establishes a due, fee, or other charge imposed by the Exchange. At any time within 60 days of the filing of such 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. If the Commission takes such action, the Commission shall institute proceedings under Section 19(b)(2)(B) 39 of the Act to determine whether the proposed rule change should be approved or disapproved. 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: Paper Comments • Send paper comments in triplicate to: Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549–1090. All submissions should refer to File Number SR–NYSE–2019–39. 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 website (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 website 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 the Exchange. All comments received will be posted without change. Persons submitting comments are cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal identifying information from comment submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File Number SR–NYSE–2019–39 and should be submitted on or before August 7, 2019. For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.40 Eduardo A. Aleman, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2019–15138 Filed 7–16–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P Electronic Comments jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES • Send an email to rule-comments@ sec.gov. Please include File Number SR– NYSE–2019–39 on the subject line. • Use the Commission’s internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/ rules/sro.shtml); or 37 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). CFR 240.19b–4(f)(2). 39 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B). 38 17 VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:05 Jul 16, 2019 40 17 Jkt 247001 PO 00000 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). Frm 00102 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 34217 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Investment Company Act Release No. 33551; 812–15032 Northern Lights Fund Trust III, et al. July 11, 2019. 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; 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: Howard Capital Management, Inc. (the ‘‘Initial Adviser’’), a Delaware corporation that is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and Northern Lights Fund Trust III (the ‘‘Trust’’), a Delaware statutory trust registered under the Act as an open-end management investment company with multiple series. FILING DATES: The application was filed on May 14, 2019 and amended on June 20, 2019. 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 E:\FR\FM\17JYN1.SGM 17JYN1 34218 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 137 / Wednesday, July 17, 2019 / Notices by 5:30 p.m. on August 5, 2019, 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: Howard Capital Management, Inc., 1145 Hembree Road, Roswell, Georgia 30076; Northern Lights Fund Trust III, 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, OH 45246. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Benjamin Kalish, Attorney-Adviser, at (202) 551–7361, or Parisa Haghshenas, Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6723 (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 website 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. jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD 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 1 Applicants request that the order apply to the new series of the Trust identified and described in Appendix A to that 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 the Initial Adviser or an entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Initial Adviser (each such entity and any successor thereto, an ‘‘Adviser’’) and (b) comply with the terms and conditions of the application. For purposes of the requested order, the term ‘‘successor’’ is limited to an entity or entities that result from a reorganization into another jurisdiction or a change in the type of business organization. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:05 Jul 16, 2019 Jkt 247001 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. 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, or from day to day, such variances occur as a result of third-party market forces, such as supply and demand. Therefore, 2 Each Self-Indexing Fund will post on its website 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 00103 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 shares from a Fund of Funds, and to engage in the accompanying in-kind E:\FR\FM\17JYN1.SGM 17JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 137 / Wednesday, July 17, 2019 / Notices 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. 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, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2019–15146 Filed 7–16–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34–86351; File No. SR–NYSE– 2019–32] Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Order Granting Approval of a Proposed Rule Change To Amend NYSE Rule 123D July 11, 2019. jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES I. Introduction On May 24, 2019, New York Stock Exchange LLC (‘‘NYSE’’ or the 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 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. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:05 Jul 16, 2019 Jkt 247001 ‘‘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 amend Rule 123D to permit the Exchange to declare a regulatory halt in a security that traded in the over-thecounter market prior to the initial pricing on the Exchange. The proposed rule change was published for comment in the Federal Register on June 6, 2019.3 The Commission has received no comment letters on the proposal. This order approves the proposed rule change. II. Description of the Proposal The Exchange has proposed to amend Rule 123D(d) to permit the Exchange to declare a regulatory halt in a security that traded in the over-the-counter market prior to the initial pricing on the Exchange. Currently, Rule 123D(d) permits the Exchange to declare a regulatory halt in a security that is the subject of an initial pricing on the Exchange of a security and that has not been listed on a national securities exchange or traded in the over-the-counter market pursuant to FINRA Form 211 (the ‘‘OTC market’’) immediately prior to the initial pricing. Accordingly, the Exchange has authority to declare a regulatory halt for any initial listing that is not a transfer from either another national securities exchange or the OTC market. Regulatory halts under the rule terminate when the assigned Designated Market Maker (‘‘DMM’’) opens the security. The Exchange has proposed to delete the clause ‘‘or traded in the over-thecounter market pursuant to FINRA Form 211’’ in NYSE Rule 123D(d). The proposed amendment would thus enable the Exchange to declare a regulatory halt for a security that is having its initial listing on the Exchange and that was traded in the OTC market immediately prior to its initial pricing on the Exchange. The Exchange notes that, although an OTC market security that will be listed on a primary listing exchange will be removed from the OTC trading list on the day before its initial pricing on the exchange, on the day of its initial listing, that security can trade on an unlisted trading privileges (‘‘UTP’’) basis before the first transaction on the primary listing exchange. The Exchange U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). 2 17 CFR 240.19b–4. 3 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 85990 (May 31, 2019), 84 FR 26462 (June 6, 2019) (‘‘Notice’’). PO 00000 1 15 Frm 00104 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 34219 states that permitting the Exchange to declare a regulatory halt in such securities before trading on the Exchange begins would avoid potential price disparities or anomalies that may occur during any UTP trading before the first transaction on the primary listing exchange. The Exchange states that quoting and trading in the pre-market of an OTC transfer can be erratic and that investors may be harmed if their securities trade during this period. The Exchange asserts that the proposed limited authority to declare a regulatory halt in the hours prior to the OTC transfer’s initial pricing on the Exchange would mitigate any potential price disparities and contribute to a fair and orderly market once the security opens on the Exchange and would be consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest. III. Discussion and Commission Findings After careful review, the Commission finds that the proposed rule change is consistent with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to a national securities exchange.4 In particular, the Commission finds that the proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,5 which requires, among other things, that the rules of a national securities exchange be designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest, and that those rules not be designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers. The Commission believes that extending the authority of the Exchange to declare a regulatory trading halt prior to the initial pricing on the Exchange of securities that were previously traded in the OTC market is consistent with the Act because it is reasonably designed to address any potential price disparities or anomalies that may occur during UTP trading before the first transaction on the Exchange. The Commission notes that this regulatory halt would be terminated when the DMM opens the security, and would be for the limited purpose of precluding other markets from trading the security until the 4 15 U.S.C. 78f(b). In approving this proposed rule change, the Commission has considered the proposed rule change’s impact on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f). 5 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5). E:\FR\FM\17JYN1.SGM 17JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34217-34219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-15146]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Investment Company Act Release No. 33551; 812-15032


Northern Lights Fund Trust III, et al.

July 11, 2019.
AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'').

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    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: Howard Capital Management, Inc. (the ``Initial Adviser''), 
a Delaware corporation that is registered as an investment adviser 
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and Northern Lights Fund 
Trust III (the ``Trust''), a Delaware statutory trust registered under 
the Act as an open-end management investment company with multiple 
series.

Filing Dates: The application was filed on May 14, 2019 and amended on 
June 20, 2019.

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

[[Page 34218]]

by 5:30 p.m. on August 5, 2019, 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: Howard Capital Management, 
Inc., 1145 Hembree Road, Roswell, Georgia 30076; Northern Lights Fund 
Trust III, 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, OH 45246.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Benjamin Kalish, Attorney-Adviser, at 
(202) 551-7361, or Parisa Haghshenas, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6723 
(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 website 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Applicants request that the order apply to the new series of 
the Trust identified and described in Appendix A to that 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 
the Initial Adviser or an entity controlling, controlled by, or 
under common control with the Initial Adviser (each such entity and 
any successor thereto, an ``Adviser'') and (b) comply with the terms 
and conditions of the application. For purposes of the requested 
order, the term ``successor'' is limited to an entity or entities 
that result from a reorganization into another jurisdiction or a 
change in the type of business organization.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Each Self-Indexing Fund will post on its website 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 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 shares from 
a Fund of Funds, and to engage in the accompanying in-kind

[[Page 34219]]

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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-15146 Filed 7-16-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.