UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-CSR
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Investment Company Act file number 811-23161
NuShares ETF Trust
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
Nuveen Investments
333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)
Christopher M. Rohrbacher
Nuveen Investments
333 West Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
(Name and address of agent for service)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (312) 917-7700
Date of fiscal year end: December 31
Date of reporting period: December 31, 2016
Form N-CSR is to be used by management investment companies to file reports with the Commission not later than 10 days after the transmission to stockholders of any report that is required to be transmitted to stockholders under Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30e-1). The Commission may use the information provided on Form N-CSR in its regulatory, disclosure review, inspection, and policy making roles.
A registrant is required to disclose the information specified by Form N-CSR, and the Commission will make this information public. A registrant is not required to respond to the collection of information contained in Form N-CSR unless the Form displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) control number. Please direct comments concerning the accuracy of the information collection burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing the burden to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549-0609. The OMB has reviewed this collection of information under the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. ss.3507.
ITEM 1. REPORTS TO STOCKHOLDERS.
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Annual Report |
| December 31, 2016 |
Listing Exchange | Ticker Symbol | |||||||||
Fund Name | ||||||||||
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NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF | BATS Exchange, Inc. | NURE |
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NOT FDIC INSURED MAY LOSE VALUE |
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NUVEEN | 3 |
to Shareholders
Dear Shareholders,
The past year saw a striking shift in the markets’ tone. The start of 2016 was beset by China’s economic woes, growing recession fears in the U.S. and oil prices sinking to lows not seen in more than a decade. World stock markets plunged, while bonds and other safe-haven assets rallied. But, by the end of the year, optimism had taken root. Economic outlooks were more upbeat, commodity prices stabilized, equity markets rebounded and bonds retreated. Despite the initial shocks of the Brexit referendum in the U.K. and Donald Trump’s win in the U.S. presidential election, and the uncertainties posed by the implications of these votes, sentiment continued to swing toward the positive as 2016 ended.
In between the year’s turbulent start and exuberant end, markets were soothed by improving economic data out of China, as the government’s stimulus measures appeared to be working, and a recovery in the energy and commodity-related sectors. The U.S. Federal Reserve backed off its more aggressive projections from the beginning of the year, only raising the fed funds rate once during the year, in December. The central banks in Europe and Japan maintained their accommodative stances. Global economic growth remained lackluster overall, as the pace of U.S. growth remained consistently mediocre. China appeared to moderate its slowdown and low growth in Europe and Japan persisted.
Will 2017 be the year of accelerating global growth and rising inflation that the markets are expecting? President Trump’s business-friendly, pro-growth agenda has been well received by the markets, but the policy details and the timeline have yet to take shape. Furthermore, there could be potential downside risks if “Trumponomics” were to trigger a steeper rise in inflation or a trade war. Outside the U.S., political dynamics in Europe are also in flux this year, with Brexit negotiations ongoing and elections in Germany, France and the Netherlands, and possibly a snap election in Italy.
Given the slate of policy unknowns and the range of possible outcomes, we believe volatility will remain a fixture this year. In this environment, Nuveen remains committed to both managing downside risks and seeking upside potential. If you’re concerned about how resilient your investment portfolio might be, we encourage you to talk to your financial advisor. On behalf of the other members of the Nuveen Fund Board, we look forward to continuing to earn your trust in the months and years ahead.
Sincerely,
William J. Schneider
Chairman of the Board
February 23, 2017
4 | NUVEEN |
Comments
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF (NURE)
This Fund features portfolio management by Teachers Advisors, LLC, an affiliate of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC. Portfolio managers Philip James (Jim) Campagna, CFA, and Lei Liao, CFA, discuss U.S. economic and real estate investment trust (REIT) market conditions, key investment strategies and the performance of NURE during the abbreviated reporting period from the Fund’s commencement of operations on December 20, 2016 through December 31, 2016. Jim and Lei have managed NURE since its commencement of operations on December 20, 2016.
What factors affected the U.S. economy and the U.S. real estate investment trust (REIT) market during the abbreviated reporting period ended December 31, 2016?
During the abbreviated reporting period, the restrained pace of growth that has defined the U.S. economic recovery since 2009 continued. The economy expanded at a 1.9% annualized rate in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to the “advance” estimate of the Bureau of Economic Analysis and measured by real gross domestic product (GDP), which is the value of goods and services produced by the nation’s economy less the value of the goods and services used up in production, adjusted for price changes.
Employment growth and firming wages continued to support consumer spending, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of the economy. As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate fell to 4.7% in December 2016 from 5.0% in December 2015, and job gains averaged slightly above 200,000 per month for the past twelve months. Moreover, as the cost of gasoline and rents climbed over 2016, inflation ticked higher. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.1% over the twelve-month reporting period ended December 2016 on a seasonally adjusted basis, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The core CPI (which excludes food and energy) increased 2.2% during the same period, slightly above the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) unofficial longer term inflation objective of 2.0%.
The housing market was another bright spot in the economy, as home prices have virtually recovered from the previous boom-bust cycle. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, which covers all nine U.S. census divisions, recorded a 5.6% annual gain in November 2016 (most recent data available at the time this report was prepared) (effective July 26, 2016, the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index was renamed the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index). The 10-City and 20-City Composites reported year-over-year increases of 4.5% and 5.3%, respectively.
After a pessimistic start to the year, business confidence was on an upswing by year-end, as oil prices stabilized, recession fears diminished and the election of Donald Trump stoked expectations for new pro-growth fiscal policy. Corporate earnings began to recover as well, aided by a rebound in the energy and other commodity-related sectors and a pullback in the U.S. dollar earlier in the year.
Markets were focused on two events in December, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (Fed) rate increase and the “Trump rally.” Given the economy’s consistent expansion and the uptick in the inflation rate, the Fed raised one of its main interest rates in December for the second time in a year, to a range of 0.50% to 0.75%. Additionally at its December 2016 meeting, the Fed revised its forecast from two to three increases in 2017, signaling greater confidence in the economy and rising inflation expectations. Donald Trump’s surprise win in the U.S. election bolstered hopes of accelerating growth and reflation, fueled by government spending, tax reform and looser regulation. Although the surprise outcome initially destabilized markets, U.S. equities rallied strongly and global developed market stocks pared their losses, while emerging markets, fixed income and gold remained lower through year-end.
Certain statements in this report are forward-looking statements. Discussions of specific investments are for illustration only and are not intended as recommendations of individual investments. The forward-looking statements and other views expressed herein are those of the portfolio managers as of the date of this report. Actual future results or occurrences may differ significantly from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements and the views expressed herein are subject to change at any time, due to numerous market and other factors. The Fund disclaims any obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or views expressed herein.
Refer to the Glossary of Terms Used in this report for further definition of the terms used within this section.
NUVEEN | 5 |
Portfolio Managers’ Comments (continued)
The rising interest rate environment was challenging for REIT equities, which have been highly sensitive to changes in domestic interest rates over the past few years. Expectations for a stronger economy and more Fed rate increases in 2017 pushed U.S. Treasury yields higher by year-end. Despite a generally favorable fundamental backdrop for the real estate market, higher interest rates weighed on the performance of REIT equities in December, causing them to lag the broader U.S. equity market.
What key strategies were used to manage the Fund during the abbreviated reporting period and how did these strategies influence performance?
The Fund employs a passive management (or “indexing”) approach, seeking to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Short-Term REIT Index (the “Index”). The Index is a subset of the Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Index (the “Base Index”), which generally includes equity REITs traded on a national securities exchange in the United States that derive at least 75% of their total revenue from the ownership and operation of real estate assets and that have a minimum total market capitalization of $200 million at the time of their inclusion. The Index selects REITs from the Base Index that are classified as concentrating their holdings in apartment buildings, hotels, self-storage facilities or manufactured home properties, as REITs investing in these sectors typically have shorter lease durations than REITs investing in other sectors. Index holdings are weighted by float-adjusted market capitalization, provided that no single REIT can comprise more than 5% of the Index as of any rebalance date. “Float-adjusted” means that the share amounts used in calculating the Index reflect only shares available to investors, with shares held by control groups, public companies and government agencies excluded.
The Fund attempts to replicate the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the REITs that makeup the Index, holding each REIT in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index. The Fund rebalances its holdings quarterly in response to the quarterly Index rebalances.
As of December 31, 2016, 49.3% of the Fund’s net assets were invested in apartment REITs, 25.6% in hotel REITs, 16.7% in self-storage REITs and 7.8% in manufactured home REITs.
How did the Fund perform during this abbreviated reporting period ended December 31, 2016?
The table in the Fund’s Performance Overview and Expense Ratios section of this report provides the Fund’s total return performance for the abbreviated reporting period from the Fund’s commencement of operation on December 20, 2016 through December 31, 2016. The Fund’s total returns at net asset value (NAV) are compared with the performance of the Index, which the Fund is designed to track.
6 | NUVEEN |
and Dividend Information
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF (NURE)
Investing involves risk; principal loss is possible. There is no guarantee the Fund’s investment objectives will be achieved. This ETF seeks to generally track the investment results of an index; however the Fund may underperform, outperform or be more volatile than the referenced index. This Fund invests in equity REITs, which invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from the sale of appreciated properties. Equity REITs can be greatly affected by economic downturns, by changes in real estate values, rents, property taxes, and interest rates, and by revisions to tax rules or other regulations applicable to REITs. The value of equity securities may decline significantly over short or extended periods of time. The Fund’s assets will generally be concentrated in the securities of issuers in the real estate industry, and, accordingly, the Fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or regulatory occurrences affecting that industry. These and other risk considerations, such as interest rate, non-diversification, and smaller company risks, are described in detail in the Fund’s prospectus.
Dividend Information
Regular dividends are declared and distributed quarterly for NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF. The Fund intends to pay out substantially all of the distributions it receives from investments in real estate investment trust (REIT) securities, less expenses, each quarter. If the Fund has cumulatively earned more than it has paid in dividends, it will hold the excess in reserve as undistributed net investment income (UNII) as part of the Fund’s NAV. Conversely, if the Fund has cumulatively paid out dividends more than it has earned, the excess will constitute negative UNII that will likewise be reflected in the Fund’s NAV. The Fund will, over time, pay all of its net investment income as dividends to shareholders.
In certain instances, a portion of the Fund’s distributions may be paid from sources or comprised of elements other than ordinary income, including capital gains and/or a return of capital. This is generally due to the fact that the tax character of Fund distributions for a fiscal year is dependent upon the amount and tax character of distributions received from securities held in the Fund’s portfolio. Distributions received from certain securities in which the Fund invests, most notably REIT securities, may be characterized for tax purposes as ordinary income, long-term capital gain and/or a return of capital. The issuer of a REIT security typically reports the tax character of its distributions only once per year, generally during the first two months of the following calendar year. The full amount of the distributions received from such securities is included in the Fund’s ordinary income during the course of the year until such time that the Fund is notified by the issuer of the actual tax character. To the extent that at the time of a particular distribution the Fund estimates that a portion of that distribution is attributable to a source or sources other than ordinary income, the Fund would send shareholders a notice to that effect. The final determination of the sources and tax character of all distributions for the fiscal year is made after the end of the fiscal year.
Additional Dividend Information for NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF seeks to pay regular dividends at a rate that reflects the cash flow received from the Fund’s investments in portfolio securities. Fund distributions are not intended to include expected portfolio appreciation; however, the Fund invests in securities that make payments which ultimately may be fully or partially characterized for tax purposes by the securities’ issuers as gains or return of capital. While the reported sources of distributions may include capital gains and/or return of capital for tax purposes, the Fund intends to distribute only the net cash flow received as opposed to a distribution rate based on long-term total return. This tax treatment will generally “flow through” to the Fund’s distributions, but the specific tax treatment is often not known with certainty until after the end of the Fund’s tax year. As a result, certain portions of the regular distributions by the Fund throughout the year were later re-characterized for tax purposes as either long-term gains (both realized and unrealized), or as a non-taxable return of capital, as set forth in the table below.
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF – Data as of December 31, 2016
Percentage of Distribution | Per Share Amounts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ticker | Net Investment Income | Realized Gains | Return of Capital | Distributions | Net Investment Income | Realized Gains | Return of Capital | |||||||||||||||||||||||
NURE | 75.56% | 24.44% | 0.00% | $ | 0.1195 | $ | 0.0903 | $ | 0.0292 | $ | 0.0000 |
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are for financial reporting purposes and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and character of the distributions for tax reporting purposes will be reported to shareholders on Form 1099-DIV which will be sent to shareholders shortly after calendar year-end.
NUVEEN | 7 |
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8 | NUVEEN |
and Expense Ratio
The Fund Performance and Expense Ratio for the Fund are shown within this section of the report.
Returns quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate so that when shares are sold, they may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance shown. Total returns for a period of less than one year are not annualized. Returns assume reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. For performance current to the most recent month-end visit nuveen.com or call (800) 257-8787.
Returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the sale of Fund shares.
The expense ratio represents the Fund’s total operating expenses as reflected in the Fund’s most recent prospectus. The expense ratio includes the Fund’s management fee and other applicable fees and expenses paid by the Fund.
NUVEEN | 9 |
Fund Performance and Expense Ratio (continued)
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF (NURE)
Refer to the first page of this Fund Performance and Expense Ratio section for further explanation of the information included within this section. Refer to the Glossary of Terms Used in this Report for definitions of terms used within this section.
Fund Performance
Total Returns as of December 31, 2016
Cumulative | ||||
Since Inception | ||||
NURE at NAV | 1.65% | |||
Dow Jones U.S. Select Short-Term REIT Index | 1.68% |
Since inception returns are from 12/20/16. The Index is not available for direct investment.
Expense Ratio as of Most Recent Prospectus
Expense Ratio | 0.35% |
Growth of an Assumed $10,000 Investment as of December 31, 2016
The graph does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder may pay on Fund distributions or the sale of Fund shares.
10 | NUVEEN |
Summaries as of December 31, 2016
This data relates to the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio of investments as of the end of this reporting period. It should not be construed as a measure of performance for the Fund itself. Holdings are subject to change.
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF (NURE)
Fund Allocation
(% of net assets)
Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Common Stocks | 99.4% | |||
Other Assets Less Liabilities | 0.6% | |||
Net Assets | 100% |
Portfolio Composition – REITs
(% of net assets)
Apartments | 49.3% | |||
Hotels | 25.6% | |||
Manufactured Homes | 7.8% | |||
Storage | 16.7% | |||
Other Assets Less Liabilities | 0.6% | |||
Net Assets | 100% |
Top Five REIT Holdings
(% of net assets)
Mid-America Apartment Communities | 5.3% | |||
UDR Inc. | 5.2% | |||
Camden Property Trust | 5.2% | |||
Essex Property Trust Inc. | 5.1% | |||
Apartment Investment & Management Company, Class A | 5.1% |
NUVEEN | 11 |
Examples
As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other applicable Fund expenses. The Examples below are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other funds. Since the Fund’s expense example below reflects only the first 12 days of the Fund’s operations, it may not provide a meaningful understanding of the Fund’s ongoing expenses.
The Examples below are based on an investment of $1,000 invested on December 20, 2016 (the commencement of operations) and held through December 31, 2016.
The information under “Actual Performance,” together with the amount you invested, allows you to estimate actual expenses incurred over the reporting period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.60) and multiply the result by the cost shown for your Fund in the row entitled “Expenses Incurred During Period” to estimate the expenses incurred on your account during this period.
The information under “Hypothetical Performance” provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expense you incurred for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Please note that the expenses shown in the tables are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transaction costs. Therefore, the hypothetical information is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transaction costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF (NURE)
Actual Performance | ||||
Beginning Account Value | $ | 1,000.00 | ||
Ending Account Value | $ | 1,016.50 | ||
Expenses Incurred During Period | $ | 0.12 | ||
Hypothetical Performance (5% annualized return before expenses) | ||||
Beginning Account Value | $ | 1,000.00 | ||
Ending Account Value | $ | 1,001.53 | ||
Expenses Incurred During Period | $ | 0.12 |
Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized net expense ratio of 0.35% multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 12/365 (to reflect the 12 days in the period since commencement of operations).
12 | NUVEEN |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders of
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF:
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio of investments, of NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF (the “Fund”) as of December 31, 2016, and the related statements of operations and changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the period December 20, 2016 (commencement of operations) through December 31, 2016. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2016, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers or other appropriate auditing procedures. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2016, the results of its operations, changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for the period specified in the first paragraph above, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Chicago, Illinois
February 28, 2017
NUVEEN | 13 |
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF (NURE)
Portfolio of Investments | December 31, 2016 |
Shares | Description (1) | Value | ||||||
LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS – 99.4% | ||||||||
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST COMMON STOCKS – 99.4% | ||||||||
Apartments – 49.3% | ||||||||
4,808 | American Campus Communities Inc. | $ | 239,294 | |||||
7,878 | American Homes 4 Rents, Class A | 165,280 | ||||||
5,710 | Apartment Investment & Management Company, Class A | 259,520 | ||||||
1,456 | AvalonBay Communities, Inc. | 257,930 | ||||||
3,124 | Camden Property Trust | 262,635 | ||||||
1,813 | Colony Starwood Homes | 52,233 | ||||||
2,660 | Education Realty Trust Inc. | 112,518 | ||||||
3,902 | Equity Residential | 251,133 | ||||||
1,123 | Essex Property Trust Inc. | 261,098 | ||||||
2,172 | Independence Realty Trust | 19,374 | ||||||
2,747 | Mid-America Apartment Communities | 268,985 | ||||||
6,079 | Monogram Residential Trust, Inc. | 65,775 | ||||||
632 | NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. | 14,119 | ||||||
1,280 | Silver Bay Realty Trust Corporation | 21,939 | ||||||
7,214 | UDR Inc. | 263,167 | ||||||
Total Apartments | 2,515,000 | |||||||
Hotels – 25.6% | ||||||||
5,689 | Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. | 113,666 | ||||||
952 | Ashford Hospitality Prime Inc. | 12,995 | ||||||
2,924 | Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc. | 22,690 | ||||||
2,187 | Chesapeake Lodging Trust | 56,556 | ||||||
7,290 | DiamondRock Hospitality Company | 84,054 | ||||||
4,709 | FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. | 37,719 | ||||||
1,540 | Hersha Hospitality Trust | 33,110 | ||||||
5,977 | Hospitality Properties Trust | 189,710 | ||||||
12,918 | Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. | 243,374 | ||||||
4,115 | LaSalle Hotel Properties | 125,384 | ||||||
2,622 | Pebblebrook Hotel Trust | 78,005 | ||||||
4,532 | RLJ Lodging Trust | 110,989 | ||||||
7,877 | Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. | 120,124 | ||||||
3,896 | Xenia Hotels & Resorts Inc. | 75,660 | ||||||
Total Hotels | 1,304,036 | |||||||
Manufactured Homes – 7.8% | ||||||||
2,919 | Equity Lifestyles Properties Inc. | 210,460 |
14 | NUVEEN |
Shares | Description (1) | Value | ||||||
Manufactured Homes (continued) | ||||||||
2,419 | Sun Communities Inc. | $ | 185,320 | |||||
Total Manufactured Homes | 395,780 | |||||||
Storage – 16.7% | ||||||||
6,569 | CubeSmart | 175,852 | ||||||
3,295 | Extra Space Storage Inc. | 254,506 | ||||||
1,689 | Life Storage, Inc. | 144,004 | ||||||
1,458 | National Storage Affiliates Trust | 32,178 | ||||||
1,106 | Public Storage, Inc. | 247,191 | ||||||
Total Storage | 853,731 | |||||||
Total Long-Term Investments (cost $5,016,064) | 5,068,547 | |||||||
Other Assets Less Liabilities – 0.6% | 29,785 | |||||||
Net Assets – 100% | $ | 5,098,332 |
For Fund portfolio compliance purposes, the Fund’s industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications into sectors for reporting ease.
(1) | All percentages shown in the Portfolio of Investments are based on net assets. |
REIT | Real Estate Investment Trust |
See accompanying notes to financial statements.
NUVEEN | 15 |
Assets and Liabilities | December 31, 2016 |
Assets | ||||
Long-term investments, at value (cost $5,016,064) | $ | 5,068,547 | ||
Cash | 6,325 | |||
Receivable for dividends | 27,260 | |||
Total assets | 5,102,132 | |||
Liabilities | ||||
Payable for investments purchased | 3,265 | |||
Accrued expenses: | ||||
Management fees | 528 | |||
Professional fees | 3 | |||
Trustees fees | 4 | |||
Total liabilities | 3,800 | |||
Net assets | $ | 5,098,332 | ||
Shares outstanding | 200,000 | |||
Net asset value (“NAV”) per share | $ | 25.49 | ||
Net assets consist of: | ||||
Capital paid-in | $ | 5,043,560 | ||
Undistributed (Over-distribution of) net investment income | 2,410 | |||
Accumulated net realized gain (loss) | (121 | ) | ||
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | 52,483 | |||
Net assets | $ | 5,098,332 | ||
Authorized shares | Unlimited | |||
Par value per share | $ | 0.01 |
See accompanying notes to financial statements.
16 | NUVEEN |
Operations | For the period December 20, 2016 (commencement of operations) through December 31, 2016 |
Investment Income | $ | 21,003 | ||
Expenses | ||||
Management fees | 528 | |||
Professional fees | 3 | |||
Trustees fees | 4 | |||
Total expenses | 535 | |||
Net investment income (loss) | 20,468 | |||
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | ||||
Net realized gain (loss) from investments | 5,721 | |||
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments | 52,483 | |||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 58,204 | |||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations | $ | 78,672 |
See accompanying notes to financial statements.
NUVEEN | 17 |
Changes in Net Assets |
For the period December 20, 2016 (commencement of operations) through December 31, 2016 | ||||
Operations | ||||
Net investment income (loss) | $ | 20,468 | ||
Net realized gain (loss) from investments | 5,721 | |||
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments | 52,483 | |||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations | 78,672 | |||
Distributions to Shareholders | ||||
From net investment income | (18,058 | ) | ||
From accumulated net realized gains | (5,842 | ) | ||
Return of capital | — | |||
Decrease in net assets from distributions to shareholders | (23,900 | ) | ||
Fund Share Transactions | ||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 5,043,560 | |||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from Fund share transactions | 5,043,560 | |||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets | 5,098,332 | |||
Net assets at the beginning of period | — | |||
Net assets at the end of period | $ | 5,098,332 | ||
Undistributed (Over-distribution of) net investment income at the end of period | $ | 2,410 |
See accompanying notes to financial statements.
18 | NUVEEN |
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NUVEEN | 19 |
Highlights
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the period:
Investment Operations | Less Distributions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, | Beginning NAV | Net Investment Income (Loss)(a) | Net Realized/ Unrealized Gain (Loss) | Total | From Net Investment Income | From Accumulated Net Realized Gains | Return of Capital | Total | Ending NAV | Ending Market Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016(c) | $ | 25.20 | $ | 0.11 | $ | 0.30 | $ | 0.41 | $ | (0.09 | ) | $ | (0.03 | ) | $ | — | $ | (0.12 | ) | $ | 25.49 | $ | 24.94 |
20 | NUVEEN |
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Return | Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Based on NAV(b) | Ending Net Assets (000) | Expenses | Net Investment Income (Loss) | Portfolio Turnover Rate(d) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.65 | % | $ | 5,098 | 0.35 | %* | 0.45 | %*** | 0 | %** |
(a) | Per share Net Investment Income (Loss) is calculated using the average daily shares method. |
(b) | Total Return Based on NAV is the combination of changes in NAV per share and the assumed reinvestment of distributions, if any, at NAV per share on the ex-dividend payment date. Total returns are not annualized. |
(c) | For the period December 20, 2016 (commencement of operations) through December 31, 2016. |
(d) | Portfolio Turnover Rate is calculated based on the lesser of long-term purchases or sales (as disclosed in Note 5 – Investment Transactions) divided by the average long-term market value during the period. Portfolio Turnover Rate excludes securities received or delivered as a result of processing in-kind creations or redemptions of Fund shares (as disclosed in Note 4 – Fund Shares). |
* | Annualized. |
** | Rounds to less than 1%. |
*** | The Net Investment Income (Loss) Ratio to Average Net Assets has not been annualized for the period December 20, 2016 (commencement of operations) through December 31, 2016. Annualizing this ratio would not provide meaningful investment performance for the Fund as it only reflects 12 days in the period since commencement of operations. |
See accompanying notes to financial statements.
NUVEEN | 21 |
Financial Statements
1. General Information and Significant Accounting Policies
General Information
Trust and Fund Information
NuShares ETF Trust (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Trust is comprised of NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF (NURE) (the “Fund”), as a non-diversified fund, among others. The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on February 20, 2015. Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the BATS Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”).
The end of the reporting period for the Fund is December 31, 2016, and the period covered by these Notes to Financial Statements is the period December 20, 2016 (commencement of operations) through December 31, 2016 (the “current fiscal period”).
Investment Adviser
The Fund’s investment adviser is Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), a subsidiary of Nuveen, LLC. (“Nuveen”). Nuveen is the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA). The Adviser has overall responsibility for management of the Fund, oversees the management of the Fund’s portfolio, manages the Fund’s business affairs and provides certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services. The Adviser has entered into a sub-advisory agreement with Teachers Advisors, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of Nuveen, under which the Sub-Adviser manages the investment portfolio of the Fund.
Investment Objectives
The Fund seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Short-Term REIT Index (the “Index”).
The Fund’s most recent prospectus provides further description of the Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies and principal risks.
Significant Accounting Policies
The Fund is an investment company and follows accounting and reporting guidance under Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 946 “Financial Services – Investment Companies.” The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”).
Investment Transactions
Investment transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains and losses from investment transactions are determined on the specific identification method, which is the same basis used for federal income tax purposes.
Investment Income
Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date.
Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders
Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and distributed to shareholders quarterly.
Net realized capital gains from investment transactions, if any, are declared and distributed to shareholders at least annually. Furthermore, capital gains are distributed only to the extent they exceed available capital loss carryforwards.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The amount and timing of distributions are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP.
The tax character of Fund distributions for a fiscal year is dependent upon the amount and tax character of distributions received from securities held in the Fund’s portfolio. Distributions received from certain securities in which the Fund invests, most notably real estate investment trust (“REIT”) securities, may be characterized for tax purposes as ordinary income, long-term capital gain and/or a return of capital. The issuer of a security reports the tax character of its distributions only once per year, generally during the first two months of the calendar year. The distribution is included in the Fund’s ordinary income until such time the Fund is notified by the issuer of the actual tax character. For the current fiscal period, dividend income, net realized gain (loss) and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) recognized on the Statement of Operations reflect the amounts of ordinary income, capital gain, and/or return of capital as reported by the issuers of such securities.
22 | NUVEEN |
Indemnifications
Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and trustees are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. In addition, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts that provide general indemnifications to other parties. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred. However, the Trust has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these contracts and expects the risk of loss to be remote.
Netting Agreements
In the ordinary course of business, the Fund may enter into transactions subject to International Swaps and Derivative Association, Inc. (“ISDA”) master agreements or other similar arrangements (“netting agreements”). Generally, the right to offset in netting agreements allows the Fund to offset certain securities and derivatives with a specific counterparty, when applicable, as well as any collateral received or delivered to that counterparty based on the terms of the agreements. Generally, the Fund manages its cash collateral and securities collateral on a counterparty basis.
The Fund’s investments subject to netting agreements as of the end of the reporting period, if any, are further described in Note 3 – Portfolio Securities and Investments in Derivatives.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
2. Investment Valuation and Fair Value Measurements
The fair valuation input levels as described below are for fair value measurement purposes.
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon selling an investment or transferring a liability in an orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market for the investment. A three-tier hierarchy is used to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs are based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Unobservable inputs are based on the best information available in the circumstances. The following is a summary of the three-tiered hierarchy of valuation input levels.
Level 1 – | Inputs are unadjusted and prices are determined using quoted prices in active markets for identical securities. | |
Level 2 – | Prices are determined using other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.). | |
Level 3 – | Prices are determined using significant unobservable inputs (including management’s assumptions in determining the fair value of investments). |
Common stocks and other equity-type securities are valued at the last sales price on the securities exchange on which such securities are primarily traded and are generally classified as Level 1. Securities primarily traded on the NASDAQ National Market (“NASDAQ”) are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price and are generally classified as Level 1. However, securities traded on a securities exchange or NASDAQ for which there were no transactions on a given day or securities not listed on a securities exchange or NASDAQ are valued at the quoted bid price and are generally classified as Level 2.
Certain securities may not be able to be priced by the pre-established pricing methods as described above. Such securities may be valued by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) and/or its appointee at fair value. These securities generally include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) for which a pricing service is unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; debt securities that have gone into default and for which there is no current market quotation; a security whose market price is not available from a pre-established pricing source; a security with respect to which an event has occurred that is likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) (as may be the case in non-U.S. markets on which the security is primarily traded) or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a reliable market quotation; and a security whose price, as provided by the pricing service, is not deemed to reflect the security’s fair value. As a general principle, the fair value of a security would appear to be the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive for it in a current sale. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities, which may include consideration of the following: yields or prices of investments of comparable quality, type of issue, coupon, maturity and rating, market quotes or indications of value from security dealers, evaluations of anticipated cash flows or collateral, general market conditions and other information and analysis, including the obligor’s credit characteristics considered relevant. These securities are generally classified as Level 2 or Level 3 depending on the observability of the significant inputs. Regardless of the method employed to value a particular security, all valuations are subject to review by the Board and/or its appointee.
NUVEEN | 23 |
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
The inputs or methodologies used for valuing securities are not an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. The following is a summary of the Fund’s fair value measurements as of the end of the reporting period:
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | |||||||||||||
Long-Term Investments*: | ||||||||||||||||
Real Estate Investment Trust Common Stocks | $ | 5,068,547 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 5,068,547 |
* | Refer to the Fund’s Portfolio of Investments for industry classifications. |
The Board is responsible for the valuation process and has appointed the oversight of the daily valuation process to the Adviser’s Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee, pursuant to the valuation policies and procedures adopted by the Board, is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the Fund’s pricing policies and reporting to the Board. The Valuation Committee is aided in its efforts by the Adviser’s dedicated Securities Valuation Team, which is responsible for administering the daily valuation process and applying fair value methodologies as approved by the Valuation Committee. When determining the reliability of independent pricing services for investments owned by the Fund, the Valuation Committee, among other things, conducts due diligence reviews of the pricing services and monitors the quality of security prices received through various testing reports conducted by the Securities Valuation Team.
The Valuation Committee will consider pricing methodologies it deems relevant and appropriate when making a fair value determination, based on the facts and circumstances specific to the portfolio instrument. Fair value determinations generally will be derived as follows, using public or private market information:
(i) | If available, fair value determinations shall be derived by extrapolating from recent transactions or quoted prices for identical or comparable securities. |
(ii) | If such information is not available, an analytical valuation methodology may be used based on other available information including, but not limited to: analyst appraisals, research reports, corporate action information, issuer financial statements and shelf registration statements. Such analytical valuation methodologies may include, but are not limited to: multiple of earnings, discount from market value of a similar freely traded security, discounted cash flow analysis, book value or a multiple thereof, risk premium/yield analysis, yield to maturity and/or fundamental investment analysis. |
The purchase price of a portfolio instrument will be used to fair value the instrument only if no other valuation methodology is available or deemed appropriate, and it is determined that the purchase price fairly reflects the instrument’s current value.
For each portfolio security that has been fair valued pursuant to the policies adopted by the Board, the fair value price is compared against the last available and next available market quotations. The Valuation Committee reviews the results of such testing and fair valuation occurrences are reported to the Board.
3. Portfolio Securities and Investments in Derivatives
The Fund is authorized to invest in certain derivative instruments. The Fund records derivative instruments at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized on the Statement of Operations, when applicable. Even though the Fund’s investments in derivatives may represent economic hedges, they are not considered to be hedge transactions for financial reporting purposes.
Although the Fund is authorized to invest in derivative instruments, and may do so in the future, it did not make any such investments during the current fiscal period.
Market and Counterparty Credit Risk
In the normal course of business the Fund may invest in financial instruments and enter into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the other party to the transaction to perform (counterparty credit risk). The potential loss could exceed the value of the financial assets recorded on the financial statements. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Fund to counterparty credit risk, consist principally of cash due from counterparties on forward, option and swap transactions, when applicable. The extent of the Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit risk in respect to these financial assets approximates their carrying value as recorded on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
The Fund helps manage counterparty credit risk by entering into agreements only with counterparties the Adviser believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by having the Adviser monitor the financial stability of the counterparties. Additionally, counterparties may be required to pledge collateral daily (based on the daily valuation of the financial asset) on behalf of the Fund with a value approximately equal to the amount of any unrealized gain above a pre-determined threshold. Reciprocally, when the Fund has an unrealized loss, the Fund has instructed the custodian to pledge assets of the Fund as collateral with a value approximately equal to the amount of the unrealized loss above a pre-determined threshold. Collateral pledges are monitored and subsequently adjusted if and when the valuations fluctuate, either up or down, by at least the pre-determined threshold amount.
24 | NUVEEN |
4. Fund Shares
The Fund issues and redeems its shares on a continuous basis. Only certain institutional investors who have entered into agreements with the Distributor (Authorized Participants) may purchase and redeem shares directly from the Fund at NAV and in block-size of 50,000 shares (“Creation Units”) or multiples thereof. Creation Units are typically purchased and redeemed in-kind for securities included in the Index, but they may also be purchased and redeemed, in whole or in part, for the cash value of such securities at the Adviser’s discretion. Once created, the shares of the Fund will trade on the Exchange at market prices and are only available to individual investors through their brokers.
Transactions in Fund shares during the current fiscal period were as follows:
For the period 12/20/16 (commencement of operations) through 12/31/16 | ||||||||
Shares | Amount | |||||||
Shares sold | 200,000 | $ | 5,043,560 |
5. Investment Transactions
Long-term purchases and sales (excluding in-kind transactions) during the current fiscal period were as follows:
Purchases | $ | 10,623 | ||
Sales | 35,523 |
In-kind transactions during the current fiscal period were as follows:
In-kind purchases | $ | 5,041,500 | ||
In-kind sales | — |
6. Income Tax Information
The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains to shareholders and to otherwise comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.
For all open tax years and all major taxing jurisdictions, management of the Fund has concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions that would require recognition in the financial statements. Open tax years are those that are open for examination by taxing authorities (i.e., generally the last four tax year ends and the interim tax period since then). Furthermore, management of the Fund is also not aware of any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will significantly change in the next twelve months.
The following information is presented on an income tax basis. Differences between amounts for financial statement and federal income tax purposes are primarily due to timing differences in recognizing certain gains and losses on investment transactions. To the extent that differences arise that are permanent in nature, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts as detailed below. Temporary differences do not require reclassification. Temporary and permanent differences do not impact the NAVs of the Fund.
As of December 31, 2016, the cost and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments, as determined on a federal income tax basis, were as follows:
Cost of investments | $ | 5,016,185 | ||
Gross unrealized: | ||||
Appreciation | $ | 68,857 | ||
Depreciation | (16,495 | ) | ||
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments | $ | 52,362 |
As of December 31, 2016, the Fund’s tax year end, the Fund did not have any permanent adjustments.
The tax components of undistributed net ordinary income and net long-term capital gains as of December 31, 2016, the Fund’s tax year end, were as follows:
Undistributed net ordinary income | $ | 2,410 | ||
Undistributed net long-term capital gains | — |
NUVEEN | 25 |
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
The tax character of distributions paid during the Fund’s tax year ended December 31, 2016, was designated for purposes of the dividends paid deduction as follows:
For the period December 20, 2016 (commencement of operations) through December 31, 2016 | ||||
Distributions from net ordinary income1 | $ | 18,070 | ||
Distributions from net long-term capital gains2 | 5,830 |
1 | Net ordinary income consists of net taxable income derived from dividends and net short-term capital gains, if any. |
2 | The Fund hereby designates as long-term capital gain dividend, pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code Section 852(b)(3), the amount necessary to reduce earnings and profits of the Fund related to net capital gain to zero for the tax year ended December 31, 2016. |
7. Management Fees and Other Transactions with Affiliates
Management Fees
The annual management fee, payable monthly, is 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Fund’s management fee compensates the Adviser for investment advisory services to the Fund. The Sub-Adviser is compensated for its services to the Fund from the management fees paid to the Adviser. The Adviser is responsible for substantially all other expenses of the Fund, except any future distribution and/or service fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities, fees and expenses of the independent trustees (including any trustees’ counsel fees), certain compensation expenses of the Fund’s chief compliance officer, litigation expenses and extraordinary expenses.
Other Transactions with Affiliates
The Trust pays no compensation directly to those of its trustees who are affiliated with the Adviser or to its officers, all of whom receive remuneration for their services to the Trust from the Adviser or its affiliates. The Board has adopted a deferred compensation plan for independent trustees that enables trustees to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of the annual compensation they are entitled to receive from certain Nuveen-advised funds. Under the plan, deferred amounts are treated as though equal dollar amounts had been invested in shares of select Nuveen-advised funds.
26 | NUVEEN |
Fund Information (Unaudited)
Adviser Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606
Sub-Adviser Teachers Advisors, LLC 730 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017-3206 | Independent Registered KPMG LLP 200 East Randolph Drive Chicago, IL 60601
Administrator, Custodian and Brown Brothers Harriman 50 Post Office Square Boston, MA 02110 | Legal Counsel Chapman and Cutler LLP Chicago, IL 60603
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 | ||||||||
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Quarterly Form N-Q Portfolio of Investments Information: The Fund is required to file its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. You may obtain this information directly from the SEC. Visit the SEC on-line at http://www.sec.gov or in person at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call the SEC toll-free at (800) SEC-0330 for room hours and operation. | ||||||||||||||
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Nuveen Funds’ Proxy Voting Information: You may obtain (i) information regarding how each fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities held during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30, without charge, upon request, by calling Nuveen toll-free at (800) 257-8787 or on Nuveen’s website at www.nuveen.com and (ii) a description of the policies and procedures that each fund used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities without charge, upon request, by calling Nuveen toll-free at (800) 257-8787. You may also obtain this information directly from the SEC. Visit the SEC on-line at http://www.sec.gov. | ||||||||||||||
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FINRA BrokerCheck: The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) provides information regarding the disciplinary history of FINRA member firms and associated investment professionals. This information as well as an investor brochure describing FINRA BrokerCheck is available to the public by calling the FINRA BrokerCheck Hotline number at (800) 289-9999 or by visiting www.FlNRA.org. |
NUVEEN | 27 |
Used in this Report
Average Annual Total Return: This is a commonly used method to express an investment’s performance over a particular, usually multi-year time period. It expresses the return that would have been necessary each year to equal the investment’s actual cumulative performance (including change in NAV or market price and reinvested dividends and capital gains distributions, if any) over the time period being considered.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): The total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country/region in a given year, equal to total consumer, investment and government spending, plus the value of exports, minus the value of imports.
Net Asset Value (NAV) Per Share: A fund’s Net Assets is equal to its total assets (securities, cash, accrued earnings and receivables) less its total liabilities. NAV per share is equal to the fund’s Net Assets divided by its number of shares outstanding.
Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT): A REIT is a corporation or trust that invests in residential or commercial real estate.
28 | NUVEEN |
Annual Investment Management Agreement
Approval Process (Unaudited)
At a meeting held on November 14-16, 2016 (the “Meeting”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board” and each Trustee, a “Board Member”) of NuShares ETF Trust (the “Trust”), including the Independent Board Members (as defined below), considered and approved the investment management agreement (the “Investment Management Agreement”) between the Trust and Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) on behalf of the NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF (the “Fund”), a series of the Trust, and the investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) between the Adviser and Teachers Advisors, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”). The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser are each hereafter a “Fund Adviser.” The Investment Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are each hereafter an “Advisory Agreement.” The Board Members who are not parties to the Fund’s Investment Management Agreement or Sub-Advisory Agreement or “interested persons” of any such parties are hereafter the “Independent Board Members”.
To assist the Board in its evaluation of an Advisory Agreement with a Fund Adviser at the Meeting, the Independent Board Members had received, in adequate time in advance of the Meeting or at prior meetings, materials which outlined, among other things:
• | the nature, extent and quality of the services expected to be provided by the Fund Adviser; |
• | the organization of the Fund Adviser, including the responsibilities of various departments and key personnel; |
• | the relevant experience of the Fund Adviser with respect to the Fund’s investment strategy; |
• | certain performance-related information (as described below); |
• | certain profitability-related information (as described below); |
• | the Fund’s proposed unitary fee structure, including comparisons of the Fund’s proposed expense ratio with the expense ratios of comparable funds; and |
• | the soft dollar practices of the Fund Adviser, if any. |
At the Meeting and at prior meetings, the Adviser made a presentation to and responded to questions from the Board. During the Meeting, the Independent Board Members also met privately with their legal counsel to, among other things, review the Board’s duties under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the general principles of state law in reviewing and approving advisory contracts, the standards used by courts in determining whether investment company boards of directors have fulfilled their duties, factors to be considered in voting on advisory contracts and an adviser’s fiduciary duty with respect to advisory agreements and compensation. It is with this background that the Independent Board Members considered the Advisory Agreements. As outlined in more detail below, the Independent Board Members considered all factors they believed relevant with respect to the Fund. Each Board Member may have accorded different weight to the various factors and information discussed below in reaching his or her conclusions with respect to the Fund’s Advisory Agreements. The Board Members also drew on information they had received in their capacity as trustees and directors, as applicable, of other registered investment companies advised by the Fund Advisers.
A. Nature, Extent and Quality of Services
The Independent Board Members considered the nature, extent and quality of the respective Fund Adviser’s services, including portfolio management services and administrative services. In this regard, the Independent Board Members recognized that open-end exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) were recently added to the Nuveen fund product line; however, they considered the Adviser’s extensive experience in operating other types of investment companies. The Independent Board Members considered information about the structure, investment objective, strategies and other characteristics of the Fund. Additionally, they observed that the Fund was expected to seek to track the investment results of an index (the “Index”) developed by an unaffiliated index provider.
At the Meeting and/or at prior meetings, the Independent Board Members were provided with materials pertaining to, among other things, the Adviser’s organization and business and the types of services that the Adviser or its affiliates are expected to provide to the Fund. As the Adviser already serves as adviser to the other Nuveen funds overseen by the Board Members, the Board has a good understanding of the Adviser’s organization, operations, personnel and services. As the Independent Board Members meet regularly throughout the year to oversee the Nuveen funds, the Independent Board Members, in part, relied upon their knowledge from their meetings and any other interactions throughout the year with the Adviser in evaluating the Investment Management Agreement although, as noted above, they recognized that ETFs were recently added to the Nuveen fund product line.
The Board noted that the Fund would be a registered investment company that would operate in a regulated industry. In considering the services that were expected to be provided by the Fund Advisers, the Board recognized that the Adviser provides a comprehensive set of services to manage and
NUVEEN | 29 |
Annual Investment Management Agreement Approval Process (Unaudited) (continued)
operate the Nuveen funds, including: (a) product management (such as setting dividends; positioning the product in the marketplace; maintaining and enhancing shareholder communications; and reporting to the Board); (b) investment services (such as overseeing sub-advisers and other service providers; analyzing investment performance and risks; overseeing risk management and disclosure; developing and interpreting investment policies; assisting in the development of products; helping to prepare financial statements and marketing disclosures; and overseeing trade execution); (c) fund administration (such as helping to prepare fund tax returns and complete other tax compliance matters; and helping to prepare regulatory filings and shareholder reports); (d) fund Board administration (such as preparing Board materials and organizing and providing assistance for Board meetings); (e) compliance (such as helping to devise and maintain the Nuveen funds’ compliance program and related testing); and (f) legal support (such as helping to prepare registration statements and proxy statements; interpreting regulations and policies; and overseeing fund activities). The Board was aware, however, that services provided to ETFs may in some respects differ from those provided to other Nuveen funds. In addition, the Independent Board Members noted that the Adviser would oversee the Sub-Adviser, which was generally expected to provide the portfolio advisory services to the Fund.
With respect to the Sub-Adviser, at the Meeting or at prior meetings, the Independent Board Members were provided with materials pertaining to, among other things, the Sub-Adviser’s organization and business, and considered that the Sub-Adviser is an affiliate of the Adviser. More specifically, they noted that the Adviser is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen which, in turn, is an operating division of TIAA Global Asset Management (“TGAM”), the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA-CREF”), and the Sub-Adviser is a subsidiary of TGAM. The Independent Board Members considered the experience of the Sub-Adviser and noted that it manages, in addition to another recent Nuveen ETF, certain index products, including certain funds in the TIAA-CREF fund family. The Independent Board Members evaluated the background and experience of certain key investment personnel that were expected to serve as portfolio managers to the Fund.
Based on their review, the Independent Board Members found that, overall, the nature, extent and quality of services expected to be provided to the Fund under each Advisory Agreement were satisfactory.
B. Investment Performance
The Fund was new and, therefore, did not have its own performance history. The Independent Board Members, however, were familiar with the performance records of other Nuveen funds advised by the Adviser. Further, they noted that the Sub-Adviser manages another recent Nuveen ETF, but does not currently manage any funds or accounts focusing on real estate investment trusts (REITs) with short-term lease structures. However, the Independent Board Members reviewed certain performance information pertaining to the Index (including annualized returns, annualized volatility and risk-returns) for the 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, 10-year and 15-year periods as of September 30, 2016.
C. Fees, Expenses and Profitability
1. Fees and Expenses
In evaluating the management fees and expenses that the Fund was expected to bear, the Independent Board Members considered, among other things, the Fund’s proposed unitary fee structure, the rationale for its proposed fee structure, and its proposed expense ratio in absolute terms as well as compared with the expense ratios of comparable ETFs.
In considering the Fund’s proposed unitary fee structure, the Independent Board Members took into account the Adviser’s representation that unitary fee structures were generally common for ETFs. They noted that under this structure, the Fund would pay a fee to the Adviser and, in turn, the Adviser would be generally responsible for the fees incurred by the Fund (such as custody fees, transfer agency fees, index licensing fees, and stock exchange listing fees, as well as the fee paid to the Sub-Adviser), subject to certain exceptions (which included the management fee, any payments under the Trust’s distribution and service plan, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, expenses incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities, certain expenses of the Fund’s chief compliance officer, fees and expenses of the Independent Board Members and their counsel, litigation expenses and extraordinary expenses). In this regard the Independent Board Members were provided with estimates of the Fund’s anticipated expenses, including those that would be paid by the Adviser from the unitary fee and those that would be excluded from the unitary fee, to the extent available.
In considering the proposed unitary fee structure, the Independent Board Members took into account that the Adviser would bear the risk that certain of the Fund’s operating expenses would increase (but would also benefit if such expenses decrease) and the degree of expense stability that would be afforded to the Fund’s shareholders. Additionally, the Independent Board Members reviewed, among other things, the Fund’s proposed expense ratio as well as comparative data pertaining to expense ratios of the Fund’s peers in the Lipper category in which the Fund is expected to be classified. The proposed unitary fee charged to the Fund was below the median of the total expense ratio of the peers in the Lipper category. Further, the Independent Board Members considered the proposed sub-advisory fee, which, as noted above, will be paid by the Adviser out of its unitary fee.
Based on their review of the fee and expense information provided, the Independent Board Members determined that the Fund’s unitary fee was reasonable in light of the nature, extent and quality of services to be provided to the Fund.
30 | NUVEEN |
2. Comparisons with the Fees of Other Clients
The Board considered that ETFs were a recent addition to the Nuveen fund product line and the Fund will pay a unitary fee which will differ from most other investment companies advised by the Adviser which pay a variety of fees, such as the investment advisory fee; Rule 12b-1 fees, if any; transfer agency fees; custody fees; and other expenses. The Board believed the unitary fee structure is a benefit to shareholders as it clearly discloses the cost of owning Fund shares, shifts the risk of the costs of operating the Fund covered by the unitary fee to the Adviser, and provides an incentive to the Adviser to maximize administrative efficiencies. As noted, the Board considered the unitary fee paid by the Fund compared to the expense ratios of its peers in the Lipper category in which the Fund expected to be classified. The Board also noted that the Adviser and/or its affiliated sub-advisers provide services to other types of clients, including, among other things, separately managed accounts, other investment companies that are not offered by Nuveen but are sub-advised by one of Nuveen’s affiliated sub-advisers, foreign investment companies offered by Nuveen, and collective investment trusts. The Board has observed that the varying types of clients require different services and involve different regulatory risks and entrepreneurial risks than managing the Fund, a registered investment company. At prior meetings, the Board has reviewed information regarding the different types of services that are provided to the Nuveen funds compared to those provided to the other types of clients described above, which typically do not require the same breadth of day-to-day services required for registered funds advised by the Adviser. The Board noted that many of the administrative services that the Adviser provides to support the Nuveen funds may not be required to the same extent or at all for the institutional clients or other clients. The Independent Board Members have recognized that the foregoing variations result in different economics among the product structures and culminate in varying management fees among the types of clients and funds. Given the inherent differences in the various products, the Independent Board Members have concluded such facts justify the different levels of fees.
At the Meeting or at prior meetings, the Independent Board Members noted that although, except for another recent Nuveen ETF, the Sub-Adviser does not serve as sub-adviser to other Nuveen funds, it does serve as investment adviser to funds in the TIAA-CREF family of funds and, in addition, provides management services to other types of clients, including certain accounts.
3. Profitability of Fund Advisers
At the time of the Meeting, historical information regarding the costs of services provided by the Adviser to the Fund and the profitability of the Fund to the Adviser was not available as the Fund had not commenced operations and it was not possible to predict the effect on profitability of the Fund (or the recently added ETF line of business generally). At the Meeting or at prior meetings, however, the Board has recognized the significant time and resources the Adviser committed to develop the ETF product line, including organizing the Trust and Fund (in addition to other Nuveen ETFs), obtaining the necessary exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission, hiring additional personnel and arranging for the service providers to the Fund (and other Nuveen ETFs). The Independent Board Members also considered the estimated operating expenses to be paid by the Adviser pursuant to the unitary fee. Further, at prior meetings, the Independent Board Members have reviewed the profitability of Nuveen for its advisory activities on an absolute basis and in comparison to other investment advisers. In this regard, at prior meetings, the Independent Board Members have reviewed, among other things, Nuveen’s adjusted operating margins, the gross and net revenue margins (pre-tax and after-tax) for advisory activities for the other Nuveen funds, and the revenues, expenses, and net income (pre-tax and after-tax) of Nuveen for 2015 and 2014. The Independent Board Members have also reviewed an analysis of the key drivers behind the changes in revenues and expenses that impacted profitability and have considered Nuveen’s adjusted operating margins compared to that of other comparable investment advisers (based on asset size and composition) with publicly available data. Further, as the Adviser is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen which in turn is an operating division of TGAM, and the Sub-Adviser is a subsidiary of TGAM, the Board has reviewed a balance sheet for TIAA-CREF reflecting its assets, liabilities and capital and contingency reserves to have a better understanding of the financial stability and strength of the TIAA-CREF complex, together with Nuveen. Based on the information provided, the Independent Board Members have previously noted that the Adviser appeared to be sufficiently profitable to operate as a viable investment management firm and to honor its obligations as a sponsor of the Nuveen funds. The Board recognized that it will be reviewing profitability further as the Fund commences operations and gathers assets and as relevant information becomes available regarding Nuveen’s recently-added ETF business line as a whole.
D. Economies of Scale and Whether Fee Levels Reflect These Economies of Scale
With respect to economies of scale, the Independent Board Members have recognized that, in general, as the assets of a particular fund or the Nuveen complex in the aggregate increase over time, economies of scale may be realized with respect to the management of the funds. In this regard, the Independent Board Members considered whether the Fund could be expected to benefit from any economies of scale. Although the Independent Board Members have recognized that economies of scale are difficult to measure with precision, they have noted that there are several acceptable means to share economies of scale, including through breakpoints in the management fee schedule reducing the fee rates as asset levels grow, fee waiver and expense limitation agreements, and the Adviser’s investment in its business which can enhance the services provided to the Nuveen funds. Most of the funds in the Nuveen complex pay a management fee to the Adviser which is generally comprised of a fund-level component and a complex-level component. Generally, the fund level fee component declines as the assets of a particular fund grow. Pursuant to the complex-wide fee arrangement, generally, the complex-level fee component declines when eligible assets of the funds in the Nuveen complex combined grow.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Independent Board Members recognized that the unitary fee structure does not have breakpoints and that the Fund (like other Nuveen ETFs) would not participate in the complex-level fee program. The Independent Board Members recognized that it was
NUVEEN | 31 |
Annual Investment Management Agreement Approval Process (Unaudited) (continued)
difficult to assess when economies of scale, if any, might be realized before the commencement of investment operations and in light of Nuveen’s recent entry to the ETF market. They further recognized that although a unitary fee affords a certain degree of certainty in the expenses of the Fund, the Adviser will benefit from any reductions in certain fixed costs that arise in connection with managing the Fund although the Adviser also has the risk if such fixed costs rise. Additionally, they acknowledged that as ETFs were new to the Nuveen fund family, there would be ongoing review of the fee structure employed for these types of funds.
In addition, at the Meeting and/or prior meetings, the Independent Board Members have recognized the Adviser’s ongoing investment in its business to expand or enhance the services provided to the Nuveen funds. In this regard, the Independent Board Members have noted, among other things, the additions to groups who play a key role in supporting the funds including in fund administration, operations, fund governance, investment services, compliance, product management, retail distribution and technology. The Independent Board Members have also recognized the investments in systems necessary to manage the funds including in areas of risk oversight, information technology and compliance.
Based on their review, the Independent Board Members concluded that the proposed unitary fee structure (which would not include breakpoints or participation in the complex-level fee program) was acceptable.
E. Indirect Benefits
In evaluating fees, the Independent Board Members considered information received at the Meeting and/or at prior meetings regarding other additional benefits that a Fund Adviser or its affiliates may receive as a result of their relationship with the Fund, including compensation paid to affiliates and research received in connection with brokerage transactions (i.e., soft dollar arrangements). In this regard, the Independent Board Members considered that the Fund’s portfolio transactions will be allocated by the Sub-Adviser and that the Sub-Adviser may benefit from research received through soft dollar arrangements with respect to transactions in equity securities. However, they recognized that the Sub-Adviser does not use soft dollars in connection with transactions in fixed income securities.
Based on their review, the Independent Board Members concluded that any indirect benefits expected to be received by a Fund Adviser as a result of its relationship with the Fund were reasonable and within acceptable parameters.
F. Approval
The Independent Board Members did not identify any single factor discussed previously as all-important or controlling. The Board Members, including a majority of the Independent Board Members, concluded that the terms of the Investment Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement were fair and reasonable, that the respective Fund Adviser’s fees were reasonable in light of the services to be provided to the Fund and that the Investment Management Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement should be and were approved on behalf of the Fund.
32 | NUVEEN |
and Officers (Unaudited)
The management of the Funds, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Funds by the Adviser, is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees of the Funds. The number of directors of the Funds is set at twelve, effective July 1, 2016. None of the trustees who are not “interested” persons of the Funds (referred to herein as “independent trustees”) has ever been a director or employee of, or consultant to, Nuveen or its affiliates. The names and business addresses of the trustees and officers of the Funds, their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years, the number of portfolios each oversees and other directorships they hold are set forth below.
The Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes more information about the trustees. To request a free copy, call Nuveen Investments at (800) 257-8787 or visit the Funds’ website at www.nuveen.com.
Name, Year of Birth & Address | Position(s) Held with the Funds | Year First Elected or Appointed (1) | Principal Occupation(s) Including other Directorships During Past 5 Years | Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee | ||||
Independent Trustee: | ||||||||
William J. Schneider 1944 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Chairman and Trustee | 1996 | Chairman of Miller-Valentine Partners, a real estate investment company; Board Member of WDPR Public Radio station; formerly, Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired (2004) of Miller-Valentine Group; formerly, Board member, Business Advisory Council of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank and University of Dayton Business School Advisory Council; past Chair and Director, Dayton Development Coalition. | 182 | ||||
Jack B. Evans 1948 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Trustee | 1999 | President, The Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation (since 1996); Director and Chairman, United Fire Group, a publicly held company; Director, The Gazette Company; Life Trustee of Coe College and the Iowa College Foundation; formerly, President Pro-Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System; formerly, Director, Alliant Energy; formerly, Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; formerly, President and Chief Operating Officer, SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm. | 182 | ||||
William C. Hunter 1948 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Trustee | 2003 | Dean Emeritus, formerly, Dean, Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa (2006-2012); Director (since 2004) of Xerox Corporation; past Director (2005-2015), and past President (2010-2014) Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society; Director of Wellmark, Inc. (since 2009); formerly, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance, School of Business at the University of Connecticut (2003-2006); previously, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (1995-2003); formerly, Director (1997-2007), Credit Research Center at Georgetown University. | 182 | ||||
David J. Kundert 1942 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Trustee | 2005 | Formerly, Director, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (2006-2013); retired (since 2004) as Chairman, JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, President and CEO, Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and President, One Group Mutual Funds; prior thereto, Executive Vice President, Banc One Corporation and Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group; Regent Emeritus, Member of Investment Committee, Luther College; member of the Wisconsin Bar Association; member of Board of Directors and Chair of Investment Committee, Greater Milwaukee Foundation; member of the Board of Directors (Milwaukee), College Possible; Board member of Milwaukee Repertory Theatre (since 2016). | 182 |
NUVEEN | 33 |
Trustees and Officers (Unaudited) (continued)
Name, Year of Birth & Address | Position(s) Held with the Funds | Year First Elected or Appointed (1) | Principal Occupation(s) Including other Directorships During Past 5 Years | Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee | ||||
Albin F. Moschner(2) 1952 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Trustee | 2016 | Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Northcroft Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm (since 2012); previously, held positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc., including Consultant (2011-2012), Chief Operating Officer (2008-2011), and Chief Marketing Officer (2004-2008); formerly, President, Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. (2000-2003); formerly, President, One Point Services at One Point Communications (1999-2000); formerly, Vice Chairman of the Board, Diba, Incorporated (1996-1997); formerly, various executive positions with Zenith Electronics Corporation (1991-1996). Director, USA Technologies, Inc., a provider of solutions and services to facilitate electronic payment transactions (since 2012); formerly, Director, Wintrust Financial Corporation (1996-2016). | 182 | ||||
John K. Nelson 1962 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Trustee | 2013 | Member of Board of Directors of Core12 LLC (since 2008), a private firm which develops branding, marketing and communications strategies for clients; Director of The Curran Center for Catholic American Studies (since 2009) and The President’s Council, Fordham University (since 2010); formerly senior external advisor to the financial services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP (2012-2014); formerly, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Marian University (2010 as trustee, 2011-2014 as Chairman); formerly, Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO N.V. North America, and Global Head of its Financial Markets Division (2007-2008); prior senior positions held at ABN AMRO include Corporate Executive Vice President and Head of Global Markets—the Americas (2006-2007), CEO of Wholesale Banking—North America and Global Head of Foreign Exchange and Futures Markets (2001-2006), and Regional Commercial Treasurer and Senior Vice President Trading—North America (1996-2001); formerly, Trustee at St. Edmund Preparatory School in New York City. | 182 | ||||
Judith M. Stockdale 1947 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Trustee | 1997 | Board Member, Land Trust Alliance (since 2013) and U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (since 2013); formerly, Executive Director (1994-2012), Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; prior thereto, Executive Director, Great Lakes Protection Fund (1990-1994). | 182 | ||||
Carole E. Stone 1947 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Trustee | 2007 | Director, Chicago Board Options Exchange (since 2006), C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated (since 2009); Director, CBOE Holdings, Inc. (since 2010); formerly, Commissioner, New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform (2005-2010). | 182 | ||||
Terence J. Toth 1959 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Trustee | 2008 | Co-Founding Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008); Director, Fulcrum IT Service LLC (since 2010) and Quality Control Corporation (since 2012); member: Catalyst Schools of Chicago Board (since 2008) and Mather Foundation Board (since 2012), and chair of its Investment Committee; formerly, Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. (2008-2013); formerly, CEO and President, Northern Trust Global Investments (2004-2007); Executive Vice President, Quantitative Management & Securities Lending (2000-2004); prior thereto, various positions with Northern Trust Company (since 1994); formerly, Member, Northern Trust Mutual Funds Board (2005-2007), Northern Trust Global Investments Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Japan Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Securities Inc. Board (2003-2007) and Northern Trust Hong Kong Board (1997-2004). | 182 |
34 | NUVEEN |
Name, Year of Birth & Address | Position(s) Held with the Funds | Year First Elected or Appointed (1) | Principal Occupation(s) Including other Directorships During Past 5 Years | Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee | ||||
Margaret L. Wolff 1955 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Director | 2016 | Member of the Board of Directors (since 2013) of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each, a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.); formerly, Of Counsel, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Mergers & Acquisitions Group) (2005-2014); Member of the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital (since 2005); Member (since 2004) and Chair (since 2015) of the Board of Trustees of The John A. Hartford Foundation (a philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults); formerly, Member (2005-2015) and Vice Chair (2011-2015) of the Board of Trustees of Mt. Holyoke College. | 182 | ||||
Interested Directors: | ||||||||
William Adams IV(3) 1955 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Director | 2013 | Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President (since March 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President, Global Structured Products (2010-2016), prior thereto, Executive Vice President, U.S. Structured Products (1999-2010) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Executive Vice President (since February 2017) of Nuveen, LLC; Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (since 2011); Co-President, Global Products and Solutions (since January 2017), formerly, Co-Chief Executive Officer (2016-2017), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Securities, LLC; President (since 2011), of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Board Member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of Gilda’s Club Chicago. | 182 | ||||
Margo L. Cook(2)(3) 1964 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Director | 2016 | Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President (since March 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments, Inc; Executive Vice President (since February 2017) of Nuveen, LLC; Co-President, Global Products and Solutions (since January 2017), formerly, Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016), formerly, Executive Vice President (2013-2015), of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Co-President (since October 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President (2015-2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (Executive Vice President 2011-2015); formerly, Managing Director of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC (2011- 2016); Chartered Financial Analyst. | 182 |
Name, Year of Birth & Address | Position(s) Held with the Funds | Year First Elected or Appointed (4) | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer | ||||
Officers of the Funds: | ||||||||
Martin Y.G. Kremenstein 1976 100 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017 | Chief Administrative Officer | 2017 | Vice President (since April 2016) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Senior (since February 2017) Managing Director (since October 2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; formerly, Managing Director (2013-2015); formerly, Director (2009-2013) Deutsche Bank; CEO (2012-2015) DB Commodity Services LLC; CEO (2012-2014) DBX Advisors LLC and DBX Strategic Advisors LLC. | 7 | ||||
Lorna C. Ferguson 1945 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Vice President | 1998 | Managing Director (since 2004) of Nuveen | 183 |
NUVEEN | 35 |
Trustees and Officers (Unaudited) (continued)
Name, Year of Birth & Address | Position(s) Held with the Funds | Year First Elected or Appointed (4) | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer | ||||
Stephen D. Foy 1954 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Vice President and Controller | 1998 | Managing Director (since 2014), formerly, Senior Vice President (2013-2014) and Vice President (2005-2013) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Chief Financial Officer of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC (since 2010); Managing Director (since 2016) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Certified Public Accountant. | 183 | ||||
Nathaniel T. Jones 1979 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Vice President and Treasurer | 2016 | Managing Director (since January 2017), formerly, Senior Vice President (2016-2017), formerly, Vice President (2011-2016) of Nuveen; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 183 | ||||
Walter M. Kelly 1970 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President | 2003 | Managing Director (since January 2017), formerly, Senior Vice President (2008-2017) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. | 183 | ||||
Tina M. Lazar 1961 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Vice President | 2002 | Managing Director (since January 2017), formerly, Senior Vice President (2014-2017) of and Nuveen Securities, LLC. | 183 | ||||
Kevin J. McCarthy 1966 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | 2007 | Senior Managing Director (since February 2017), formerly, Executive Vice President (2016-2017), Secretary (since 2016) and General Counsel (since 2016), formerly, Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Senior Managing Director (since January 2017), formerly, Executive Vice President (2016-2017), formerly, Managing Director (2008-2016), and Assistant Secretary (since 2008) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Senior Managing Director (since February 2017), formerly, Executive Vice President (2016-2017), and Secretary (since 2016), formerly, Managing Director (2008-2016) and Assistant Secretary (2007-2016), and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Senior Managing Director (since February 2017), formerly, Executive Vice President (2016-2017) and Secretary (since 2016), formerly, Managing Director, Assistant Secretary (2011-2016), and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Senior Managing Director (since February 2017), formerly, Executive Vice President (2016-2017) and Secretary (since 2016) of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC; Vice President (since 2007) and Secretary (since 2016) of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC (since 2010); Vice President (since 2010) and Secretary (since 2016), formerly, Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC. | 183 | ||||
Kathleen L. Prudhomme 1953 901 Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55402 | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | 2011 | Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Managing Director and Assistant Secretary (since 2011) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; formerly, Deputy General Counsel, FAF Advisors, Inc. (2004-2010). | 183 | ||||
Christopher M. Rohrbacher 1971 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Vice President and Secretary | 2008 | Managing Director (since January 2017) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director (since January 2017), formerly, Senior Vice President (2016-2017) and Assistant Secretary (since October 2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC. | 183 | ||||
Joel T. Slager 1978 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | 2013 | Fund Tax Director for Nuveen Funds (since 2013); previously, Vice President of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc., Assistant Treasurer of the Morgan Stanley Funds (from 2010 to 2013). | 183 |
36 | NUVEEN |
Name, Year of Birth & Address | Position(s) Held with the Funds | Year First Elected or Appointed (4) | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer | ||||
Gifford R. Zimmerman 1956 333 W. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | 1988 | Managing Director (since 2002), and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director (since 2004) and Assistant Secretary (since 1994) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Managing Director (since 2002), Assistant Secretary (since 1997) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2011); Vice President (since February 2017), formerly, Managing Director (2003-2017) and Assistant Secretary (since 2003) of Symphony Asset Management LLC ; Managing Director and Assistant Secretary (since 2002) of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC (since 2002), Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC (since 2006) and of Winslow Capital Management, LLC, (since 2010);; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 183 |
(1) | Trustees serve an indefinite term until his/her successor is elected or appointed. The year first elected or appointed represents the year in which the director was first elected or appointed to any fund in the Nuveen Fund Complex. |
(2) | On June 22, 2016, Ms. Cook and Mr. Moschner were appointed as Board Members, effective July 1, 2016. |
(3) | “Interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their positions with Nuveen and certain of its subsidiaries. |
(4) | Officers serve one year terms through August of each year. The year first elected or appointed represents the year in which the officer was first elected or appointed to any fund in the Nuveen Fund Complex. |
NUVEEN | 37 |
Notes
38 | NUVEEN |
Notes
NUVEEN | 39 |
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Nuveen: | ||||||||||||||
Serving Investors for Generations | ||||||||||||||
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Since 1898, financial advisors and their clients have relied on Nuveen to provide dependable investment solutions through continued adherence to proven, long-term investing principles. Today, we offer a range of high quality equity and fixed-income solutions designed to be integral components of a well-diversified core portfolio. | ||||||||||||||
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Focused on meeting investor needs.
Nuveen helps secure the long-term goals of individual investors and the advisors who serve them, providing access to investment expertise from leading asset managers and solutions across traditional and alternative asset classes. Built on more than a century of industry leadership, Nuveen’s teams of experts align with clients’ specific financial needs and goals, demonstrating commitment to advisors and investors through market perspectives and wealth management and portfolio advisory services. Nuveen manages $236 billion in assets as of December 31, 2016. | ||||||||||||||
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Find out how we can help you.
To learn more about how the products and services of Nuveen may be able to help you meet your financial goals, talk to your financial advisor, or call us at (800) 257-8787. Please read the information provided carefully before you invest. Investors should consider the investment objective and policies, risk considerations, charges and expenses of any investment carefully. Where applicable, be sure to obtain a prospectus, which contains this and other relevant information. To obtain a prospectus, please contact your securities representative or Nuveen, 333 W. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.
Learn more about the NuShares ETFs at: www.nuveen.com/etf | ||||||||||||||
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Securities offered through Nuveen Securities, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC | 333 West Wacker Drive | Chicago, IL 60606 | www.nuveen.com/etf |
NAN-NURE-1216P 23204-INV-Y-03/18
ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS.
As of the end of the period covered by this report, the registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. There were no amendments to or waivers from the code during the period covered by this report. The registrant has posted the code of ethics on its website at www.nuveen.com/MutualFunds/ShareholderResources/FundGovernance.aspx. (To view the code, click on Code of Conduct.)
ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.
The registrant’s Board of Directors or Trustees (“Board”) determined that the registrant has at least one “audit committee financial expert” (as defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR) serving on its Audit Committee. The registrant’s audit committee financial experts are Carole E. Stone and Jack B. Evans, who are “independent” for purposes of Item 3 of Form N-CSR.
Ms. Stone served for five years as Director of the New York State Division of the Budget. As part of her role as Director, Ms. Stone was actively involved in overseeing the development of the State’s operating, local assistance and capital budgets, its financial plan and related documents; overseeing the development of the State’s bond-related disclosure documents and certifying that they fairly presented the State’s financial position; reviewing audits of various State and local agencies and programs; and coordinating the State’s system of internal audit and control. Prior to serving as Director, Ms. Stone worked as a budget analyst/examiner with increasing levels of responsibility over a 30 year period, including approximately five years as Deputy Budget Director. Ms. Stone has also served as Chair of the New York State Racing Association Oversight Board, as Chair of the Public Authorities Control Board, as a Commissioner on the New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform and as a member of the Boards of Directors of several New York State public authorities. These positions have involved overseeing operations and finances of certain entities and assessing the adequacy of project/entity financing and financial reporting. Currently, Ms. Stone is on the Board of Directors of CBOE Holdings, Inc., of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, and of C2 Options Exchange. Ms. Stone’s position on the boards of these entities and as a member of both CBOE Holdings’ Audit Committee and its Finance Committee has involved, among other things, the oversight of audits, audit plans and preparation of financial statements.
Mr. Evans was formerly President and Chief Operating Officer of SCI Financial Group, Inc., a full service registered broker-dealer and registered investment adviser (“SCI”). As part of his role as President and Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Evans actively supervised the Chief Financial Officer (the “CFO”) and actively supervised the CFO’s preparation of financial statements and other filings with various regulatory authorities. In such capacity, Mr. Evans was actively involved in the preparation of SCI’s financial statements and the resolution of issues raised in connection therewith. Mr. Evans has also served on the audit committee of various reporting companies. At such companies, Mr. Evans was involved in the oversight of audits, audit plans, and the preparation of financial statements. Mr. Evans also formerly chaired the audit committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
The following tables show the amount of fees that KPMG LLP, the Funds’ auditor, billed to the Funds’ during the Funds’ last two full fiscal years. The Audit Committee approved in advance all audit services and non-audit services that KPMG LLP provided to the Funds, except for those non-audit services that were subject to the pre-approval exception under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X (the “pre-approval exception”). The preapproval exception for services provided directly to the Funds waives the pre-approval requirement for services other than audit, review or attest services if: (A) the aggregate amount of all such services provided constitutes no more than 5% of the total amount of revenues paid by the Funds during the fiscal year in which the services are provided; (B) the Funds did not recognize the services as non-audit services at the time of the engagement; and (C) the services are promptly brought to the Audit Committee’s attention, and the Committee (or its delegate) approves the services before the audit is completed.
The Audit Committee has delegated certain pre-approval responsibilities to its Chairman (or, in his absence, any other member of the Audit Committee).
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2016 | Audit Fees Billed to Fund 1 | Audit-Related Fees Billed to Fund 2 | Tax Fees Billed to Fund 3 | All Other Fees Billed to Fund 4 | ||||||||||||
Fund Name | ||||||||||||||||
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF | 11,900 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
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Total | $ | 11,900 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 |
1 | “Audit Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for professional services for the audit of the Fund’s annual financial statements and services provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements. |
2 | “Audit-Related Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements that are not reported under “Audit Fees”. These fees include offerings related to the Fund’s common shares and leverage. |
3 | “Tax Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for professional services for tax advice, tax compliance, and tax planning. These fees include: all global withholding tax services; excise and state tax reviews; capital gain, tax equalization and taxable basis calculations performed by the principal accountant. |
4 | “All Other Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for products and services other than “Audit Fees”, “Audit-Related Fees” and “Tax Fees”. These fees represent all “Agreed-Upon Procedures” engagements pertaining to the Fund’s use of leverage. |
5 | Fund commenced operations 12/20/16 |
Percentage Approved Pursuant to Pre-approval Exception | ||||||||||||||||
Audit Fees Billed to Fund | Audit-Related Fees Billed to Fund | Tax Fees Billed to Fund | All Other Fees Billed to Fund | |||||||||||||
Fund Name | ||||||||||||||||
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF | 0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||||
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2015 | Audit Fees Billed to Fund 1 | Audit-Related Fees Billed to Fund 2 | Tax Fees Billed to Fund 3 | All Other Fees Billed to Fund 4 | ||||||||||||
Fund Name | ||||||||||||||||
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
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|
|
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|
| |||||||||
Total | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 |
1 | “Audit Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for professional services for the audit of the Fund’s annual financial statements and services provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements. |
2 | “Audit-Related Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements that are not reported under “Audit Fees”. These fees include offerings related to the Fund’s common shares and leverage. |
3 | “Tax Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for professional services for tax advice, tax compliance, and tax planning. These fees include: all global withholding tax services; excise and state tax reviews; capital gain, tax equalization and taxable basis calculations performed by the principal accountant. |
4 | “All Other Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for products and services other than “Audit Fees”, “Audit-Related Fees” and “Tax Fees”. These fees represent all “Agreed-Upon Procedures” engagements pertaining to the Fund’s use of leverage. |
Percentage Approved Pursuant to Pre-approval Exception | ||||||||||||||||
Audit Fees Billed to Fund | Audit-Related Fees Billed to Fund | Tax Fees Billed to Fund | All Other Fees Billed to Fund | |||||||||||||
Fund Name | ||||||||||||||||
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF | 0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % |
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2016 | Audit-Related Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | Tax Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | All Other Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | |||||||||
NuShares ETF Trust | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||
Percentage Approved Pursuant to Pre-approval Exception | ||||||||||||
Audit-Related Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | Tax Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | All Other Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | ||||||||||
0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % | |||||||
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2015 | Audit-Related Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | Tax Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | All Other Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | |||||||||
NuShares ETF Trust | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||
Percentage Approved Pursuant to Pre-approval Exception | ||||||||||||
Audit-Related Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | Tax Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | All Other Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers | ||||||||||
0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % |
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2016 | Total Non-Audit Fees Billed to Trust | Total Non-Audit Fees billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers (engagements related directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Trust) | Total Non-Audit Fees billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers (all other engagements) | Total | ||||||||||||
Fund Name | ||||||||||||||||
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
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|
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|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 |
“Non-Audit Fees billed to Fund” for both fiscal year ends represent “Tax Fees” and “All Other Fees” billed to Fund in their respective amounts from the previous table.
Less than 50 percent of the hours expended on the principal accountant’s engagement to audit the registrant’s financial statements for the most recent fiscal year were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant’s full-time, permanent employees.
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2015 | Total Non-Audit Fees Billed to Trust | Total Non-Audit Fees billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers (engagements related directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Trust) | Total Non-Audit Fees billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers (all other engagements) | Total | ||||||||||||
Fund Name | ||||||||||||||||
NuShares Short-Term REIT ETF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 |
“Non-Audit Fees billed to Fund” for both fiscal year ends represent “Tax Fees” and “All Other Fees” billed to Fund in their respective amounts from the previous table.
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures. Generally, the Audit Committee must approve (i) all non-audit services to be performed for the Funds by the Funds’ independent accountant and (ii) all audit and non-audit services to be performed by the Funds’ independent accountant for the Affiliated Fund Service Providers with respect to the operations and financial reporting of the Funds. Regarding tax and research projects conducted by the independent accountant for the Funds and Affiliated Fund Service Providers (with respect to operations and financial reports of the Trust), such engagements will be (i) pre-approved by the Audit Committee if they are expected to be for amounts greater than $10,000; (ii) reported to the Audit Committee Chairman for his verbal approval prior to engagement if they are expected to be for amounts under $10,000 but greater than $5,000; and (iii) reported to the Audit Committee at the next Audit Committee meeting if they are expected to be for an amount under $5,000.
ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS.
The registrant is an issuer as defined in Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). The registrant’s Board has a separately designated Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)A of the Exchange Act. The members of the Audit Committee are Jack B. Evans, David J. Kundert, John K. Nelson, Carole E. Stone and Terence J. Toth.
ITEM 6. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS.
a) | See Portfolio of Investments in Item 1. |
b) | Not applicable. |
ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
Not applicable to this registrant.
ITEM 8. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
Not applicable to this registrant.
ITEM 9. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.
Not applicable to this registrant.
ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.
There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s Board of Trustees implemented after the registrant last provided disclosure in response to this Item.
ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
(a) | The registrant’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (17 CFR 270.30a-3(c))) are effective, as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph, based on their evaluation of the controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(b)) and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (17 CFR 240.13a-15(b) or 240.15d-15(b)). |
(b) | There were no changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(d)) that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
ITEM 12. EXHIBITS.
File the exhibits listed below as part of this Form.
(a)(1) | Any code of ethics, or amendment thereto, that is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2, to the extent that the registrant intends to satisfy the Item 2 requirements through filing of an exhibit: Not applicable because the code is posted on registrant’s website at www.nuveen.com/MutualFunds/ShareholderResources/FundGovernance.aspx and there were no amendments during the period covered by this report. (To view the code, click on Code of Conduct.) | |
(a)(2) | A separate certification for each principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the registrant as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2(a)) in the exact form set forth below: See EX-99.CERT attached hereto. | |
(a)(3) | Any written solicitation to purchase securities under Rule 23c-1 under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.23c-1) sent or given during the period covered by the report by or on behalf of the registrant to 10 or more persons: Not applicable to this registrant. | |
(b) | If the report is filed under Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, provide the certifications required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2(b)), Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13a-14(b) or 240.15d-14(b)), and Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code (18 U.S.C. 1350) as an Exhibit. A certification furnished pursuant to this paragraph will not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78r), or otherwise subject to the liability of that section. Such certification will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that the registration specifically incorporates it by reference: See EX-99.906 CERT attached hereto. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
(Registrant) NuShares ETF Trust
By (Signature and Title) | /s/ Christopher M. Rohrbacher | |
Christopher M. Rohrbacher | ||
Vice President and Secretary |
Date: March 9, 2017
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
By (Signature and Title) | /s/ Martin Kremenstein | |
Martin Kremenstein | ||
Chief Administrative Officer | ||
(principal executive officer) |
Date: March 9, 2017
By (Signature and Title) | /s/ Stephen D. Foy | |
Stephen D. Foy | ||
Vice President and Controller | ||
(principal financial officer) |
Date: March 9, 2017