ZEGA Buy and Hedge ETF N14 Registration statement for investment companies business combination

As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 5, 2021

1933 Act Registration No. 333-[ ]

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-14

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


¨			Pre-Effective Amendment No. ____
¨			Post-Effective Amendment No. ____
			(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

TIDAL ETF TRUST

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

898 North Broadway, Suite 2

Massapequa, New York 11758

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code) (844) 986-7676

The Corporation Trust Company

1209 Orange Street

Corporation Trust Center

Wilmington, DE 19801

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

Eric W. Falkeis

Tidal ETF Services LLC

898 North Broadway, Suite 2

Massapequa, New York 11758

Christopher M. Cahlamer

Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

833 East Michigan Street, Suite 1800

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after the Registration Statement becomes effective under

the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

It is proposed that this filing will become effective on April 5, 2021 pursuant to Rule 488.

Title of Securities Being Offered: Shares of American Customer Satisfaction ETF

No filing fee is due because the Registrant is relying on Section 24(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

TIDAL ETF TRUST

CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT

This Registration Statement is comprised of the following:

Cover Sheet

Contents of Registration Statement

Letter to Shareholders

Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders

Questions and Answers

Part A – Combined Proxy Statement and Prospectus

Part B – Statement of Additional Information

Part C – Other Information

Signature Page

Exhibit Index

Form of Proxy Card

COMBINED PROXY STATEMENT AND PROSPECTUS

For the Reorganization of

American Customer Satisfaction ETF

a series of ETF Series Solutions

615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

(800) 617-0004

into

American Customer Satisfaction ETF

a series of Tidal ETF Trust

898 North Broadway, Suite 2, Massapequa, New York 11758

(844) 986-7676

[ ], 2021

American Customer Satisfaction ETF

a series of ETF Series Solutions

615 East Michigan Street | Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

[ ], 2021

Dear Shareholder:

On behalf of the Board of Trustees of ETF Series Solutions (“ESS”), we are pleased to invite you to a Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) of the American Customer Satisfaction ETF (ticker: ACSI) (the “Target Fund”), a series of ESS, on May 12, 2021, at the principal executive offices of ESS, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, at 11:00 a.m. Central Time.

We intend to hold the Special Meeting in person. However, we are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our shareholders may have and recommendations that public health officials may issue in light of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we may impose additional procedures or limitations on Special Meeting attendees or may decide to hold the Special Meeting in a different location or solely by means of remote communication. We plan to announce any such updates on our proxy website https://vote.proxyonline.com/etfss/docs/acsetf.pdf, and we encourage you to check this website prior to the Special Meeting if you plan to attend. We also encourage you to consider your options to vote by internet, telephone, or mail, as discussed below, in advance of the Special Meeting in the event that, as of May 12, 2021, in-person attendance at the Special Meeting is either prohibited under a federal, state, or local order or contrary to the advice of public health care officials.

As discussed in more detail in the enclosed Combined Proxy Statement and Prospectus, at the Special Meeting, the shareholders of the Target Fund will be asked to consider and vote to approve an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”) to reorganize the Target Fund into a corresponding new fund (the “Acquiring Fund”), which is a newly created series of Tidal ETF Trust (“Tidal”). The Acquiring Fund was established solely for the purpose of acquiring the assets of the Target Fund and continuing the Target Fund’s business (the “Reorganization”). Upon shareholder approval and effectiveness of the Plan, you will receive shares of the Acquiring Fund equivalent to the value of your Target Fund shares as of the closing date of the Reorganization in complete liquidation and dissolution of the Target Fund, and you will no longer be a shareholder of the Target Fund, but will become a shareholder of the Acquiring Fund. Importantly, approval of the Proposal will not result in any increase in shareholder fees or expenses.

The Acquiring Fund will be managed by Toroso Investments, LLC (“Toroso”), whereas the Target Fund is managed by CSat Investment Advisory, L.P., doing business as Exponential ETFs. Although certain portfolio management team members will change as described in greater detail herein, Toroso will manage the Acquiring Fund in accordance with the same investment objective and materially identical investment strategies, policies, and risks as the Target Fund immediately prior to the Reorganization. Additional information about the Acquiring Fund is included in Appendix D and the Statement of Additional Information related to the Combined Proxy Statement and Prospectus.

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT.

The Board of Trustees of ESS believes that the proposed Reorganization is in the best interests of Target Fund shareholders and recommends that you vote “FOR” the approval of the Plan to authorize the Reorganization with respect to the Target Fund.

You can vote in one of four ways:

•By mail with the enclosed proxy card;

•By internet through the website listed in the proxy voting instructions;

•By automated touchtone using the toll-free number listed in the proxy voting instructions; or

•In person at the special shareholder meeting on May 12, 2021.

Thank you for your consideration of this important Proposal. Your vote is extremely important, so please read the enclosed Combined Proxy Statement and Prospectus carefully and submit your vote.

Your vote is very important to us. Thank you for your response and for your continued investment in the American Customer Satisfaction ETF.

Respectfully,

Michael D. Barolsky

Vice President and Secretary

ETF Series Solutions

American Customer Satisfaction ETF

a series of ETF Series Solutions

615 East Michigan Street | Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

TO BE HELD May 12, 2021

To the Shareholders of the American Customer Satisfaction ETF:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) of the American Customer Satisfaction ETF (the “Target Fund”), a series of ETF Series Solutions, is to be held on May 12, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time, at the offices of ETF Series Solutions, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

At the Special Meeting, you and the other shareholders of the Target Fund will be asked to consider and vote to approve the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”) approved by the ETF Series Solutions Board of Trustees, which provides for the reorganization (the “Reorganization”) of the Target Fund, a series of ETF Series Solutions, into the American Customer Satisfaction ETF, a newly created series of Tidal ETF Trust. The persons designated as proxies may use their discretionary authority to vote as instructed by management of the Target Fund on any other proposals raised at the Special Meeting to the extent permitted by the proxy rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including proposals for which timely notice was not received, as set forth in the SEC’s proxy rules.

Those present and the appointed proxies also will transact such other business, if any, as may properly come before the Special Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.

Holders of record of the shares of beneficial interest in the Target Fund as of the close of business on March 1, 2021, are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.

If the necessary quorum to transact business or the vote required to approve any proposal is not obtained at the Special Meeting, or if a quorum is obtained but sufficient votes required to approve the Plan are not obtained, the chairman of the Special Meeting may adjourn the Special Meeting one or more times to permit, in accordance with applicable law, further solicitation of proxies with respect to the proposal.

This Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders and the Combined Proxy Statement and Prospectus are available on the internet at https://vote.proxyonline.com/etfss/docs/acsetf.pdf. On this webpage, you also will be able to access the Target Fund’s Prospectus, the Acquiring Fund’s Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements to the foregoing material that are required to be furnished to shareholders. We encourage you to access and review all of the important information contained in the proxy materials before voting.

By order of the Board of Trustees of ETF Series Solutions,

Michael D. Barolsky

Vice President & Secretary

[ ], 2021

HOW TO VOTE YOUR SHARES

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

NO MATTER HOW MANY SHARES YOU OWN

We urge you to vote your shares. Your prompt vote may save the Target Fund the necessity of further solicitations to ensure a quorum at the Special Meeting. You may cast your vote by mail, by the internet, and by automated touchtone as set forth below:

•Mail: To vote your proxy by mail, check the appropriate voting box on your proxy card, sign and date the card and return it in the enclosed postage-prepaid envelope. If you sign, date, and return the proxy card but give no voting instructions, the proxies will vote FOR the Proposal.

The options below are available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.

•Internet: The web address and instructions for voting online can be found on the enclosed proxy card. You will be required to provide your control number found on your proxy card.

•Automated Touchtone: The toll-free number for automated touchtone telephone voting can be found on the enclosed proxy card. You must have the control number found on your proxy card.

If you can attend the Special Meeting and wish to vote your shares in person at that time, you will be able to do so. If you hold your shares in “street name” through a broker, bank or other nominee, you should contact your nominee about voting in person at the Special Meeting. We intend to hold the Special Meeting in person. However, we are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our shareholders may have and recommendations that public health officials may issue in light of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we may impose additional procedures or limitations on Special Meeting attendees or may decide to hold the Special Meeting in a different location or solely by means of remote communication. We plan to announce any such updates on our proxy website https://vote.proxyonline.com/etfss/docs/acsetf.pdf, and we encourage you to check this website prior to the Special Meeting if you plan to attend.

American Customer Satisfaction ETF

a series of ETF Series Solutions

615 East Michigan Street | Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Dated: [ ], 2021

Question: What is this document and why did you send it to me?

Answer: The attached Combined Proxy Statement and Prospectus (the “Proxy Statement”) is a proxy statement for the American Customer Satisfaction ETF (the “Target Fund”), a series of ETF Series Solutions (“ESS”), and a prospectus for shares of the American Customer Satisfaction ETF (the “Acquiring Fund”), a newly created series of Tidal ETF Trust (“Tidal”). (The Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund may each be referred to as a “Fund”, or, together, the “Funds”). The purposes of the Proxy Statement are to (1) solicit votes from shareholders of the Target Fund to approve the proposed reorganization of the Target Fund into the Acquiring Fund (the “Reorganization”), as described in the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization between ESS and Tidal (the “Plan”), a form of which is attached to the Proxy Statement as Appendix A, and (2) provide information regarding the shares of the Acquiring Fund. Approval by the shareholders of the Target Fund is required to proceed with the Reorganization. If the shareholders of the Target Fund do not approve the Proposal, then the Reorganization will not be implemented and the Board of Trustees of ESS (the “ESS Board”) will consider what further actions to take.

The Proxy Statement contains information that you should know before voting on the Reorganization, including additional information about the Acquiring Fund in Appendix D and the Statement of Additional Information related to the Proxy Statement. The Proxy Statement should be retained for future reference.

Question: What is the purpose of the Reorganization?

Answer: The primary purpose of the Reorganization is to move the investment portfolio and shareholders presently associated with the Target Fund to the Acquiring Fund. CSat Investment Advisory, L.P., doing business as Exponential ETFs (“Exponential ETFs”), the investment adviser to the Target Fund, recommends that the Target Fund be reorganized with and into the Acquiring Fund. Exponential ETFs’ recommendation was made in light of its plans to wind-down its investment advisory business and its limited resources to market and distribute the Target Fund and to enable the Target Fund to benefit from the experience and resources of Toroso Investments, LLC (“Toroso”) and its affiliates. If the Reorganization is approved by Target Fund shareholders, Toroso will serve as the investment adviser for the Acquiring Fund. The Reorganization will allow Toroso to leverage its resources for, and focus its marketing and distribution efforts on, the Acquiring Fund. Toroso is an investment adviser managing 17 exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) with over $1.9 billion in assets under management as of February 28, 2021. After careful consideration, upon the recommendation of Exponential ETFs, the Board approved the reorganization of the Target Fund as a new series of Tidal.

Question: How will the Reorganization work?

Answer: To reconstitute the Target Fund as a series of Tidal, an investment company with materially identical investment policies and strategies, referred to as the “Acquiring Fund,” has been created as a new series of Tidal. The Acquiring Fund is newly organized and has no assets or liabilities. If shareholders of the Target Fund approve the Plan, the Target Fund will transfer all of its assets to the Acquiring Fund in return for shares of the Acquiring Fund and the Acquiring Fund’s assumption of the Target Fund’s liabilities. Existing shareholders of the Target Fund will become shareholders of the Acquiring Fund and, immediately after the Reorganization, each shareholder will hold shares of the Acquiring Fund with a value equal to the aggregate net asset value of the Target Fund’s shares that the shareholder held immediately prior to the Reorganization. Subsequently, the Target Fund will be liquidated and terminated.

Please refer to the Proxy Statement for a detailed explanation of the Proposal. If the Plan is approved by shareholders of the Target Fund at the Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Special Meeting”), the Reorganization is expected to be effective on or about May 24, 2021.

Question: How will the Reorganization affect me as a shareholder?

Answer: You will become a shareholder of the Acquiring Fund. You will receive shares of the Acquiring Fund with a value equal to the aggregate net asset value of your shares of the Target Fund held immediately prior to the Reorganization.

Question: Is the investment focus of the Acquiring Fund different from that of the Target Fund?

Answer: No, the investment objective of the Acquiring Fund will be identical to that of the Target Fund, and the investment strategies of the Acquiring Fund will be materially identical to those of the Target Fund.

Question: Who will manage the Acquiring Fund?

Answer: The Reorganization will shift management responsibility from Exponential ETFs to Toroso, the investment adviser of the Acquiring Fund. Toroso is an SEC-registered investment adviser formed in March 2012 that is dedicated to understanding, researching, and managing assets with the expanding ETF universe. Charles A. Ragauss, CFA, who has been a portfolio manager for the Target Fund since its inception in 2016, will also be a portfolio manager of the Acquiring Fund. ESS and the Target Fund are not affiliated with Toroso, Tidal, or the Acquiring Fund.

Question: Will there be changes to the Board of Trustees and service providers for the Acquiring Fund?

Answer: ESS and Tidal have different Boards of Trustees, legal counsel, and administrators, as set forth in the table below; however, ESS and Tidal have the same fund accountant, transfer agent, distributor, custodian, and independent registered public accounting firm (with respect to the Acquiring Fund). The administrator for the Target Fund serves as the sub-administrator for the Acquiring Fund.


	Target Fund	Acquiring Fund
Administrator	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC	Tidal ETF Services LLC
Sub-Administrator	N/A	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Fund Accountant	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Transfer Agent	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Custodian	U.S. Bank National Association	U.S. Bank National Association
Distributor and Principal Underwriter	Foreside Fund Services, LLC	Foreside Fund Services, LLC
Auditor	Cohen & Company, Ltd.	Cohen & Company, Ltd.
Legal Counsel	Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP	Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

Question: Will the Reorganization affect the fees and expenses I pay as a shareholder of the Target Fund?

Answer: No, the fees and expenses you pay as a shareholder of the Target Fund are expected to stay the same after you become a shareholder of the Acquiring Fund. Each Fund operates under a unitary fee contract structure whereby each Fund pays for its investment advisory and administrative services under what is essentially an “all-in” fee arrangement. The management fee and total annual fund operating expenses for the Target Fund is 0.65% per annum of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The management fee and estimated total annual fund operating expenses for the Acquiring Fund is 0.65% per annum of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

The Funds have each adopted a Rule 12b-1 Distribution and Service Plan under which the applicable Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per annum of the Fund’s average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently expected to be paid by the Acquiring Fund, and the Board of Trustees of Tidal has not approved the commencement of any payments under the plan. Similarly, no such fee is currently being paid by the Target Fund, and the ESS Board has not approved the commencement of any payments under the plan.

Question: Will I own the same number of shares of the Acquiring Fund as I currently own of the Target Fund?

Answer: Although the number of shares of the Acquiring Fund you receive may differ from the number of Target Fund shares you hold, in exchange for your shares of the Target Fund, you will receive shares of the Acquiring Fund equal in value to the net asset value of your Target Fund shares immediately prior to the Reorganization.

Question: Will the Reorganization result in any taxes?

Answer: The Reorganization is expected to qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of section 368(a) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. In general, the Target Fund will not recognize any gain or loss as a direct result of the transfer of all of its assets and its liabilities in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund or as a result of its liquidation and termination, and shareholders of the Target Fund will not recognize any gain or loss upon receipt of shares of the Acquiring Fund in connection with the Reorganization. Shareholders of the Target Fund should consult their own tax advisers regarding the federal, state, local, and other tax treatment and implications of the Reorganization in light of their individual circumstances.

Question: Will my basis change as a result of the Reorganization?

Answer: No, your aggregate tax basis for federal income tax purposes of the Acquiring Fund shares you receive in the Reorganization will be the same as the basis of your Target Fund shares you held immediately before the Reorganization.

Question: Will I be charged a commission or other fee as a result of the Reorganization?

Answer: No commission or other transactional fees will be imposed on shareholders in connection with the Reorganization.

Question: Why do I need to vote?

Answer: Your vote is needed to ensure that a quorum and sufficient votes are present at the Special Meeting so that the Proposal can be acted upon. Your immediate response on the enclosed Proxy Card will help prevent the need for any further solicitations for a shareholder vote. Your vote is very important to us regardless of the number of shares you own.

Question: How does the ESS Board recommend that I vote?

Answer: After careful consideration and upon the recommendation of Exponential ETFs, the Board unanimously recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” the Proposal to approve the Plan.

Question: Who is paying for expenses related to the Special Meeting and the Reorganization?

Answer: The Target Fund and the Target Fund shareholders will not pay any expenses related to the Reorganization. Exponential ETFs and Toroso will bear all expenses relating to the Reorganization, including the costs relating to the Special Meeting and Proxy Statement.

Question: Will the Reorganization affect my ability to buy and sell shares?

Answer: No. You may continue to make additional purchases or sales of the Target Fund shares through your financial intermediary up to and including the day of the Reorganization, which is anticipated to be on or about May 24, 2021. Any purchases or sales of Target Fund shares made after the Reorganization will be purchases or sales of the Acquiring Fund. If the Reorganization is approved, your Target Fund shares will automatically be converted to Acquiring Fund shares.

Question: What will happen if the Plan is not approved by shareholders?

Answer: If shareholders of the Target Fund do not approve the Plan, then the Target Fund will not be reorganized into the Acquiring Fund and will continue to operate as a series of ESS. The Board will consider further actions to take in light of Exponential ETFs’ plans to wind-down its investment advisory business.

Question: How do I vote my shares?

Answer: You can vote your shares as indicated under “HOW TO VOTE YOUR SHARES” which immediately precedes this Question and Answers section.

COMBINED PROXY STATEMENT AND PROSPECTUS

[ ], 2021

For the Reorganization of

American Customer Satisfaction ETF

a series of ETF Series Solutions

615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

(800) 617-0004

Into

American Customer Satisfaction ETF

a series of Tidal ETF Trust

898 North Broadway, Suite 2, Massapequa, New York 11758

(844) 986-7676

Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.

_________________________________

This Combined Proxy Statement and Prospectus (the “Proxy Statement”) is being sent to you in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of ETF Series Solutions (“ESS”) for use at a Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) of the American Customer Satisfaction ETF, a series of ESS (the “Target Fund”), at the principal executive offices of ESS, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, on May 12, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time. At the Special Meeting, shareholders of the Target Fund will be asked to consider and vote on the following proposal:


Proposal:			To approve the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”) approved by the Board of Trustees of ESS, which provides for the reorganization of the Target Fund into the American Customer Satisfaction ETF (the “Acquiring Fund”), a newly created series of Tidal ETF Trust (“Tidal”) (the “Reorganization”).

After careful consideration and upon the recommendation of CSat Investment Advisory, L.P., doing business as Exponential ETFs (“Exponential ETFs”), the Target Fund’s investment adviser, the Board unanimously recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” the Proposal.

The Plan provides that all of the assets of the Target Fund will be transferred to the Acquiring Fund in exchange for shares of beneficial interest (“shares”) of the Acquiring Fund and the Acquiring Fund’s assumption of the Target Fund’s liabilities. Shareholders of the Target Fund will receive shares of the Acquiring Fund with a value equal to the aggregate net asset value (“NAV”) of their shares of the Target Fund held immediately prior to the Reorganization in complete liquidation and termination of the Target Fund. After the Reorganization, shareholders will no longer be shareholders of the Target Fund, but would become shareholders of the Acquiring Fund.

Those present and the appointed proxies also will transact such other business, if any, as may properly come before the Special Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.

This Proxy Statement sets forth concisely the information you should know before voting on the Proposal. You should read it and keep it for future reference.

The following documents containing additional information about the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund, each having been filed with the SEC, are incorporated by reference into (legally considered to be part of) this Proxy Statement:

•the Statement of Additional Information dated [ ], 2021, relating to this Proxy Statement (the “Proxy Statement SAI”);

•the Prospectus of the Target Fund, dated January 31, 2021, as may be amended and supplemented (the “Target Fund Prospectus”) (File Nos. 333-179562 and 811-22668);

•the Statement of Additional Information of the Target Fund, dated January 31, 2021, as may be amended and supplemented (the “Target Fund SAI”) (File Nos. 333-179562 and 811-22668); and

•the Annual Report for the Target Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 (the “Target Fund Annual Report”) (File No. 811-22668).

This Proxy Statement will be mailed on or about [ ], 2021 to shareholders of record of the Fund as of March 1, 2021.

The Target Fund is a registered open-end management investment company. The Target Fund Prospectus and the Target Fund Annual Report have previously been delivered to Target Fund shareholders. Additional information about the Acquiring Fund that will be included in the Acquiring Fund’s Prospectus, when available, is included in Appendix D to this Proxy Statement. The Acquiring Fund is newly-organized and currently has no assets or liabilities. The Acquiring Fund is an open-end management investment company that has been created in connection with the Reorganization for the purpose of acquiring the assets and liabilities of the Target Fund. The Acquiring Fund will not commence operations until the date of the Reorganization.

Copies of this Proxy Statement, the Proxy Statement SAI, and any of the foregoing documents relating to the Target Fund are available upon request and without charge by calling the Target Fund at 1-800-617-0004, visiting www.acsietf.com, or writing to the Target Fund, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701. Copies of documents relating to the Acquiring Fund, when available, may be obtained upon request and without charge by writing to Tidal ETF Trust at the same address or by calling (toll-free) at 1-800-617-0004 or visiting https://exponentialetfs.com/acsi/.

No person has been authorized to give any information or make any representation not contained in this Proxy Statement and, if so given or made, such information or representation must not be relied upon as having been authorized. This Proxy Statement does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

THE SEC HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE SECURITIES NOR HAS IT PASSED ON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROXY STATEMENT. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

An investment in the Target Fund or the Acquiring Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in any fund involves investment risk, including the possible loss of principal.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


PROPOSAL – TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION			1
OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION			1
EFFECT OF THE REORGANIZATION			2
SUMMARY COMPARISON OF THE FUNDS			3
BOARD CONSIDERATIONS			11
KEY INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION			12
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS			14
VOTING INFORMATION			15
RECORD DATE, VOTING RIGHTS, AND VOTES REQUIRED			15
HOW TO VOTE			16
PROXIES			16
QUORUM AND ADJOURNMENTS			16
EFFECT OF ABSTENTIONS AND BROKER “NON-VOTES”			17
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES			17
OTHER INFORMATION			17
OTHER BUSINESS			17
APPRAISAL RIGHTS			17
NEXT MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS			17
LEGAL MATTERS			17
INFORMATION FILED WITH THE SEC AND CBOE BZX EXCHANGE, INC.			17
APPENDIX A - FORM OF AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION			A-1
APPENDIX B - FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TARGET FUND			B-1
APPENDIX C - OWNERSHIP OF SHARES OF THE TARGET FUND			C-1
APPENDIX D - SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION FOR THE ACQUIRING FUND			D-1

PROPOSAL – TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION

OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION

The Board of Trustees of ESS, including all the Trustees who are not “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), proposes that shareholders of the Target Fund approve the Plan, pursuant to which the Target Fund will reorganize into the Acquiring Fund and each Target Fund shareholder will become a shareholder of the Acquiring Fund. A form of the Plan is attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix A. The Board considered the Reorganization at a meeting held on February 25, 2021. Based upon the recommendation of Exponential ETFs, the Board’s evaluation of the terms of the Plan, and other relevant information presented to the Board in advance of the meeting, and in light of its fiduciary duties under federal and state law, the Board, including all of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of ESS under the 1940 Act, determined that the Reorganization is in the best interests of the Target Fund and its shareholders. See “Board Considerations” for a summary of the factors considered and conclusions drawn by the Board in approving the Plan and authorizing the submission of the Plan to shareholders for approval.

To reorganize the Target Fund into a series of Tidal, a fund with materially identical investment policies and strategies, the Acquiring Fund, which is also named the “American Customer Satisfaction ETF,” has been created as a new series of Tidal. If the shareholders of the Target Fund approve the Plan, the Reorganization will have these primary steps:

•All of the assets of the Target Fund will be transferred to the Acquiring Fund in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund and the Acquiring Fund’s assumption of the Target Fund’s liabilities;

•Immediately after the transfer of the Target Fund’s assets as provided for in the Plan, the Target Fund will distribute the Acquiring Fund shares received by the Target Fund pro rata to its shareholders in redemption of the outstanding shares of the Target Fund; and

•The Target Fund will be liquidated and terminated.

Approval of the Plan will constitute approval of the transfer of the Target Fund’s assets to the Acquiring Fund, the assumption of the Target Fund’s liabilities by the Acquiring Fund, the distribution of the Acquiring Fund’s shares to Target Fund shareholders, and the liquidation and termination of the Target Fund. The Acquiring Fund shares issued in connection with the Reorganization will have an aggregate NAV equal to the aggregate value of the assets that the Target Fund transferred to the Acquiring Fund, less the Target Fund’s liabilities that the Acquiring Fund assumes. As a result of the Reorganization, existing shareholders of the Target Fund shares will become shareholders of the Acquiring Fund. Shareholders of the Target Fund will receive shares of the Acquiring Fund with a value equal to the aggregate NAV of their shares of the Target Fund held immediately prior to the Reorganization. No commission or other transaction fees will be charged to the Target Fund’s shareholders in connection with the Reorganization.

The Reorganization is expected to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for federal income tax purposes. As a result, in general, the Target Fund will not recognize any gain or loss as a result of the transfer of all of its assets and its liabilities in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund or as a result of its liquidation and termination, and shareholders of the Target Fund will not recognize any gain or loss upon receipt of shares of the Acquiring Fund in connection with the Reorganization. Tidal and ESS will receive an opinion from tax counsel to Tidal confirming such tax treatment.

A-1

EFFECT OF THE REORGANIZATION

The primary purpose of the Reorganization is to move the investment portfolio and shareholders presently associated with the Target Fund to the Acquiring Fund.

Certain basic information about the Target Fund and Acquiring Fund is provided in the table below. The Target Fund and Acquiring Fund are sometimes referred to together as the “Funds.”


	Target Fund	Acquiring Fund
Identity of Fund	American Customer Satisfaction ETF, a series of ETF Series Solutions (an open-end management investment company registered with the SEC)	American Customer Satisfaction ETF, a series of Tidal ETF Trust (an open-end management investment company registered with the SEC)
Listing Exchange	Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”)	Same
Ticker Symbol	ACSI	Same following the Reorganization
Fiscal Year-End	September 30	Same
Form of Organization	Series of a Delaware statutory trust	Same
Diversification Status	Diversified	Same

The Reorganization will shift management responsibility for the Target Fund from Exponential ETFs to Toroso Investments, LLC (“Toroso”) as investment adviser of the Acquiring Fund. Neither ESS nor Exponential ETFs is affiliated with Tidal or Toroso. The investment objective of the Acquiring Fund will be identical to that of the Target Fund, and the investment strategies of the Acquiring Fund will be materially identical to those of the Target Fund. The Acquiring Fund and the Target Fund are each diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act.

The Reorganization will not result in a change in the management fee currently paid by the Target Fund. The Target Fund pays Exponential ETFs a unitary management fee on a monthly basis at the annual rate of 0.65% of the Target Fund’s average daily net assets. Under the Target Fund’s advisory agreement, Exponential ETFs pays substantially all expenses of the Target Fund, subject to certain exceptions. The Acquiring Fund will pay Toroso a unitary management fee on a monthly basis at the annual rate of 0.65% of the Acquiring Fund’s average daily net assets. Under the Acquiring Fund’s advisory agreement, Toroso pays substantially all expenses of the Acquiring Fund, subject to certain exceptions. Both advisory agreements provide that the applicable adviser will not be responsible for paying for the advisory fee, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and payments under each Fund’s 12b-1 Plan (defined below).

The Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund have each adopted a Rule 12b-1 Distribution and Service Plan (each a “12b-1 Plan”) under which the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per annum of the Fund’s average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently expected to be paid by the Acquiring Fund, and the Board of Trustees of Tidal has not approved the commencement of any payments under the 12b-1 Plan. Similarly, no such fee is currently being paid by the Target Fund, and the Board of Trustees of ESS has not approved the commencement of any payments under the 12b-1 Plan.

The total expense ratio of the Acquiring Fund’s shares is expected to be the same as that of the Target Fund’s shares. The total annual fund operating expenses for the shares of the Target Fund are 0.65% of the Target Fund’s average daily net assets (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses). The projected total annual fund operating expenses for the shares of the Acquiring Fund are estimated to be 0.65% of the Acquiring Fund’s average daily net assets (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses).

Shareholders will continue to be able to make additional purchases or sales of the Target Fund shares through their financial intermediary up to and including the day of the Reorganization. If the Reorganization is approved, Target Fund shares will automatically be converted to Acquiring Fund shares.

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SUMMARY COMPARISON OF THE FUNDS

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Target Fund and the pro forma fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Acquiring Fund after giving effect to the Reorganization. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund shares. Expenses for the Target Fund are based on operating expenses of the Target Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. Expenses for the Acquiring Fund are pro forma operating expenses of the Acquiring Fund for the same period, assuming the Reorganization had occurred prior to the start of the period.


Fees and Expenses	Target Fund Shares	Acquiring Fund Shares (pro forma)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fee	0.65%	0.65%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	0.00%	0.00%
Other Expenses	0.00%	0.00%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	0.01%	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1)	0.66%	0.66%

(1) Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets provided in the Financial Highlights section of the Prospectus, which reflects only the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

Example

The Example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of the Target Fund with the cost of investing in shares of the Acquiring Fund on a pro forma basis. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in each Fund and then redeem all of your shares at the end of each period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% annual return and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:


	One Year	Three Years	Five Years	Ten Years
Target Fund Shares	$67	$211	$368	$822
Acquiring Fund Shares (pro forma)	$67	$211	$368	$822

Fund Performance

The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Funds. The Acquiring Fund will not commence operations until after the closing of the Reorganization. At that time, the Acquiring Fund will adopt the performance history of the Target Fund.

The bar chart shows the Target Fund’s performance for the calendar years ended December 31. The table illustrates how the Target Fund’s average annual returns for the 1-year and since inception periods compared with a broad measure of market performance and the American Customer Satisfaction Investable Index (the “Index”). The Target Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it or the Acquiring Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is also available on the Target Fund’s website at www.acsietf.com.

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Calendar Year Total Returns

During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 20.34% for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, and the lowest quarterly return was -21.62% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.


Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2020

Target Fund	1 Year	Since Inception (10/31/2016)
Return Before Taxes	22.84%	15.54%
Return After Taxes on Distributions	22.61%	15.17%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares	13.69%	12.34%
American Customer Satisfaction Investable Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	23.60%	16.40%
Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500 Index) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	18.40%	16.91%

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts.

Portfolio Turnover

Each Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect a Fund’s performance. Because the Acquiring Fund is newly organized, no portfolio turnover data is available. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, the Target Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 67% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Objectives, Strategies, and Policies

The Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund have identical investment objectives and materially identical investment strategies, which are presented below.

The Acquiring Fund has been created as a new series of Tidal solely for the purpose of acquiring the Target Fund’s assets and continuing its business and will not conduct any investment operations until after the closing of the Reorganization. Because the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund have identical investment objectives and materially identical investment strategies, Toroso believes that, if the Reorganization is approved, all of the Target Fund’s assets will be transferred to and held by the Acquiring Fund.

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Investment Objectives. Each Fund seeks to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index. Each Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may therefore be changed without the consent of the Fund’s shareholders, upon written notice to shareholders.

Principal Investment Strategies. Each Fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index. The Index is based on a proprietary methodology developed by Exponential ETFs in partnership with the American Customer Satisfaction Index, LLC, an affiliate of Exponential ETFs and owner/publisher of the leading national cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction (the “Customer Satisfaction Data”). Calculation of the Customer Satisfaction Data incorporates surveys of more than 100,000 household customers each year to identify trends in customer satisfaction and provide benchmarking insights for companies, industry trade associations, and government agencies.

American Customer Satisfaction Investable Index

The Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to measure the performance of U.S.-listed companies whose customers have been surveyed and who have been assigned a customer satisfaction score as part of the Customer Satisfaction Data (collectively, “ACSI Companies”).

Construction of the Index begins with over 400 ACSI Companies across 46 industries and 10 economic sectors. The initial universe is then screened to eliminate companies whose stock is not principally listed on a U.S. exchange, whose market capitalization is less than $1 billion, or for which the Customer Satisfaction Data is statistically insignificant. The Index is comprised of ACSI Companies in the 25 industries (as classified by the Customer Satisfaction Data) with the highest customer retention, and the company(ies) with the highest ACSI Score (described below) in each such industry will be included in the Index (the “Index Companies”). One to three ACSI Companies from each industry are included in the Index based on the number of ACSI Companies in a given industry. The Index will generally be comprised of 25 to 35 companies at the time of each rebalance of the Index.

A company’s ACSI Score is calculated by utilizing a proprietary model to evaluate customers’ Customer Satisfaction Data based on questions that measure the following facets of satisfaction with a product or service:


Customer Expectations			Customer expectations is a measure of the customer’s anticipation of the quality of a company’s products or services. Expectations represent both prior consumption experience, which includes some nonexperiential information like advertising and word-of-mouth, and a forecast of the company’s ability to deliver quality in the future.
Perceived Quality			Perceived quality is a measure of the customer’s evaluation via recent consumption experience of the quality of a company’s products or services. Quality is measured in terms of both customization, which is the degree to which a product or service meets the customer’s individual needs, and reliability, which is the frequency with which things go wrong with the product or service.
Perceived Value			Perceived value is a measure of quality relative to price paid. Although price (value for money) is often very important to the customer’s first purchase, it usually has a somewhat smaller impact on satisfaction for repeat purchases.

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At the time of each rebalance of the Index, the Index is sector-weighted to reflect the overall U.S. large cap market, industry-weighted based on the highest ACSI Score of any Index Company within an industry, and equal-weighted within each industry, subject to the constraints described below.

Sector Weighting. At the time of each rebalance of the Index, the Index weight is allocated to each economic sector based on the aggregate number of the Index Companies in each sector relative to that of each other sector, provided that such weights will be adjusted upward or downward if necessary to better reflect the weight of such sector in the overall U.S. large cap market. Unallocated Index weight resulting from such downward adjustments is re-allocated first equally to sectors requiring an upward weight adjustment and then equally to all sectors to the extent they stay within the Index’s constraints.

Industry Weighting. At the time of each rebalance of the Index, within each economic sector, the Index weight is allocated to each industry based on the highest ACSI Score of any Index Company within such industry relative to the highest ACSI Score for companies in each other industry within such sector.

Security Weighting. At the time of each rebalance of the Index, Index Companies within an industry are equally weighted, subject to a maximum of 12% for any individual Index Company.

The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted on a quarterly basis after market close on the 10th trading day of each January, April, July, and October. The data used to compute each ACSI Company’s score is updated based on the Customer Satisfaction Data on a rolling basis, no less often than quarterly, with new data replacing earlier data collected in the same period of the previous year.

The Index was developed by Exponential ETFs in 2016 in anticipation of the commencement of operations of the Target Fund.

The Funds’ Investment Strategy

Each Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it generally will invest in all of the component securities of the Index. However, a Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of the Index as a whole, when the Adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund (e.g., when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs, an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable, or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not to the Index).

Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of each Fund’s net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, will be invested in investments that are tied economically to the United States. Such policy has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.

Each Fund may invest in securities or other investments not included in the Index, but which its adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index. For example, a Fund may invest in securities that are not components of the Index to reflect various corporate actions and other changes to the Index (such as reconstitutions, additions, and deletions).

To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of related industries, each Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the Index.

Principal Risks

Risk is the chance that you will lose money on your investment or that it will not earn as much as you expect. In general, the greater the risk, the more money your investment can earn for you and the more you can lose. Like other investment companies, the value of each Fund’s shares (the “Shares”) may be affected by its investment objective, principal investment strategies, and particular risk factors. The principal risks of investing in the Funds are discussed below. However, other factors may also affect each Fund’s NAV. There is no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its investment objective or that it will not lose principal value.

The principal risks of investing in the Funds are substantially similar, as their investment objectives are identical and the investment strategies of the Funds are materially identical. The principal risks of investing in the Funds are set forth below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with those of other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV, trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives.

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The following risks apply to both the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund.

•Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused prolonged disruptions to the normal business operations of companies around the world and the impact of such disruptions is hard to predict. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.

•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:

◦Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

◦Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.

◦Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares.

•Models and Data Risk. The composition of the Index is heavily dependent on proprietary quantitative models as well as information and data supplied by third parties (“Models and Data”). When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon may lead to securities being included in or excluded from the Index that would have been excluded or included had the Models and Data been correct and complete. If the composition of the Index reflects such errors, the Fund’s portfolio can be expected to reflect the errors, too.

•Passive Investment Risk. The Fund invests in the securities included in, or representative of, the Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform the Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to the Index.

•Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.

◦Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The Fund is generally expected to invest significantly in companies in the consumer discretionary sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of

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domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence, changes in demographics and consumer preferences. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending, and may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. These companies may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability.

◦Consumer Staples Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the consumer staples sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Companies in the consumer staples sector, including those in the food and beverage industries, may be affected by general economic conditions, commodity production and pricing, consumer confidence and spending, consumer preferences, interest rates, product cycles, marketing campaigns, competition, and government regulations.

◦Information Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

•Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and the Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.

Portfolio Holdings Information

Information about the Target Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at www.ascietf.com. A complete description of the Target Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Target Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Target Fund’s SAI, which is incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement. Information about the Acquiring Fund’s daily portfolio holdings will be available at https://exponentialetfs.com/acsi/.

In addition, each Fund discloses its complete portfolio holdings as of the end of its fiscal year and its second fiscal quarter in its reports to shareholders. No later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, each Fund files with the SEC on Form N-PORT a complete list of its portfolio holdings as of each month-end during the relevant quarter. You can find the SEC filings on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. A summarized description of the Acquiring Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio holdings is included in the Proxy Statement SAI.

Funds’ Investment Limitations

The investment restrictions adopted by the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund as fundamental investment restrictions (i.e., cannot be changed by either Fund’s Board of Trustees without affirmative shareholder approval) are materially identical. The Target Fund’s fundamental investment restrictions, as well as the Target Fund’s interpretations of those restrictions, are summarized under the section entitled “Investment Restrictions” in the Target Fund SAI, which is incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement. The Acquiring Fund’s fundamental investment restrictions, as well as the Acquiring Fund’s interpretations of those restrictions, are described in the Proxy Statement SAI.

A fundamental restriction cannot be changed without the affirmative vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. A non-fundamental limitation may be changed by a Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.

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Management

Boards of Trustees

Overall responsibility for oversight of ESS rests with its Board. The Board is responsible for overseeing Exponential ETFs and other service providers in the operations of ESS in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, applicable provisions of state and other laws and ESS’s governing documents. ESS currently has four Trustees, one of whom is an “interested person,” as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. A list of the Trustees and officers of ESS, and their present positions and principal occupations, is provided under “Management of the Trust” in the Target Fund SAI, which is incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement.

Overall responsibility for oversight of Tidal rests with its Board of Trustees (the “Tidal Board”). The Tidal Board is responsible for overseeing Toroso and other service providers in the operations of Tidal in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, applicable provisions of state and other laws and Tidal’s governing documents. Tidal currently has four Trustees, one of whom is an “interested person,” as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. A list of the Trustees and officers of Tidal, and their present positions and principal occupations, is provided under the section entitled “Management of the Trust” in the Proxy Statement SAI.

Investment Advisers

CSat Investment Advisory, L.P., doing business as Exponential ETFs, located at 1001 Woodward Avenue, Suite 500, Detroit, Michigan 48226, is an investment adviser registered with the SEC and serves as the investment adviser to the Target Fund. Exponential ETFs also arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, and all other related services necessary for the Fund to operate, subject to the oversight of the ESS Board.

Toroso Investments, LLC, located at 898 North Broadway, Suite 2, Massapequa, New York 11758, is an investment adviser registered with the SEC and will serve as the investment adviser to the Acquiring Fund. Toroso also arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, and all other related services necessary for the Fund to operate, subject to the oversight of the Tidal Board.

Portfolio Managers

The following portfolio managers are jointly and/or primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds:


Target Fund						Acquiring Fund
Charles A. Ragauss, CFA, Chief Operating Officer of Exponential ETFs						Michael Venuto, Chief Investment Officer for Toroso
						Charles A. Ragauss, CFA, Portfolio Manager for Toroso

The Target Fund SAI, which is incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement, and the Proxy Statement SAI provide additional information about the Funds’ portfolio managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities of the Fund.

Investment Advisory Fees

Pursuant to an advisory agreement between ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, and Exponential ETFs (the “Exponential Advisory Agreement”), the Target Fund pays Exponential ETFs a unitary management fee for the services and facilities it provides payable on a monthly basis at an annual rate of 0.65% of the Target Fund’s average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, Exponential ETFs pays all expenses of the Target Fund, except for the advisory fee, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and distribution (12b‑1) fees and expenses.

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Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between Tidal, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, and Toroso (the “Toroso Advisory Agreement”), the Acquiring Fund will pay Toroso an annual advisory fee based on its average daily net assets for the services and facilities it provides payable at the annual rate of 0.65% of the Acquiring Fund’s average daily net assets. Toroso will pay all the costs of the Acquiring Fund, except for the advisory fee, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions, and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, distribution fees, and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

A discussion regarding the basis for the ESS Board’s approval of the Exponential Advisory Agreement with respect to the Target Fund is available in the Target Fund’s Annual Report dated September 30, 2020. A discussion regarding the basis for the Tidal Board’s approval of the Tidal Advisory Agreement with respect to the Acquiring Fund will be available in the Acquiring Fund’s first semi-annual or annual report to shareholders following the Reorganization.

Other Service Providers

The following table identifies the principal service providers that service the Target Fund and that are expected to service the Acquiring Fund:


	Target Fund	Acquiring Fund
Administrator	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC	Tidal ETF Services LLC
Sub-Administrator	Not applicable	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Fund Accounting	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Transfer Agent	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Custodian	U.S. Bank National Association	U.S. Bank National Association
Distributor and Principal Underwriter	Foreside Fund Services, LLC	Foreside Fund Services, LLC
Auditor	Cohen & Company, Ltd.	Cohen & Company, Ltd.
Legal Counsel	Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP	Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units

Each Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in a large specified number of shares called a “Creation Unit” or multiples thereof. Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities and/or cash. It is expected that only a limited number of institutional investors, called Authorized Participants or “APs,” will purchase and redeem shares directly from the Funds.

Individual shares of the Funds may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares can be bought or sold through an investor’s broker throughout the trading day like shares of any publicly traded issuer. Because shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling shares through a broker, the investor will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered prices (the “bid-ask spread”) in the secondary market for shares. The price at which an investor buys or sells shares (i.e., the market price) may be more or less than the NAV of the shares. Unless imposed by the broker, there is no minimum dollar amount that shareholders must invest in the Funds and no minimum number of shares that shareholders must buy. Shares of the Target Fund are listed, and shares of the Acquiring Fund following the Reorganization will be listed, for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) under the ticker symbol ASCI. Recent information about the Target Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Target Fund’s website at www.acsietf.com.

For a discussion of how the Target Fund’s shares may be purchased and redeemed, as applicable, see “Purchase and Sale of Shares” and “How to Buy and Sell Shares” in the Target Fund Prospectus incorporated by reference herein. For a discussion of how the Acquiring Fund’s shares may be purchased, exchanged, and redeemed, as applicable, see “How to Buy and Sell Shares” in Appendix D attached to this Proxy Statement.

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Tax Information

Distributions shareholders receive from a Fund are generally taxable to them as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes, except that distributions may be taxed to shareholders at long-term capital gain rates to the extent reported by a Fund as “capital gain dividends” or “qualified dividend income,” and may also be subject to state or local taxes. Fund distributions may not be taxable to a shareholder if such shareholder is investing through a tax-advantaged retirement plan account or is a tax-exempt investor, although such shareholder may be taxed on withdrawals from such shareholder’s tax-advantaged account.

BOARD CONSIDERATIONS

The Board considered the Reorganization at a meeting held on February 25, 2021. Based upon the recommendation of Exponential ETFs in light of its plans to wind-down its investment advisory business and its limited resources to market and distribute the Target Fund, and to enable the Target Fund to benefit from the experience and resources of Toroso and its affiliates, the Board evaluated the terms of the Plan, each Fund’s investment objective and strategies, the expenses relating to the Reorganization, each Fund’s fees and expenses (including the total annual fund operating expense ratio and the Rule 12b-1 fee that has been approved by the Tidal Board but has not yet commenced payments), the distribution capabilities of the Acquiring Fund’s distributor, the experience and expertise of the Acquiring Fund’s investment adviser, federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization, and possible alternatives to the Reorganization. The Board, including all of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of ESS under the 1940 Act, determined that the Reorganization is in the best interests of the Target Fund and its shareholders and approved the Reorganization and the Plan subject to shareholder approval.

The Board considered the following factors, among others, in its evaluation of the Reorganization:

The Terms and Conditions of the Reorganization. The Board considered the terms of the Plan and, in particular, that the transfer of the assets of the Target Fund will be in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund and the Acquiring Fund’s assumption of the liabilities of the Target Fund. The Board also took note of the fact that no commission or other transactional fees would be imposed on the Target Fund’s shareholders in connection with the Reorganization. In addition, the Board noted that pursuant to the Plan, each Target Fund shareholder’s account will be credited with the number of Acquiring Fund shares equal to the value of the Target Fund shares that each shareholder holds immediately prior to the Reorganization. The Board also noted that the value of the Target Fund’s assets to be acquired and the amount of its liabilities to be assumed by the Acquiring Fund and the NAV of a share of the Target Fund will be determined in accordance with the valuation methodologies described in the Target Fund Prospectus and SAI, as may be supplemented. As a result, the Board noted that the interests of Target Fund shareholders would not be diluted as a result of the Reorganization. The Board also noted that the Reorganization would be submitted to the Target Fund’s shareholders for approval.

Investment Objectives and Investment Strategies. The Board considered that the investment objective of the Acquiring Fund is identical, and the investment strategies of the Acquiring Fund are materially identical, to those of the Target Fund.

Expenses Relating to Reorganization. The Board considered that the Target Fund shareholders will not incur any expenses in connection with the Reorganization. All expenses relating to the proposed Reorganization, which are estimated to be $70,000, whether or not consummated, will be borne by Exponential ETFs and Toroso, including expenses related to the Special Meeting and solicitation of proxies, preparing and filing the registration statement that includes this Proxy Statement, and the cost of copying, printing, and mailing proxy materials.

Relative Expense Ratios. The Board reviewed information regarding comparative expense ratios (current and pro forma expense ratios are set forth in “Summary Comparison of the Funds—Fees and Expenses” section above), which indicated that the estimated total annual fund operating expense ratio for the shares of the Acquiring Fund are expected to be the same as those of the Target Fund.

Distribution; Distribution and Service Fees. The Board considered the distribution capabilities of Foreside Fund Services, LLC and its commitment to distribute the shares of the Acquiring Fund. The Board further considered that, like the Target Fund, the Acquiring Fund has adopted a 12b-1 Plan under which the Fund may bear a 12b-1 fee up to 0.25% annually of the Fund’s average daily net assets, and the Tidal Board has not currently approved any payments under the 12b-1 Plan. The Board further noted that the Tidal Board will consider the approval of any future commencement of payments under the 12b-1 Plan.

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The Experience and Expertise of the Investment Adviser. The Board considered that Toroso is an investment adviser managing 17 ETFs with over $1.9 billion in assets under management as of February 28, 2021, and that its key personnel have significant experience providing investment advisory services to ETFs. The Board also considered that Charles A. Ragauss, who has been a portfolio manager for the Target Fund since its inception in 2016, will serve as one of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio managers with Toroso after the Reorganization.

Federal Income Tax Consequences. The Board considered that the Reorganization is expected to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for federal income tax purposes and that shareholders of the Target Fund are not expected to recognize any gain or loss upon receipt of shares of the Acquiring Fund in the Reorganization.

Other Alternatives. The Board considered alternatives to the Reorganization that were identified by Exponential ETFs and the officers of ESS and discussed with counsel. After considering the merits and viability of these other alternatives, the Board agreed with the assessment that the possible alternatives were less desirable than the Reorganization.

Based on the foregoing, the Board determined that the Reorganization as proposed by Exponential ETFs is the best alternative for the Target Fund at this time and is in the best interests of the Target Fund and its shareholders. The Board approved the Reorganization, subject to approval by shareholders of the Target Fund and the solicitation of the shareholders of the Target Fund to vote “FOR” the approval of the Plan. These determinations were made on the basis of each Trustee’s business judgment after consideration of all of the factors taken as a whole, though individual Trustees may have placed different weight on various factors and assigned different degrees of materiality to various conclusions.

KEY INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION

Shareholders of the Target Fund are being asked to approve the Plan, which sets forth the terms and conditions under which the Reorganization will be implemented. Material provisions of the Plan are summarized below; however, this summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Plan, a form of which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix A.

The Plan

The Plan provides for the transfer of all of the assets of the Target Fund to the Acquiring Fund in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund of equal value to the net assets of the Target Fund being acquired, and the Acquiring Fund’s assumption of the Target Fund’s liabilities, if any, as of the closing date of the Reorganization. The NAV of the Acquiring Fund shares issued in the exchange will equal the NAV of the Target Fund at the Closing (as defined in the Plan). Immediately after the transfer of the Target Fund’s assets as provided for in the Plan, the Target Fund will distribute the Acquiring Fund shares pro rata to the Target Fund’s shareholders of record by Tidal’s transfer agent establishing accounts on the Acquiring Fund’s share records in the names of those shareholders and transferring those shares of the Acquiring Fund to those accounts in redemption of the Target Fund shares and in complete liquidation of the Target Fund. The outstanding shares of the Target Fund held by the shareholders will then be canceled. As a result of the Reorganization, each shareholder of the Target Fund will receive the number of shares of the Acquiring Fund equal in value to such shareholder’s holdings in the Target Fund immediately before the Reorganization. Shares will be held in book entry form only.

The value of the Target Fund’s assets to be acquired and the liabilities to be assumed, if any, by the Acquiring Fund and the NAV per share of the Target Fund will be determined as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange on the business day immediately preceding the Closing Date (as defined in the Plan) of the Reorganization. The NAV per share amount will be determined in accordance with the valuation methodologies approved by the Board and described in the Target Fund’s Prospectus and SAI, as may be amended and supplemented. Exponential ETFs will bear all expenses relating to the Reorganization, including expenses related to the Special Meeting and solicitation of proxies, preparing and filing the registration statement that includes this Proxy Statement, and the cost of copying, printing, and mailing proxy materials, up to $60,000. Toroso and Exponential ETFs will split on a 50/50 basis any costs that exceed the initial $60,000.

The Reorganization is subject to a number of conditions, including the approval of the Plan by the shareholders of the Target Fund and the receipt of a legal opinion from Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., counsel to Tidal, with respect to certain tax matters (see “Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Reorganization,” below). Assuming satisfaction of the conditions in the Plan, the Closing Date of the Reorganization is expected to be on or about May 24, 2021, or another date agreed to by ESS and Tidal. The Plan may be amended or terminated and the Reorganization abandoned at any time by mutual consent of ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, and Tidal, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund.

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Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Reorganization

The following is a general summary of the material federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization and is based upon the current provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), the existing U.S. Treasury Regulations thereunder, current administrative rulings of the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and published judicial decisions, all of which are subject to change. This discussion is limited to U.S. persons who hold shares of beneficial interest of the Target Fund as capital assets for federal income tax purposes. Shareholders who are not U.S. persons are strongly urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences of the Reorganization and of an investment in the shares of the Acquiring Fund. This summary does not address all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to a particular shareholder or to shareholders who may be subject to special treatment under federal income tax laws. Because the foregoing discussion only relates to the federal income tax consequences of the proposed Reorganization, shareholders should also consult their tax advisors as to state, local and foreign tax consequences, if any, of the proposed Reorganization.

The Reorganization is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. As a condition to the Reorganization, the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund have requested an opinion of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. substantially to the effect that with respect to the Reorganization, based on certain assumptions, facts, the terms of the Plan and representations set forth in the Plan or otherwise provided by the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund and on the basis of the existing provisions of the Code, current administrative rules and court decisions, for federal income tax purposes:

1.the acquisition by the Acquiring Fund of all of the assets of the Target Fund, as provided for in the Plan, in exchange for Acquiring Fund shares and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of all of the liabilities of the Target Fund, followed by the distribution by the Target Fund to its shareholders of the Acquiring Fund shares in complete liquidation of the Target Fund, will qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1) of the Code, and the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund each will be a “party to a reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code;

2.no gain or loss will be recognized by the Target Fund upon the transfer of all of its assets to, and the assumption of all of its liabilities by, the Acquiring Fund in exchange solely for Acquiring Fund shares pursuant to Section 361(a) and Section 357(a) of the Code;

3.no gain or loss will be recognized by the Acquiring Fund upon the receipt by it of all of the assets of the Target Fund in exchange solely for the assumption of all of the liabilities of the Target Fund and issuance of the Acquiring Fund shares pursuant to Section 1032(a) of the Code;

4.no gain or loss will be recognized by the Target Fund upon the distribution of Acquiring Fund shares to shareholders of the Target Fund in complete liquidation (in pursuance of the Agreement) of the Target Fund pursuant to Section 361(c)(1) of the Code;

5.the tax basis of the assets of the Target Fund received by the Acquiring Fund will be the same as the tax basis of such assets in the hands of the Target Fund immediately prior to the transfer of such assets, increased by the amount of gain (or decreased by the amount of loss), if any, recognized by the Target Fund on the transfer pursuant to Section 362(b) of the Code;

6.the holding periods of the assets of the Target Fund in the hands of the Acquiring Fund will include the periods during which such assets were held by the Target Fund pursuant to Section 1223(2) of the Code;

7.no gain or loss will be recognized by the shareholders of the Target Fund upon the exchange of all of their Target Fund shares of beneficial interest of the Target Fund for Acquiring Fund shares pursuant to Section 354(a) of the Code;

8.the aggregate tax basis of the Acquiring Fund shares received by a shareholder of the Target Fund will be the same as the aggregate tax basis of the Target Fund shares exchanged therefor pursuant to Section 358(a)(1) of the Code; and

9.the holding period of the Acquiring Fund shares received by a shareholder of the Target Fund will include the holding period of the Target Fund shares exchanged therefor, provided that the shareholder held the Target Fund shares as a capital asset on the date of the exchange pursuant to Section 1223(1) of the Code.

No opinion will be expressed as to (1) the effect of the Reorganization on the Target Fund, the Acquiring Fund or any shareholder of the Target Fund (a) with respect to any asset as to which unrealized gain or loss is required to be recognized upon

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the transfer of such asset regardless of whether such transfer would otherwise be a non-taxable transaction under the Code, (b) on “Section 1256 contracts” as defined in Section 1256(b) of the Code, (c) on stock in a passive foreign investment company as defined in Section 1297(a) of the Code, (d) as a result of the closing of a taxable year (or termination thereof), or (e) upon termination of a position, or (2) any other federal tax issues (except those set forth above) and all state, local, or foreign tax issues of any kind.

An opinion of counsel is not binding on the IRS or the courts and neither the Target Fund nor the Acquiring Fund has sought a ruling with respect to the tax treatment of the Reorganization. The opinion of counsel, if delivered, will be based on the Code, regulations issued by the Treasury Department under the Code, court decisions, and administrative pronouncements issued by the IRS with respect to all of the foregoing, all as in effect on the date of the opinion, and all of which may be repealed, revoked or modified thereafter, possibly on a retroactive basis.

Description of the Acquiring Fund’s Shares

Shares of the Acquiring Fund issued to the shareholders of the Target Fund pursuant to the Reorganization will be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable when issued in accordance with the Plan and will be transferable without restriction and will have no preemptive or conversion rights.

Capitalization

The capitalization of the Target Fund as of March 1, 2021 (the “Record Date,” as defined below) and the Acquiring Fund’s pro forma combined capitalization as of that date, after giving effect to the Reorganization, are as follows:


(unaudited)	Target Fund Shares	Acquiring Fund Shares (pro forma)
Net Assets	$73,204,659.99	$73,204,659.99
Shares Outstanding	1,600,000	1,600,000
Net Asset Value per Share	$45.75	$45.75

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS

General

For a general discussion of the operation and organization of the Target Fund, see “General Information About the Trust” and “Exchange Listing and Trading” in the Target Fund SAI, which is incorporated by reference herein. For a general discussion of the operation and organization of the Acquiring Fund, see “General Information About the Trust” and “Exchange Listing and Trading” in the Proxy Statement SAI.

Rights of the Funds’ Shareholders

ESS is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Each Target Fund share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Target Fund shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription, or conversion rights and are freely transferable. For a description of other significant attributes of shares of the Target Fund see “Description of Shares” in the Target Fund SAI, which is incorporated by reference herein.

Tidal is not required to hold meetings of shareholders. Shares of the Acquiring Fund have equal voting rights. Acquiring Fund shares are freely transferable. Shares of the Acquiring Fund will not have preemptive rights or cumulative voting rights, and none of the shares will have any preference to conversion, exchange, dividends, retirements, liquidation, redemption, or any other feature. For a description of other significant attributes of shares of the Acquiring Fund see “Description of Shares” in the Proxy Statement SAI.

Pricing of Fund Shares

For information on how the NAV per share of each Fund is calculated, see “Determination of Net Asset Value” in the Target Fund Prospectus and “How to Buy and Sell Shares” in Appendix D attached to this Proxy Statement.

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Dividends, Other Distributions, and Taxes

The Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund each intend to pay out dividends and interest income at least annually, if any, and distribute any net realized capital gains to their applicable shareholders at least annually. A portion of the distributions made by a Fund may be treated as return of capital for federal income tax purposes. One or more additional distributions may be made generally in December or after a Fund’s fiscal year-end to comply with applicable law. Each Fund will declare and pay income and capital gain distributions in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional Fund shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Fund shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

For a discussion of the Target Fund’s policies with respect to dividends and distributions, and federal income tax considerations, see “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes” in the Target Fund Prospectus, which is incorporated by reference herein. For a discussion of the Acquiring Fund’s policies with respect to dividends and distributions, and federal income tax considerations, see “Dividends Distributions, and Taxes” in Appendix D attached to this Proxy Statement.

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings and Premium/Discount Information

For a description of the Target Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio holdings and premium/discount information, see “Portfolio Holdings Information” and “Premium/Discount Information” in the Target Fund Prospectus and “Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policies and Procedures” in the Target Fund SAI, which are incorporated by reference herein. For a description of the Acquiring Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio holdings and premium/discount information, see “Premium/Discount Information” in Appendix D attached to this Proxy Statement, and “Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policies and Procedures” in the Proxy Statement SAI.

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions

For a discussion of the Target Fund’s policies with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions, see “Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares” in the Target Fund Prospectus, which is incorporated by reference herein. For a discussion of the Acquiring Fund’s policies with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions, see “Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares” in Appendix D attached to this Proxy Statement.

Purchases Through Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If shareholders purchase shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, a Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend Fund shares over another investment. Shareholders should ask their salespersons or visit their financial intermediary’s website for more information.

Financial Information

For certain financial information about the Target Fund, see “Financial Highlights” which is appended to this Proxy Statement as Appendix B.

VOTING INFORMATION

RECORD DATE, VOTING RIGHTS, AND VOTES REQUIRED

Proxies are being solicited from the shareholders of the Target Fund by the Board for the Special Meeting to be held on May 12, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. Central Time at the principal executive offices of ESS located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, or at such later time made necessary by adjournment. Unless revoked, all valid proxies will be voted in accordance with the specification thereon or, in the absence of specifications, “FOR” approval of the Plan.

The Board has fixed the close of business on March 1, 2021 as the record date (the “Record Date”) for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting and any adjournments thereof. Shareholders of record as of the Record Date will be entitled to one vote for each share held and to a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional share held. As of the Record Date, the total number of issued and outstanding shares of the Target Fund was 1,600,000. Shareholders of record who owned five percent or more of the shares of the Target Fund as of the Record Date are set forth on Appendix C to this Proxy

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Statement. Approval of the Plan will require the affirmative vote of the lesser of: (a) 67% of the Target Fund’s shares present at the Meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Target Fund’s outstanding shares are present in person or represented by proxy; or (b) more than 50% of the Target Fund’s outstanding shares.

HOW TO VOTE

You can vote your shares in person at the Special Meeting or by mail, by the internet, and by automated touchtone as set forth below:

The options below are available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.

•Internet: The web address and instructions for voting online can be found on the enclosed proxy card. You will be required to provide your control number found on your proxy card.

•Automated Touchtone: The toll-free number for automated touchtone telephone voting can be found on the enclosed proxy card. You must have the control number found on your proxy card.

If you can attend the Special Meeting and wish to vote your shares in person at that time, you will be able to do so. If you hold your shares in “street name” through a broker, bank, or other nominee, you should contact your nominee about voting in person at the Special Meeting. We intend to hold the Special Meeting in person. However, we are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our shareholders may have and recommendations that public health officials may issue in light of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we may impose additional procedures or limitations on Special Meeting attendees or may decide to hold the Special Meeting in a different location or solely by means of remote communication. We plan to announce any such updates on our proxy website https://vote.proxyonline.com/etfss/docs/acsetf.pdf, and we encourage you to check this website prior to the Special Meeting if you plan to attend.

PROXIES

All proxies solicited by the Board that are properly executed and received by the Secretary prior to the Special Meeting, and are not revoked, will be voted at the Special Meeting. A proxy with respect to shares held in the name of two or more persons is valid if executed by any one of them unless at or prior to its use the Target Fund receives written notification to the contrary from any one of such persons. Shares represented by such proxies will be voted in accordance with the instructions thereon. If no specification is made on a proxy, it will be voted “FOR” the matters specified on the proxy. All shares that are voted and votes to “ABSTAIN” will be counted towards establishing a quorum.

You may revoke a proxy once it is given. If you desire to revoke a proxy, you must submit a subsequent later dated proxy or a written notice of revocation to the Target Fund. You may also give written notice of revocation in person at the Special Meeting. Attendance by a shareholder at the Special Meeting does not, by itself, revoke a proxy.

QUORUM AND ADJOURNMENTS

One-third of the outstanding shares of the Target Fund will be considered a quorum for the transaction of business. If a quorum of shareholders of the Target Fund is not present at the Special Meeting, or if a quorum is present but sufficient votes to approve the Reorganization described in this Proxy Statement are not received, the chairman of the Special Meeting may adjourn the Special Meeting of the Target Fund one or more times to permit further solicitation of proxies. Any business that might have been transacted at the Special Meeting with respect to the Target Fund may be transacted at any such adjourned session(s) at which a quorum is present. The persons designated as proxies may use their discretionary authority to vote as instructed by management of the Target Fund on any other proposals raised at the Special Meeting to the extent permitted by the SEC’s proxy rules, including proposals for which timely notice was not received, as set forth in the SEC’s proxy rules.

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EFFECT OF ABSTENTIONS AND BROKER “NON-VOTES”

All proxies voted, including abstentions, will be counted toward establishing a quorum. Because the Proposal is expected to “affect substantially” a shareholder’s rights or privileges, a broker may not vote shares if the broker has not received instructions from beneficial owners or persons entitled to vote, even if the broker has discretionary voting power (i.e., the Proposal is non-discretionary). Because the Proposal is non-discretionary, the Trust does not expect to receive broker non-votes. Abstentions will have the same effect as votes against the Proposal.

SOLICITATION OF PROXIES

The Target Fund expects that the solicitation of proxies will be primarily by mail and telephone. The solicitation also may include facsimile, Internet, or oral communications. AST Fund Solutions has been retained to aid in the solicitation of proxies, at an anticipated cost of approximately $6,100, exclusive of printing costs. Exponential ETFs and Toroso will bear the expenses relating to the Reorganization, including the costs of retaining AST Fund Solutions. The expenses relating to the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $70,000.

OTHER INFORMATION

OTHER BUSINESS

The Board knows of no other business to be brought before the Special Meeting. If any other matters come before the Special Meeting, the Board intends that proxies that do not contain specific restrictions to the contrary will be voted on those matters in accordance with the judgment of the persons named in the enclosed proxy card.

APPRAISAL RIGHTS

Shareholders will have no appraisal rights in connection with the Reorganization.

NEXT MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

The Target Fund does not hold regular meetings of shareholders. Shareholders wishing to submit proposals for inclusion in a proxy statement for a subsequent meeting of shareholders should send their written proposals to the Secretary of ESS, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 within a reasonable time before the proxy materials for the next meeting are sent to shareholders. To be considered for presentation at a shareholders’ meeting, rules promulgated by the SEC require that, among other things, a shareholder’s proposal must be received at the offices of ESS within a reasonable time before a solicitation is made. Timely submission of a proposal does not necessarily mean that the Proposal will be included.

LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters concerning the issuance of shares of the Acquiring Fund in connection with the Reorganization and the federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization will be passed upon by Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

INFORMATION FILED WITH THE SEC AND CBOE BZX EXCHANGE, INC.

The Funds are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the 1940 Act, and in accordance therewith, file reports and other information, including proxy materials, with the SEC. Reports and other information filed by ESS and Tidal may be inspected without charge and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549, and at the following regional offices of the SEC: Northeast Regional Office, 200 Vesey Street, Suite 400, New York, NY 10281-1022; Southeast Regional Office, 801 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1800, Miami, Florida 33131; Midwest Regional Office, 175 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1450, Chicago, Illinois 60604; Central Regional Office, 1961 Stout Street, Suite 1700, Denver, CO 80294; and Pacific Regional Office, 444 South Flower Street, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90071. Copies of such materials may also be obtained from the Public Reference Branch, Office of Consumer Affairs and Information Services, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549 at prescribed rates. In addition, the Target Fund’s shares are listed, and the Acquiring Fund’s shares will be listed, on the Exchange. Reports, proxy statements and other information that may be filed with the Exchange may also be inspected at the offices of the Exchange.

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APPENDIX A - FORM OF AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION

THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION (“Agreement”) is adopted as of this [ ] day of [ ], 2021 by and among (i) ETF Series Solutions, a Delaware statutory trust (“ESS”), on behalf of its series, the American Customer Satisfaction ETF (the “Target Fund”), (ii) Tidal ETF Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (“Tidal”), on behalf of its series, the American Customer Satisfaction ETF (the “Acquiring Fund”), and (iii) solely for the purposes of Section 9.1 of this Agreement, (a) Toroso Investments, LLC, the investment adviser to the Acquiring Fund, and (b) CSat Investment Advisory, L.P., doing business as Exponential ETFs, the investment adviser to the Target Fund.

WHEREAS, the parties hereto intend for the Acquiring Fund and the Target Fund to enter into a transaction pursuant to which: (i) the Target Fund will transfer all of its assets to the Acquiring Fund in exchange for (a) the Acquiring Fund’s assumption of all of the Target Fund’s liabilities as described herein, and (b) shares of the Acquiring Fund of equal value to the net assets of the Target Fund being acquired, and (ii) the Target Fund will distribute the shares of the Acquiring Fund, on a pro rata basis, to shareholders of the Target Fund, in connection with the liquidation and termination of the Target Fund, all upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth in this Agreement (such transaction, the “Reorganization”);

WHEREAS, this Agreement is intended to be and is adopted as a “plan of reorganization” with respect to the Reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and the Reorganization is intended to qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1); and

WHEREAS, the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund are open-end, registered investment companies of the management type; and

WHEREAS, the Acquiring Fund is newly organized for the purpose of acquiring all of the Assets (as defined below) and assuming all of the liabilities of the Target Fund; and

WHEREAS, the Acquiring Fund is, and will be at the time of the Closing (as defined below), a shell series of Tidal created for the purpose of acquiring the assets and assuming the liabilities of the Target Fund, and, prior to the Closing, will not commence operations or carry on any business activities (other than such activities as are customary to the organization of a new series of a registered investment company prior to its commencement of investment operations); and

WHEREAS, the Target Fund currently owns securities and other investments that are assets of the character in which the Acquiring Fund is permitted to invest; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of ESS, including a majority of the trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 Act, as amended (the “1940 Act”)) of ESS, has determined that (1) participation in the Reorganization is advisable and is in the best interests of the Target Fund, and (2) the interests of the existing shareholders of the Target Fund would not be diluted as a result of the Reorganization. The Board of Trustees of Tidal, including a majority of the trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of Tidal, has determined that participation in the Reorganization is in the best interests of the Acquiring Fund.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the covenants and agreements hereinafter set forth, and intending to be legally bound, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:

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1.DESCRIPTION OF THE REORGANIZATION

1.1. Plan of Transaction

(a)Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth and on the basis of the representations and warranties contained herein, the Target Fund agrees to transfer to the Acquiring Fund all of the Target Fund’s assets as set forth in Section 1.1(b), and the Acquiring Fund agrees in consideration therefor (i) to deliver to the Target Fund that number of Acquiring Fund shares (“Acquiring Fund Shares”) determined by dividing the value of the Target Fund’s assets net of any liabilities assumed by the Acquiring Fund, computed in the manner and as of the time and date set forth in Section 2.1(a), by the net asset value of one share of the Acquiring Fund, computed in the manner and as of the time and date set forth in Section 2.1(a); and (ii) to assume all of the liabilities of the Target Fund (whether or not reflected in the Closing Statement of Assets and Liabilities defined in Section 1.1(b)) existing at the Closing Date as defined in Section 3.1 and whether known or unknown. Acquiring Fund Shares shall be delivered to the Target Fund in Creation Unit aggregations only, meaning, for purposes of the Reorganization only, specified blocks of 50,000 Acquiring Fund Shares (each a “Creation Unit Aggregation”). The Target Fund will use commercially reasonable efforts to discharge all of its known liabilities and obligations prior to the Closing consistent with its obligation to continue to pursue its investment objective and strategies in accordance with the terms of its prospectus.

The Target Fund will distribute the Acquiring Fund Shares received by the Target Fund pro rata to the Target Fund’s shareholders of record determined as of the Closing (as defined in this Section 1.1(a)) (the “Target Fund Shareholders”). All Acquiring Fund Shares delivered to the Target Fund shall be delivered at net asset value without a sales load, commission, transaction fee or other similar fee being imposed. Such transactions shall take place at the closing provided for in Section 3.1 (the “Closing”).

(b)The assets of the Target Fund to be acquired by the Acquiring Fund (the “Assets”) shall consist of all assets, including, without limitation, all cash, cash equivalents, securities, commodities and futures interests, claims (whether absolute, contingent, known or unknown, accrued or unaccrued, and including, without limitation, any interest in pending or future legal claims in connection with past or present holdings, whether in the form of class action claims, opt-out, or other direct litigation claims or regulator or government established investor recovery funds claims and any and all resulting recoveries), dividends or interest or other receivables that are owned by the Target Fund, copies of all books and records of the Target Fund on the Closing Date, and any deferred or prepaid expenses shown on the unaudited statement of assets and liabilities of the Target Fund prepared as of the effective time of the Closing (the “Closing Statement of Assets and Liabilities”) in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) applied consistently with those of the Target Fund’s most recent audited statement of assets and liabilities, if any. The Assets of the Target Fund shall be delivered free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, hypothecations and claims whatsoever, and there shall be no restrictions on the full transfer thereof.

(c)Any regulatory reporting responsibility of the Target Fund, including the responsibility for filing regulatory reports, tax returns, and other documents, is and shall remain the responsibility of the Target Fund up to and including the Closing Date, as defined in Section 3.1. For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Fund shall be responsible for (i) preparing and filing the Target Fund’s Form N-CSRS (including the semi-annual report to shareholders) for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2021, (ii) delivering the Target Fund’s semi-annual report to shareholders for such fiscal period, and (iii) preparing and filing the Target Fund’s Form N-PX for the period July 1, 2020 through the Closing Date. For the avoidance of doubt, any tax returns for periods ending after the Closing Date shall be the responsibility of the Acquiring Fund. To the extent books and record of the Target Fund are needed to assist with regulatory filings for the Acquiring Fund after the Closing Date, if requested by the Acquiring Fund, ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, through its administrator, custodian, distributor or fund accountant shall make those books and records available to the Acquiring Fund within such time frame as mutually agreed upon by the parties.

(d)Immediately after the transfer of Assets provided for in Section 1.1(a), the Target Fund will distribute to the Target Fund Shareholders determined as of the Closing, on a pro rata basis, the Acquiring Fund Shares received by the

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Target Fund pursuant to Section 1.1(a) and will completely liquidate, dissolve and terminate. The distribution, liquidation, dissolution and termination referenced in this Section 1.1(d) will be accomplished with respect to the shares of beneficial interest of the Target Fund (“Target Fund Shares”) by the transfer of the Acquiring Fund Shares received by the Target Fund then credited to the account of the Target Fund on the books of the Acquiring Fund in the names of the Target Fund Shareholders. The Acquiring Fund shall have no obligation to inquire as to the validity, propriety or correctness of such records, but shall assume that such transaction is valid, proper and correct.

(e)Prior to the Closing, the Acquiring Fund will issue one share of beneficial interest of the Acquiring Fund (the “Initial Share”) to Toroso Investments, LLC or one of its affiliates (the “Sole Shareholder”) in exchange for a nominal amount for the sole purpose of allowing the Sole Shareholder to approve certain matters to facilitate the organization of the Acquiring Fund. Prior to the Closing, the Initial Share will be redeemed and cancelled by the Acquiring Fund in exchange for an amount equal to the consideration received by the Acquiring Fund for such Initial Share.

2.VALUATION

2.1. With respect to the Reorganization:

(a)The value of the Assets and the liabilities of the Target Fund shall be computed as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) on the business day immediately preceding the Closing Date, as defined in Section 3.1 (the “Valuation Date”), using the valuation procedures approved by the Board of Trustees of ESS.

(b)The net asset value of the Acquiring Fund Shares shall be the net asset value computed as of the Valuation Date, after the declaration and payment of any dividends and/or other distributions on that date, using the valuation procedures of the Acquiring Fund.

3.CLOSING AND CLOSING DATE

3.1. The Closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on May 24, 2021, or such other date as the parties may agree in writing (the “Closing Date”). All acts taking place at the Closing shall be deemed to take place simultaneously as of immediately prior to the opening of regular trading on the NYSE, on the Closing Date, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties.

3.2. With respect to the Reorganization:

(a)The Target Fund shall cause U.S. Bank National Association, the custodian for the Target Fund, to deliver at the Closing a certificate of an authorized officer stating that (a) the Assets shall have been delivered in proper form to the Acquiring Fund, immediately prior to the Closing and (b) all necessary taxes in connection with the delivery of the Assets, including all applicable federal and state stock transfer stamps, if any, have been paid or provision for payment has been made. The Target Fund’s portfolio securities represented by a certificate or other written instrument shall be presented by the custodian for the Target Fund to the custodian for the Acquiring Fund for examination no later than five business days preceding the Closing Date (unless the custodian for the Target Fund is also the custodian for the Acquiring Fund) and transferred and delivered by the Target Fund as of the Closing by the Target Fund for the account of the Acquiring Fund duly endorsed in proper form for transfer in such condition as to constitute good delivery thereof. The Target Fund’s portfolio securities and instruments deposited with a securities depository, as defined in Rule 17f-4 under the 1940 Act, shall be delivered as of the Closing by book entry in accordance with the customary practices of such depositories and the custodian for the Acquiring Fund. The cash to be transferred by the Target Fund shall be delivered by wire transfer of federal funds as of the Closing (or such other suitable means if the custodian for the Target Fund is also the custodian for the Acquiring Fund). If the Target Fund is unable to make such delivery as of the Closing in the manner contemplated by this Section for the reason that any of such securities or other investments purchased prior to the Closing have not yet been delivered to the Target Fund or its broker, then the Acquiring Fund may, in its sole discretion, waive the delivery requirements of this Section with respect to said undelivered securities or other investments if the

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Target Fund has, by the Closing, delivered to the Acquiring Fund or the Acquiring Fund’s custodian executed copies of an agreement of assignment and escrow and due bills executed on behalf of said broker or brokers, together with such other documents as may be required by the Acquiring Fund or the Acquiring Fund’s custodian, such as brokers’ confirmation slips.

(b)The Target Fund shall cause U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, the transfer agent for the Target Fund, to deliver at the Closing a certificate of an authorized officer stating that its records contain the names and addresses of the Target Fund Shareholders and the number and percentage ownership (to three decimal places) of outstanding Target Fund Shares owned by each such Target Fund Shareholder immediately prior to the Closing. The Acquiring Fund shall issue and deliver a confirmation evidencing the Acquiring Fund Shares or provide evidence satisfactory to the Target Fund that such Acquiring Fund Shares have been credited to the Target Fund’s account on the books of the Acquiring Fund. At the Closing, each party shall deliver to the other such bills of sale, checks, assignments, share certifications, if any, receipts or other documents as such other party or its counsel may reasonably request to effect the transaction contemplated by the Agreement. The cash to be transferred by the Acquiring Fund shall be delivered by wire transfer of federal funds as of the Closing.

(c)In the event that immediately prior to the Valuation Date (a) the NYSE or another primary trading market for portfolio securities of the Target Fund shall be closed to trading or trading thereupon shall be restricted, or (b) trading or the reporting of trading on such Exchange or elsewhere shall be disrupted so that, in the judgment of the Board of Trustees of either party to this Agreement, accurate appraisal of the value of the Target Fund Shares is impracticable, the Closing Date shall be postponed until the first business day after the day when trading shall have been fully resumed and reporting shall have been restored.

4.REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

4.1. ESS, on behalf of itself or, where applicable, the Target Fund, represents and warrants to Tidal and the Acquiring Fund as follows:

(a)ESS is a Delaware statutory trust duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware with power under the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of ESS to own all of its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted and, subject to approval of the shareholders of the Target Fund, to carry out the Agreement. The Target Fund is a separate series of ESS duly designated in accordance with the applicable provisions of ESS’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust. ESS and the Target Fund are qualified to do business in all jurisdictions in which they are required to be so qualified, except jurisdictions in which the failure to so qualify would not have a material adverse effect on ESS or the Target Fund. The Target Fund has all material federal, state and local authorizations necessary to own all of its properties and assets and to carry on its business as now being conducted, except authorizations which the failure to so obtain would not have a material adverse effect on the Target Fund;

(b)ESS is a registered investment company classified as a management company of the open-end type, and its registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) as an investment company under the 1940 Act, and the registration of the shares of the Target Fund under the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”), are in full force and effect, and no action or proceeding to revoke or suspend such registrations is pending or, to the knowledge of ESS, threatened;

(c)No consent, approval, authorization, or order of any court, Governmental Authority or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) is required for the consummation by the Target Fund and ESS of the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained or will be obtained at or prior to the Closing under the 1933 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“1934 Act”), the 1940 Act, state securities laws, and the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976;

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(d)The Target Fund is not, and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Target Fund will not result (i) in violation of Delaware law or of ESS’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust or Amended and Restated By-laws, (ii) in a violation or breach of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement, indenture, exemptive order, instrument, contract, lease or other undertaking to which the Target Fund is a party or by which it is bound, and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Target Fund will not result in the acceleration of any obligation, or the imposition of any penalty, under any agreement, indenture, instrument, contract, lease, judgment or decree to which the Target Fund is a party or by which it is bound, or (iii) in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance on any property or assets of the Target Fund;

(e)Except as otherwise disclosed to and accepted, in writing by or on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, all material contracts or other commitments (other than this Agreement) will be terminated with respect to the Target Fund at or prior to the Closing (or, if such agreements will continue to apply to other series of ESS, will cease to have further effect with respect to the Target Fund) without liability to the Target Fund and such termination shall not result in the acceleration of any obligations of the Target Fund on or prior to the Closing;

(f)The current prospectus and statement of additional information of the Target Fund and each prospectus and statement of additional information of the Target Fund used at all times between the commencement of operations of the Target Fund and the date of this Agreement conforms or conformed at the time of its use in all material respects to the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and does not or did not at the time of its use include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not materially misleading;

(g)The Target Fund is in compliance in all material respects with, and since its inception on October 31, 2016 through the date of this Agreement has been in compliance in all materials respects with, the investment policies and restrictions set forth in the Target Fund’s then applicable prospectus and statement of additional information;

(h)The Target Fund is in compliance in all material respects with, and since its inception on October 31, 2016 through the date of this Agreement has been in compliance in all materials respects with, the requirements of the 1933 Act, 1934 Act, and the 1940 Act and all rules and regulations under each of the foregoing, and state securities laws and regulations;

(i)The Target Fund has been, through the life of its operation, and currently is, in compliance with all applicable listing and conduct rules of the national securities exchange on which the shares are listed and any exemptive or no-action relief from any provisions of, or rules or regulations under, the 1940 Act, 1934 Act, or 1933 Act, upon which the Target Fund relies;

(j)The Target Fund is in compliance in all material respects with, and since its inception on October 31, 2016 through the date of this Agreement has been in compliance in all materials respects with, its policies and procedures adopted pursuant to Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act including without limitation the valuation policies and procedures of ESS, transactions with affiliated persons and underwriters pursuant to Section 17 of the 1940 Act, transactions with Authorized Participants in Creation Units under any applicable exemptive orders applicable to the Target Fund, compliance with the liquidity risk management requirements of Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, and during the twelve-month period preceding the date of this Agreement, there have been no material miscalculations of the net asset value of the Target Fund or the net asset value per share of the Target Fund that have not been remedied or will not be remedied prior to the Closing in accordance with industry practices and the policies of ESS;

(k)Except as otherwise disclosed to and accepted by or on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, the Target Fund will as of the Closing have good title to the Assets and full right, power, and authority to sell, assign, transfer and

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deliver such Assets free of adverse claims, including any liens or other encumbrances, and upon delivery and payment for such Assets, the Acquiring Fund will acquire good title thereto, free of adverse claims and subject to no restrictions on the full transfer thereof, including, without limitation, such restrictions as might arise under the 1933 Act;

(l)The financial statements of the Target Fund for the Target Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, if any, have been audited by the independent registered public accounting firm identified in the Target Fund’s prospectus or statement of additional information included in the Target Fund’s registration statement on Form N-1A (the “Prospectus” and “Statement of Additional Information”). Such statements, as well as the unaudited, semi-annual financial statements for the semi-annual period next succeeding the Target Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, if any, were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) consistently applied, and such statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition of the Target Fund as of such date in accordance with GAAP, and there are no known contingent liabilities of the Target Fund required to be reflected on a balance sheet (including the notes thereto) in accordance with GAAP as of such date not disclosed therein. No significant deficiency, material weakness, fraud, significant change, or other factor that could significantly affect the internal controls of the Target Fund has been disclosed or is required to be disclosed in the Target Fund’s reports on Form N-CSR and, to the knowledge of the Target Fund, no such disclosure will be required as of the Closing;

(m)Since the last day of the Target Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, there has not been any material adverse change in the Target Fund’s financial condition, assets, liabilities or business, other than changes occurring in the ordinary course of business;

(n)(i) For each taxable year of its operation (including that portion of such taxable year ending on the Closing Date), the Target Fund has been, and will be, treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 851(g) of the Code, has met and will meet the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code for qualification as a regulated investment company and has elected to be treated as such, has been eligible to and has computed its federal income tax under Section 852 of the Code, and has not been, and will not be, liable for any material income or excise tax under Section 852 or 4982 of the Code. The Target Fund has not taken any action or caused any action to be taken or caused any action to fail to be taken which action or failure could cause the Target Fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. The Target Fund has no earnings and profits accumulated with respect to any taxable year in which the provisions of Subchapter M of the Code did not apply to the Target Fund.

(ii) All federal, state, local, and foreign income Tax Returns and other material Tax Returns (including, for the avoidance of doubt, dividend reporting forms, and other Tax-related reports) of the Target Fund required by law to have been filed on or before the Closing Date have been (or will be) duly and timely filed (taking into account any permitted extensions) and are or will be correct in all material respects, and all federal, state, local, foreign and other Taxes of the Target Fund (whether or not shown as due or required to be shown as due on said Tax Returns ) for tax periods ending on or before the Closing Date have been (or will be) duly and timely paid or provision has been (or will be) made by the Target Fund for the payment thereof and any such unpaid taxes as of the date of the financial statements referred to in paragraph (l) above are properly reflected on such financial statements.

(iii) There are no audits, examinations, investigations or other proceedings pending or threatened by any Taxing Authority in writing with respect to the Target Fund, and no assessment or deficiency regarding Taxes has been asserted with respect to the Target Fund. No waivers or extensions of any statute of limitations that remain open with respect to Taxes have been granted or requested in writing or, to the best knowledge of the Target Fund, in any other manner with respect to the Target Fund.

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(iv) No Taxing Authority with which the Target Fund does not file Tax Returns has claimed in writing or, to the best knowledge of the Target Fund, in any other manner that such Target Fund is or may be subject to taxation by that Taxing Authority, and no Taxing Authority with which the Target Fund does not file a particular Tax Return has claimed in writing or, to the best knowledge of the Target Fund, in any other manner that the Target Fund is or may be required to file such Tax Return. No issue has been raised by any Tax Authority in any prior examination of the Target Fund which, by application of the same or similar principles, could reasonably be expected to result in a material proposed deficiency for any subsequent taxable period. The Target Fund has delivered a disclosure schedule to the Acquiring Fund listing (A) all jurisdictions in which the Target Fund pays Taxes and/or files Tax Returns and (B) all federal, state, and local income and franchise Tax Returns filed by, or on behalf of, the Target Fund, and each such disclosure schedule is accurate and complete.

(v) ESS, with respect to the Target Fund, has not previously been a party to a transaction that qualified as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code;

As used in this Agreement:

“Governmental Authority” means any nation, state, territory, province, county, city or other unit or subdivision thereof or any entity, authority, agency, department, board, commission, instrumentality, court or other judicial body authorized on behalf of any of the foregoing to exercise legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government, and any governmental or non-governmental self-regulatory organization.

“Tax” or “Taxes” means (i) any and all federal, state, local, foreign and other taxes, assessments, levies, duties, fees and other governmental or similar charges, including without limitation income, profits, gross receipts, net proceeds, alternative or add-on minimum, ad valorem, value added, turnover, sales, use, property, unclaimed property, escheat, personal property (tangible and intangible), environmental, stamp, leasing, lease, user, excise, duty, franchise, capital, capital stock, transfer, registration, license, withholding, social security (or similar), unemployment, disability, payroll, employment, fuel, excess profits, occupational, premium, windfall profit, severance, estimated, or other governmental charge of any kind whatsoever and (ii) any liability related to an item described in clause (i) of this definition and arising (a) from being or having been a member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined, unitary group or similar group for federal, state, local or foreign tax purposes or (b) as a result of being a successor to another person or transferee thereof, or pursuant to contract, in all cases together with any interest, penalties, additions to tax or additional amounts imposed in connection with any of the foregoing.

“Taxing Authority” means, with respect to any Tax, the Governmental Authority that imposes such Tax and the agency (if any) charged with the collection of such Tax for such Governmental Authority.

“Tax Return” means any return, declaration, report, claim for refund, information return or any similar filing or statement filed with any Taxing Authority (domestic, foreign or otherwise) that is related to Taxes, including any form, schedule or attachment thereto and any amendment or supplement thereof;

(o)All issued and outstanding shares of the Target Fund are duly authorized and validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and non-assessable by ESS and, in every state where offered or sold, such offers and sales have been in compliance in all material respects with applicable registration and/or notice requirements of the 1933 Act and state and local regulatory authorities and will be held at the time of closing by the persons and in the amounts set forth in the records of the transfer agent of the Target Fund;

(p)The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary action, if any, on the part of the Board of Trustees of ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, and subject to the due

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authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement by the other parties hereto, this Agreement will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Target Fund, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles;

(q)The books and records of the Target Fund are true and correct in all material respects and contain no material omissions with respect to information required to be maintained under the laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Target Fund;

(r)The Target Fund is not under the jurisdiction of a court in a Title 11 or similar case within the meaning of Section 368(a)(3)(A) of the Code;

(s)The Target Fund has no unamortized or unpaid organizational fees or expenses;

(t)The information to be furnished by the Target Fund for use in applications for orders, registration statements or proxy materials or for use in any other document filed or to be filed with any federal, state, or local regulatory authority (including any national securities exchange or FINRA), which may be necessary in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, shall be accurate and complete in all material respects and shall comply in all material respects with federal securities and other laws and regulations applicable thereto;

(u)The Proxy Statement referred to in Section 5.1(c), only insofar as it relates to ESS and the Target Fund, will, on the effective date of the Proxy Statement and on the Closing Date, (i) comply in all material respects with the provisions and regulations of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act, as applicable, and (ii) not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which such statements are made, not materially misleading; provided, however, that the representations and warranties in this paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Proxy Statement made in reliance upon and in conformity with the information that was furnished by Tidal on behalf of the Acquiring Fund for use therein; and

(v)There is no action, suit, proceeding, claim, arbitration, matter or investigation pending or threatened against or affecting the Target Fund at law, in equity or otherwise, in, before or by any court, Governmental Authority, or arbitrator, and there is no unsatisfied judgment, injunction, decree or regulatory restriction imposed specifically upon the Target Fund or any of its properties, assets, trustees, officers, employees or agents that could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect its business or its ability to consummate the Reorganization.

4.2. Tidal, on behalf of itself or, where applicable, the Acquiring Fund represents and warrants to ESS and the Target Fund as follows:

(a)Tidal is a Delaware statutory trust duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware with power under Tidal’s Declaration of Trust to own all of its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted and to carry out the Agreement. The Acquiring Fund is a separate series of Tidal duly designated in accordance with the applicable provisions of Tidal’s Declaration of Trust. Tidal and the Acquiring Fund are qualified to do business in all jurisdictions in which they are required to be so qualified, except jurisdictions in which the failure to so qualify would not have a material adverse effect on Tidal or the Acquiring Fund. The Acquiring Fund has all material federal, state and local authorizations necessary to own all of it properties and assets and to carry on its business as now being conducted, except authorizations which the failure to so obtain would not have a material adverse effect on the Acquiring Fund;

(b)Tidal is a registered investment company classified as a management company of the open-end type, and its registration with the Commission as an investment company under the 1940 Act and the registration of the

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shares of the Acquiring Fund under the 1933 Act are in full force and effect, and no action or proceeding to revoke or suspend such registrations is pending or, to the knowledge of Tidal, threatened;

(c)No consent, approval, authorization, or order of any court, Governmental Authority or FINRA is required for the consummation by the Acquiring Fund and Tidal of the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been or will be obtained at or prior to the Closing under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act, state securities laws, and the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976;

(d)The Acquiring Fund is not, and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Acquiring Fund will not result (i) in violation of Delaware law or of Tidal’s Declaration of Trust or Amended and Restated By-laws, (ii) in a violation or breach of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement, indenture, exemptive order, instrument, contract, lease or other undertaking to which the Acquiring Fund is a party to or by which it is bound, and the execution, delivery and performance of the Agreement by the Acquiring Fund will not result in the acceleration of any obligation, or the imposition of any penalty, under any agreement, indenture, instrument, contract, lease, judgment or decree to which the Acquiring Fund is a party or by which it is bound, or (iii) in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance on any property or assets of the Acquiring Fund;

(e)The Acquiring Fund is, and will be at the time of Closing, a new series of Tidal formed for the purpose of receiving the Assets and assuming the liabilities of the Target Fund in connection with the Reorganization and, accordingly, the Acquiring Fund will not have commenced operations, prepared books of account and related records or financial statements or carried on any business activities, except as necessary to facilitate the organization of the Acquiring Fund as a new series of Tidal prior to its commencement of operations. Except with respect to the consideration received in exchange for the issuance of the Initial Share, the Acquiring Fund has not owned any assets and will not own any assets prior to the Closing. As of the time immediately prior to the Closing, there will be no issued or outstanding securities issued by the Acquiring Fund, other than the Initial Share issued to the Sole Shareholder for the purpose set forth in Section 1.1(e) above. The Initial Share will be redeemed and cancelled prior to the Closing;

(f)By the Closing, Tidal’s Board of Trustees and officers shall have taken all actions as are necessary under the 1933 Act, 1934 Act, 1940 Act and any applicable state securities laws for the Acquiring Fund to commence operations as a registered open-end management investment company, including, without limitation, approving and authorizing the execution of an investment advisory contract in the manner required by the 1940 Act and approving and authorizing the execution of such other contracts as are necessary for the operation of the Acquiring Fund;

(g)The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary action, if any, on the part of the Board of Trustees of Tidal, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, and subject to the due authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement by the other parties hereto, this Agreement will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Acquiring Fund, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles;

(h)The shares of the Acquiring Fund to be issued and delivered to the Target Fund, for the account of the Target Fund Shareholders, pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, have been duly authorized and, when so issued and delivered, will be duly and validly issued Acquiring Fund Shares, and, upon receipt of the Target Fund’s Assets in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be fully paid and non-assessable by Tidal;

(i)The Acquiring Fund (i) will elect to be taxed as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, will qualify for the tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies under the Code for its taxable year that includes the Closing Date, and intends to continue to qualify for such treatment for its

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subsequent taxable years, (ii) will be eligible to compute its federal income tax under Section 852 of the Code for the taxable year that includes the Closing Date, and (iii) will be treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 851(g) of the Code for the taxable year that includes the Closing Date. The Acquiring Fund has not taken any action, caused any action to be taken or caused any action to fail to be taken, which action or failure could cause the Acquiring Fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company for its taxable year that includes the Closing Date. The Acquiring Fund has no earnings and profits accumulated in any taxable year;

(j)The books and records of the Acquiring Fund are true and correct in all material respects and contain no material omissions with respect to information required to be maintained under laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the Acquiring Fund;

(k)The Acquiring Fund is not under the jurisdiction of a court in a Title 11 or similar case within the meaning of Section 368(a)(3)(A) of the Code;

(l)The Acquiring Fund has no unamortized or unpaid organizational fees or expenses for which it does not expect to be reimbursed;

(m)The information to be furnished by the Acquiring Fund for use in applications for orders, registration statements or proxy materials or for use in any other documents filed or to be filed with any federal, state, or local regulatory authority (including any national securities exchange or FINRA), which may be necessary in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, shall be accurate and complete in all material respects and shall comply in all material respects with federal securities and other laws and regulations applicable thereto;

(n)At the Closing, the current prospectus and statement of additional information of the Acquiring Fund will conform in all material respects to the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not materially misleading;

(o)The Proxy Statement referred to in Section 5.1(c), only insofar as it relates to Tidal and the Acquiring Fund, will, on the effective date of the Proxy Statement and on the Closing Date, (i) comply in all material respects with the provisions and regulations of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act and (ii) not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not materially misleading; provided, however, that the representation and warranties in this paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Proxy Statement made in reliance upon and in conformity with information that was furnished by the Target Fund for use therein; and

(p)There is no action, suit, proceeding, claim, arbitration, matter or investigation pending or threatened against or affecting the Acquiring Fund at law, in equity or otherwise, in, before or by any court, Governmental Authority, or arbitrator, and there is no unsatisfied judgment, injunction, decree or regulatory restriction imposed specifically upon any of the Acquiring Fund or any of its properties, assets, trustees, officers, employees or agents that could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect its business or its ability to consummate the Reorganization.

5.COVENANTS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND AND THE TARGET FUND

5.1. With respect to the Reorganization:

(a)The Target Fund: (i) will operate its business in the ordinary course and substantially in accordance with past practices between the date hereof and the Closing, it being understood that such ordinary course of business

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may include the declaration and payment of customary dividends and distributions, and any other distribution that may be advisable, and (ii) shall use its reasonable best efforts to preserve intact its business organization and material assets and maintain the rights, franchises and business and customer relations necessary to conduct the business operations of the Target Fund in the ordinary course in all material respects. Prior to the Closing, the Acquiring Fund will carry on no business activities, other than as are necessary in connection with the organization of a new series of an investment company prior to its commencement of operations.

(b)ESS will call a meeting of the Target Fund shareholders to consider and act upon this Agreement and to take all other action necessary to obtain approval of the transactions contemplated herein.

(c)In connection with the meeting of the Target Fund shareholders referred to in Section 5.1(b) above, the Target Fund will provide the Acquiring Fund with information regarding the Target Fund, and the Acquiring Fund will provide the Target Fund with information regarding the Acquiring Fund, reasonably necessary for the preparation of a Prospectus/Proxy Statement on Form N-14 (the “Proxy Statement”), in compliance with the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, and the 1940 Act. Tidal will file the Proxy Statement with the Commission.

(d)The Target Fund covenants that the Acquiring Fund Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement are not being acquired for the purpose of making any distribution thereof, other than in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

(e)The Target Fund will assist the Acquiring Fund in obtaining such information as the Acquiring Fund reasonably requests concerning the beneficial ownership of the Target Fund’s shares.

(f)If requested by the Acquiring Fund, ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, will provide the Acquiring Fund with (1) a statement of the respective tax basis and holding period of all investments to be transferred by the Target Fund to the Acquiring Fund, (2) a copy (which may be in electronic form) of the shareholder ledger accounts including, without limitation, the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each shareholder of record, the number of shares of beneficial interest held by each shareholder, the dividend reinvestment elections applicable to each shareholder, and the backup withholding and nonresident alien withholding certifications, notices or records on file with the Target Fund with respect to each shareholder, for all of the shareholders of record of the Target Fund as of the Closing, who are to become holders of the Acquiring Fund as a result of the transfer of Assets (the “Target Fund Shareholder Documentation”), certified by its transfer agent or its President or Vice-President to the best of their knowledge and belief, (3) copies of the tax books and records of the Target Fund for purposes of preparing any returns required by law to be filed for tax periods ending after the Closing Date, and (4) all FASB ASC 740-10- 25 (formerly FIN 48) workpapers and supporting statements pertaining to the Target Fund (the “FIN 48 Workpapers”). The foregoing information to be provided within such timeframes as is mutually agreed by the parties.

(g)Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Acquiring Fund and the Target Fund will each take, or cause to be taken, all action, and do or cause to be done all things, reasonably necessary, proper or advisable to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(h)Promptly after the Closing, the Target Fund will make one or more liquidating distributions to its shareholders consisting of the Acquiring Fund Shares received at the Closing, as set forth in Section 1.1(d) hereof.

(i)If requested by the Acquiring Fund, ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, shall deliver to the Acquiring Fund a statement of the earnings and profits (accumulated and current) of the Target Fund for federal income tax purposes that will be carried over to the Acquiring Fund as a result of Section 381 of the Code. The information to be provided under this paragraph shall be provided within such timeframes as is mutually agreed by the parties.

(j)It is the intention of the parties that the Reorganization will qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. None of the parties to the Reorganization shall take any action or cause any action

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to be taken (including, without limitation the filing of any Tax Return) that is inconsistent with such treatment or results in the failure of the Reorganization to qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code.

(k)If requested by the Acquiring Fund, ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, shall deliver to the Acquiring Fund copies of: (1) the federal, state and local income Tax Returns filed by or on behalf of the Target Fund for the prior three (3) taxable years; and (2) any of the following that have been issued to or for the benefit of or that otherwise affect the Target Fund and which have continuing relevance: (a) rulings, determinations, holdings or opinions issued by any federal, state, local or foreign Taxing Authority and (b) legal opinions.

(l)ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, and Tidal, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, acknowledge that their respective (sub-)administrator, fund accountant, transfer agent, and custodian may have information about such party or its operations that may be necessary or useful to facilitate the Reorganization and each such party permits such service providers to utilize such information for the purpose of advising the parties or otherwise facilitating the transactions described in the Agreement.

6.CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE TARGET FUND

6.1. With respect to the Reorganization, the obligations of ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, to consummate the transactions provided for herein shall be subject, at the Target Fund’s election, to the performance by the Acquiring Fund of all of the obligations to be performed by it hereunder on or before the Closing, and, in addition thereto, the following conditions:

(a)All representations and warranties of the Acquiring Fund and Tidal contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof and, except as they may be affected by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as of the Closing, with the same force and effect as if made on and as of the Closing;

(b)Tidal shall have delivered to ESS as of the Closing a certificate executed in its name by an authorized officer of Tidal, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to ESS and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that the representations and warranties of or with respect to the Acquiring Fund made in this Agreement are true and correct at and as of the Closing, except as they may be affected by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(c)Tidal and the Acquiring Fund shall have performed all of the covenants and complied with all of the provisions required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by Tidal and the Acquiring Fund, on or before the Closing, unless waived pursuant to the terms hereof;

(d)A prospectus of the Acquiring Fund relating to the continuous offering of Acquiring Fund Shares in Creation Units shall have become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop orders suspending the effectiveness thereof shall have been issued and, to the best knowledge of the Acquiring Fund, no investigation or proceeding for that purpose shall have been instituted or be pending, threatened or contemplated under the 1933 Act; and

(e)The Target Fund shall have received at the Closing an opinion of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., counsel to Tidal, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Target Fund, and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that:

(i) the Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by Tidal, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Agreement by ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, is a valid and binding obligation of Tidal, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, enforceable against the Acquiring Fund in accordance with its terms; and

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(ii) to the knowledge of such counsel, no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court or Governmental Authority is required for the consummation by the Acquiring Trust or the Acquiring Fund of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, except such as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations under those Acts (it being understood that counsel has made no independent investigation or analysis with respect to state securities laws and is not opining thereon).

7.CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND

7.1. With respect to the Reorganization, the obligations of Tidal, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, to consummate the transactions provided for herein shall be subject, at the Acquiring Fund’s election, to the performance by the Target Fund of all of the obligations to be performed by it hereunder on or before the Closing and, in addition thereto, the following conditions:

(a)All representations and warranties of ESS and the Target Fund contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof and, except as they may be affected by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as of the Closing, with the same force and effect as if made on and as of the Closing;

(b)The Target Fund shall have delivered to the Acquiring Fund a Closing Statement of Assets and Liabilities, certified by the Treasurer of the Target Fund;

(c)ESS shall have delivered to Tidal as of the Closing a certificate executed in its name by an authorized officer of ESS, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Tidal and dated as of the Closing, to the effect that the representations and warranties of or with respect to the Target Fund made in this Agreement are true and correct at and as of the Closing Date, except as they may be affected by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(d)If requested by the Acquiring Fund, ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, shall have delivered to Tidal (i) a statement of the Target Fund’s Assets, together with a list of portfolio securities of the Target Fund showing the adjusted tax basis of such securities by lot and the holding periods of such securities, as of the Closing, certified by the Treasurer of ESS, (ii) the Target Fund Shareholder Documentation, (iii) the FIN 48 Workpapers, (iv) to the extent permitted by applicable law, all information pertaining to, or necessary or useful in the calculation or demonstration of, the investment performance of the Target Fund, and/or (v) a statement of earnings and profits as provided in Section 5.1(i);

(e)U.S. Bank National Association, the Target Fund’s custodian shall have delivered the certificate contemplated by Sections 3.2(a) of this Agreement, duly executed by an authorized officer of U.S. Bank National Association;

(f)U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, the Target Fund’s transfer agent, shall have delivered the certificates contemplated by Sections 3.2(b) of this Agreement, duly executed by an authorized officer of U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC;

(g)ESS and the Target Fund shall have performed all of the covenants and complied with all of the provisions required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by ESS and the Target Fund, on or before the Closing;

(h)All invoices related to expenses incurred in connection with the operation of the Target Fund that are required to be paid by Exponential ETFs, as described in the Investment Advisory Agreement pertaining to the Target Fund, shall have been paid, and a prepayment of any estimated expenses expected to be incurred in connection with the operation of the Target Fund for which an invoice has not been received, shall have been received by the applicable service provider if requested by such service provider. For the avoidance of doubt, such

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expenses incurred by the Target Fund shall include, without limitation, fees payable to (or expected to be payable to) the Target Fund’s administrator, fund accountant, transfer agent, custodian, legal counsel, and independent registered public accounting firm;

(i)The Acquiring Fund shall have received at the Closing an opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, counsel to ESS, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Acquiring Fund, and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that:

(i) the Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Agreement by Tidal, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, is a valid and binding obligation of ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, enforceable against ESS and the Target Fund in accordance with its terms; and

(ii) to the knowledge of such counsel, no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court or governmental authority is required for the consummation by ESS or the Target Fund of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, except such as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations under those Acts (it being understood that counsel has made no independent investigation or analysis with respect to state securities laws and is not opining thereon).

8.FURTHER CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND AND THE TARGET FUND

With respect to the Reorganization, if any of the conditions set forth below have not been satisfied on or before the Closing with respect to the Target Fund or the Acquiring Fund, ESS or Tidal, respectively, shall, at its option, not be required to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement:

8.1. The Agreement shall have been approved by the requisite vote of the holders of the outstanding shares of the Target Fund in accordance with the provisions of ESS’ Agreement and Declaration of Trust, Delaware law, and the 1940 Act. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, neither the Target Fund nor the Acquiring Fund may waive the condition set forth in this Section 8.1;

8.2. On the Closing Date, no action, suit or other proceeding shall be pending or, to ESS’ or Tidal’s knowledge, threatened before any court or governmental agency in which it is sought to restrain or prohibit, or obtain damages or other relief in connection with, this Agreement, the transactions contemplated herein;

8.3. All consents of other parties and all other consents, orders and permits of federal, state and local regulatory authorities deemed necessary by the Acquiring Fund or the Target Fund to permit consummation, in all material respects, of the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been obtained, except where failure to obtain any such consent, order or permit would not involve a risk of a material adverse effect on the assets or properties of the Acquiring Fund or the Target Fund, provided that either party hereto may for itself waive any of such conditions;

8.4. ESS and Tidal shall have received a favorable opinion of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. addressed to the Acquiring Fund and the Target Fund substantially to the effect that with respect to the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund for federal income tax purposes:

(a) the Reorganization will constitute a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1) of the Code, and the Acquiring Fund and the Target Fund will each be a “party to a reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code;

(b) no gain or loss will be recognized by the Target Fund upon the transfer of all of the Assets to the Acquiring Fund in exchange solely for the Acquiring Fund Shares and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of

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the assumed liabilities, or upon the distribution of Acquiring Fund Shares to the Target Fund Shareholders in exchange for their Target Fund Shares in complete liquidation of the Target Fund pursuant to the Reorganization;

(c) no gain or loss will be recognized by the Acquiring Fund upon the receipt of the Assets solely in exchange for Acquiring Fund Shares and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of the assumed liabilities;

(d) no gain or loss will be recognized by the Target Fund Shareholders upon the exchange of their Target Fund Shares for the Acquiring Fund Shares in the Reorganization (including fractional shares to which they may be entitled);

(e) the aggregate tax basis of the Acquiring Fund Shares received by each Target Fund Shareholder (including fractional shares to which such Target Fund Shareholder may be entitled) pursuant to the Reorganization will be equal to the aggregate tax basis of the Target Fund Shares held by such Target Fund Shareholder immediately prior to the Reorganization;

(f) the holding period of the Acquiring Fund Shares received by each Target Fund Shareholder (including fractional shares to which such Target Fund Shareholder may be entitled) will include the period during which the Target Fund Shares surrendered in exchange therefor were held by such Target Fund Shareholder, provided that the Target Fund Shares were held as a capital asset on the Closing Date;

(g) the tax basis of each Asset acquired by the Acquiring Fund will be the same as the tax basis of such Asset immediately prior to the transfer thereof; and

(h) the holding period of each Asset received by the Acquiring Fund will include the period during which that Asset was held by the Target Fund immediately prior to the Reorganization.

No opinion will be expressed as to whether any gain or loss will be recognized (1) on assets in which gain or loss recognition is required by the Code even if the transaction otherwise constitutes a nontaxable transaction, (2) on “Section 1256 contracts” as defined in Section 1256(b) of the Code, (3) on stock in a “passive foreign investment company” as defined in Section 1297(a) of the Code, (4) as a result of the closing of the tax year of the Target Fund, or (5) upon termination of a position. In addition, no opinion will be expressed as to any other federal, estate, gift, state, local, or foreign tax consequences that may result from the Reorganization.

Such opinion shall be based on customary assumptions, limitations and such representations as Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. may reasonably request, as well as the representations and warranties made in this Agreement which counsel may treat as representations and warranties made to it. The Target Fund and Acquiring Fund will cooperate to make and certify the accuracy of such representations. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, neither the Acquiring Fund nor the Target Fund may waive the conditions set forth in this Section 8.4.

9.FEES AND EXPENSES; INDEMNIFICATION

9.1. Exponential ETFs will bear the first $60,000 of expenses relating to the Reorganization, and any excess expenses relating to the Reorganization will be borne equally by Exponential ETFs and Toroso Investments, LLC, whether or not the Reorganization is consummated. The costs of the Reorganization shall include, but shall not be limited to, costs associated with organizing the Acquiring Fund, preparation, printing and distribution of the Proxy Statement for the Reorganization, legal fees (including legal fees of ESS and Tidal), accounting fees, and expenses of soliciting Target Fund shareholders and holding meetings of the Target Fund shareholders (and adjournments thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, neither the Acquiring Fund nor the Target Fund will bear the expenses relating to the Reorganization. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, (i) expenses will in any event be paid by the party directly incurring such expenses if and to the extent that the payment by another person of such expenses would result in the disqualification of such party as a “regulated investment company” within the meaning of Section 851 of the Code and (ii) Exponential ETFs and

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Toroso Investments, LLC shall pay or assume only those expenses of the Target Fund that are solely and directly related to the Reorganization in accordance with guidelines established in Rev. Rul. 73-54, 1973-1 C.B. 187.

9.2. Tidal, out of the Acquiring Fund’s assets and property (including any amounts paid to the Acquiring Fund pursuant to any applicable liability insurance policies), agrees to indemnify and hold harmless ESS and the members of ESS’s Board of Trustees and ESS’s officers from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including, without limitation, the payment of reasonable legal fees and reasonable costs of investigation) to which ESS and those board members and officers may become subject, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions with respect thereto) arises out of or is based on (a) any breach by Tidal, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement or (b) insofar as they relate to the Reorganization, any act, error, omission, neglect, misstatement, materially misleading statement, breach of duty or other act wrongfully done or attempted to be committed by Tidal or the members of Tidal’s Board of Trustees or its officers prior to the Closing, provided that such indemnification by Tidal is not (i) in violation of any applicable law or (ii) otherwise prohibited as a result of any applicable order or decree issued by any governing regulatory authority or court of competent jurisdiction.

9.3. ESS, out of the Target Fund’s assets and property (including any amounts paid to the Target Fund pursuant to any applicable liability insurance policies), agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Tidal and the members of Tidal’s Board of Trustees and its officers from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including, without limitation, the payment of reasonable legal fees and reasonable costs of investigation) to which Tidal and those board members and officers may become subject, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions with respect thereto) arises out of or is based on (a) any breach by ESS, on behalf of the Target Fund, of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement or (b) insofar as they relate to the Reorganization, any act, error, omission, neglect, misstatement, materially misleading statement, breach of duty or other act wrongfully done or attempted to be committed by ESS or the members of ESS’s Board of Trustees or its officers prior to the Closing, provided that such indemnification by ESS is not (i) in violation of any applicable law or (ii) otherwise prohibited as a result of any applicable order or decree issued by any governing regulatory authority or court of competent jurisdiction. For the avoidance of doubt, any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses arising hereunder will not constitute liabilities of the Target Fund for purposes of Section 1.1(a) and thus, would not be eligible to be assumed by the Acquiring Fund.

10.ENTIRE AGREEMENT; SURVIVAL OF WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS

Each party agrees that no party has made any representation, warranty or covenant not set forth herein and that this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in this Agreement or in any document delivered pursuant hereto or in connection herewith shall not survive the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereunder. The covenants to be performed after the Closing shall survive the Closing. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions in Section 9 of this Agreement shall survive the Closing.

11.TERMINATION

This Agreement may be terminated and the transactions contemplated hereby may be abandoned by mutual agreement of the parties.

12.AMENDMENTS

This Agreement may be amended, modified, or supplemented in a writing signed by the parties hereto to be bound by such Amendment.

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13.HEADINGS; GOVERNING LAW; COUNTERPARTS; ASSIGNMENT; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

13.1. The Article and Section headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

13.2. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware and applicable federal law, without regard to its principles of conflicts of laws.

13.3. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, but no assignment or transfer hereof or of any rights or obligations hereunder shall be made by any party without the written consent of the other parties. Nothing herein expressed or implied is intended or shall be construed to confer upon or give any person, firm or corporation, other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, any rights or remedies under or by reason of this Agreement.

13.4. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be considered an original.

13.5. It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the parties hereunder shall not be binding upon any of their respective directors or trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents, or employees personally, but shall bind only the property of the Target Fund or the Acquiring Fund as provided in ESS’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust or Tidal’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, respectively. The execution and delivery by such officers shall not be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, but shall bind only the property of such party.

[Signature Page follows]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be approved on behalf of the Acquiring Fund and Target Fund.


ETF SERIES SOLUTIONS,
on behalf of its series the American Customer Satisfaction ETF

By:
Name:
Title:


TIDAL ETF TRUST,
on behalf of its series the American Customer Satisfaction ETF

By:
Name:
Title:


Toroso Investments, LLC
solely for the purposes of Section 9.1 of this Agreement

By:
Name:
Title:


CSat Investment Advisory, L.P., doing business as Exponential ETFs,
solely for the purposes of Section 9.1 of this Agreement

By:
Name:
Title:

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APPENDIX B - FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TARGET FUND

The Acquiring Fund will adopt the financial statements of the Target Fund, the accounting survivor of the Reorganization. The audited and unaudited financials of the Target Fund are included in the Target Fund Annual Report and Target Fund Semi-Annual Report, respectively, which are incorporated herein by reference.

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Target Fund’s financial performance for the Fund’s fiscal periods as shown below. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). Information has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., the Target Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Target Fund’s financial statements for such period, is included in the Target Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.

Financial Highlights

For a capital share outstanding throughout the period


	Year Ended			Year Ended			Year Ended				Period Ended
	September 30, 2020			September 30, 2019			September 30, 2018				September 30, 2017(1)
Net asset value, beginning of year/period	$	34.12		$	34.03		$	29.18			$	25.00

INCOME (LOSS) FROM
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Net investment income (loss)(2)	0.47			0.52			0.45				0.40
Net realized and unrealized
gain (loss) on investments	3.39			0.03			4.77				3.83
Total from investment operations	3.86			0.55			5.22				4.23

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:
Distributions from:
Net investment income	(0.58)			(0.46)			(0.37)				(0.05)
Total distributions	(0.58)			(0.46)			(0.37)				(0.05)

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS:
Transaction fees	—			—			0.00			(6)	—

Net asset value, end of year/period	$	37.40		$	34.12		$	34.03			$	29.18

Total return	11.44		%	1.86		%	18.02		%		16.92		%	(3)

SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets at end of year/period (000’s)	$	58,912		$	57,999		$	57,848			$	40,849

RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses to average net assets	0.65		%	0.65		%	0.65		%		0.65		%	(4)
Net investment income (loss)
to average net assets	1.37		%	1.59		%	1.41		%		1.56		%	(4)

Portfolio turnover rate(5)	67		%	36		%	72		%		38		%	(3)

(1)Commencement of operations on October 31, 2016.

(2)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.

(3)Not annualized.

(4)Annualized.

(5)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.

(6)Represents less than $0.005.

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APPENDIX C - OWNERSHIP OF SHARES OF THE TARGET FUND

As of the Record Date, the Target Fund’s shareholders of record and/or beneficial owners (to ESS’s knowledge) who owned 5% or more of the Target Fund’s shares are set forth below:


Name and Address	% Ownership	Type of Ownership
National Financial Services, LLC 200 Liberty Street New York, NY 10281	77.7%	Record
TD Ameritrade 200 S 108th Ave Omaha, NE 68103	13.2%	Record
Claes Fornell c/o CSat Investment Advisory, L.P. 625 Avis Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48108	91.4%	Beneficial

As of the Record Date, the Officers and Trustees of ESS, as a group, owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Target Fund.

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APPENDIX D - SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION FOR THE ACQUIRING FUND

How to Buy and Sell Shares

The Fund issues and redeems Shares only in Creation Units at the NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order from an AP. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by the Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.

Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Individual Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.

When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares, and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.

Book Entry

Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.

Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book-entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Fund employs fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other

D-1

costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.

Determination of Net Asset Value

The Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, each day the NYSE is open for business. The NAV for the Fund is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.

In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If such information is not available for a security held by the Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).

Fair Value Pricing

The Board has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been delisted or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. Generally, when fair valuing a security, the Fund will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions, and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith and in accordance with the fair value methodologies included in the Board-adopted valuation procedures. Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the Adviser or a sub-adviser will be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.

Investments by Registered Investment Companies

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Trust or rule under the 1940 Act, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Fund.

Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding

Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

Dividends and Distributions

The Fund intends to pay out dividends and interest income, if any, annually, and distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund will declare and pay income and capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you

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purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

Taxes

The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

The Fund intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (institutional investors only).

The tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) made significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for taxation of individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Many of the changes applicable to individuals are temporary and would apply only to taxable years before January 1, 2026. There were only minor changes with respect to the specific rules only applicable to RICs, such as the Fund. The Tax Act, however, also made numerous other changes to the tax rules that may affect shareholders and the Fund. Subsequent legislation has modified certain changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules made by the Tax Act which may, in addition, affect shareholders and the Fund. You are urged to consult with your own tax advisor regarding how this legislation affects your investment in the Fund.

Taxes on Distributions

For federal income tax purposes, distributions of net investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of net capital gains (if any) are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned their Shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares.

Distributions reported by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided certain holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to

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a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.

Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the character of any distributions received from the Fund.

In addition to the federal income tax, certain individuals, trusts, and estates may be subject to a Net Investment Income (“NII”) tax of 3.8%. The NII tax is imposed on the lesser of: (i) a taxpayer’s investment income, net of deductions properly allocable to such income; or (ii) the amount by which such taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain thresholds ($250,000 for married individuals filing jointly, $200,000 for unmarried individuals and $125,000 for married individuals filing separately). The Fund’s distributions are includable in a shareholder’s investment income for purposes of this NII tax. In addition, any capital gain realized by a shareholder upon a sale or redemption of Fund shares is includable in such shareholder’s investment income for purposes of this NII tax.

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).

You may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.

If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met.

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), the Fund may be required to withhold a generally nonrefundable 30% tax on (i) distributions of investment company taxable income and (ii) distributions of net capital gain and the gross proceeds of a sale or redemption of Fund shares paid to (A) certain “foreign financial institutions” unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, monitor, and report to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) the identity of certain of its account-holders, among other items (or unless such entity is otherwise deemed compliant under the terms of an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and the foreign financial institution’s country of residence), and (B) certain “non-financial foreign entities” unless such entity certifies to the Fund that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provides the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner, among other items. In December 2018, the IRS and Treasury Department released proposed Treasury Regulations that would eliminate FATCA withholding on Fund distributions of net capital gain and the gross proceeds from a sale or redemption of Fund shares. Although taxpayers are entitled to rely on these proposed Treasury Regulations until final Treasury Regulations are issued, these proposed Treasury Regulations have not been finalized, may not be finalized in their proposed form, and are potentially subject to change. This FATCA withholding tax could also affect the Fund’s return on its investments in foreign securities or affect a shareholder’s return if the shareholder holds its Fund shares through a foreign intermediary. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding the application of this FATCA withholding tax to your investment in the Fund and the potential certification, compliance, due diligence, reporting, and withholding obligations to which you may become subject in order to avoid this withholding tax.

The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that they are not subject to such withholding.

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Taxes When Shares are Sold on the Exchange

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the sale of Shares.

Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units

An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their holdings) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if such Shares have been held for one year or less.

The Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to foreign, state, and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.

DISTRIBUTION

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”), the Fund’s distributor, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

The Board has adopted a Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.

No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Fund, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the fees are paid out of Fund assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges

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PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

Information regarding how often shares of the Fund traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the fund will be available in the future on the Fund’s website at https:/exponentialetfs.com/acsi/.

ADDITIONAL NOTICES

Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in the determination of, the timing, prices, or quantities of Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of Shares.

Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.

Exponential ETFs owns the ACSI Investable Index and the ACSI Investable Index methodology and is a licensor of the ACSI Investable Index to the Adviser and Solactive, the Fund’s index calculation agent. The Adviser has contracted with Solactive to maintain and calculate the ACSI Investable Index used by the Fund. Solactive shall have no liability for any errors or omissions in calculating the ACSI Investable Index. The Adviser and ACSI ETF make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the ACSI ETF particularly or the ability of ACSI Investable Index to track the performance of its constituent securities.

The Adviser and the Fund make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly.

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

The Trust and the Distributor, are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust and distributes the Shares of the Fund. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The principal business address of the Distributor is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100 Portland, Maine 04101.

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services” or the “Transfer Agent”), serves as sub-administrator, fund accounting, and transfer agent for the Fund.

U.S. Bank National Association, 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets.

Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., located at 833 East Michigan Street, Suite 1800, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as legal counsel for the Trust.

Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 342 N. Water Street, Suite 830, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.

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Statement of Additional Information

[ ], 2021

For the Reorganization of

American Customer Satisfaction ETF

a series of ETF Series Solutions

615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

(800) 617-0004

Into

American Customer Satisfaction ETF

A series of Tidal ETF Trust

898 North Broadway, Suite 2, Massapequa, New York 11758

(844) 986-7676


Acquisition of the Assets and Assumption of the Liabilities of:			By and in Exchange for Shares of:
American Customer Satisfaction ETF, a series of ETF Series Solutions			American Customer Satisfaction ETF, a series of Tidal ETF Trust

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) relates specifically to the proposed reorganization of the American Customer Satisfaction ETF (the “Target Fund”), a series of ETF Series Solutions, into the American Customer Satisfaction ETF (the “Acquiring Fund”), a series of Tidal ETF Trust. In connection with the Reorganization, the Target Fund will transfer all of its assets to the Acquiring Fund in return for shares of the Acquiring Fund and the Acquiring Fund’s assumption of certain of the Target Fund’s liabilities.

This SAI, which is not a prospectus, supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Proxy Statement and Prospectus dated [ ], 2021 (the “Proxy Statement”), relating to the Reorganization. To obtain a copy of the Proxy Statement, without charge, please write to the Target Fund at the address set forth above or call (888) 886-4425.

CONTENTS OF THE SAI

This SAI consists of the cover page and the information set forth below. The Acquiring Fund has not commenced operations as of the date hereof. Accordingly, financial statements for the Acquiring Fund are not available. Copies of the Acquiring Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports, may be obtained when available, without charge, upon request by calling 1-800-617-0004 or visiting https://exponentialetfs.com/acsi/.

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INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

This SAI incorporates by reference the following documents, each of which was filed electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission:

i.the Annual Report for the Target Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 (File No. 811-22668); and

ii.the Statement of Additional Information of the Target Fund, dated January 31, 2021, as amended and supplemented (File Nos. 333-179562 and 811-22668).

PRO FORMA FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Pro forma financial statements are not presented as the Target Fund is being combined with the Acquiring Fund, a newly created series of Tidal ETF Trust (the “Trust”), which does not have any assets or liabilities.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST

The Trust is an open-end management investment company consisting of multiple series, including the Fund. This SAI relates to the Fund. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on June 4, 2018. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, as amended, the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). Toroso Investments, LLC (“Toroso” or the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

The Fund is the successor in interest to the American Customer Satisfaction ETF (the “Predecessor Fund”), a fund having an identical investment objective and similar principal investment strategies. The Predecessor Fund was a series of another registered investment company, ETF Series Solutions, and shareholders of the Predecessor Fund approved the reorganization of the Predecessor Fund with and into the Fund, and effective as of the close of business on May 24, 2021, the assets and liabilities of the Predecessor Fund were transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares of the Fund. The Fund succeeded the performance, financial, and other historical information of the Predecessor Fund. Any historical information provided for the Fund that relates to the periods prior to the open of business on May 24, 2021 is that of the Predecessor Fund. Prior to May 17, 2018, the Predecessor Fund was known as the American Customer Satisfaction Core Alpha ETF.

The Fund offers and issues Shares at their net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”). Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors, known as “Authorized Participants” or “APs,” purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not individually redeemable.

Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly traded securities,

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brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS

The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.

With respect to the Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.

Diversification

The Fund is “diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act. Under applicable federal laws, to qualify as a diversified fund, the Fund, with respect to 75% of its total assets, may not invest greater than 5% of its total assets in any one issuer and may not hold greater than 10% of the securities of one issuer, other than investments in cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, and securities of other investment companies. The remaining 25% of the Fund’s total assets does not need to be “diversified” and may be invested in securities of a single issuer, subject to other applicable laws. The diversification of the Fund’s holdings is measured at the time the Fund purchases a security. However, if the Fund purchases a security and holds it for a period of time, the security may become a larger percentage of the Fund’s total assets due to movements in the financial markets. If the market affects several securities held by the Fund, the Fund may have a greater percentage of its assets invested in securities of fewer issuers.

General Risks

The value of a Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in a Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.

There can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by a Fund will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for a Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid-ask spreads are wide.

Cyber Security Risk. Investment companies, such as the Fund, and their service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Fund or the Adviser, Custodian (defined below), Transfer Agent (defined below), intermediaries, and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investment in such portfolio companies to lose value.

Recent Events. Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, financial markets in the United States and around the world experienced extreme and in many cases unprecedented volatility and severe losses due to the global pandemic caused by

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COVID‑19, a novel coronavirus. The pandemic has resulted in a wide range of social and economic disruptions, including closed borders, voluntary or compelled quarantines of large populations, stressed healthcare systems, reduced or prohibited domestic or international travel, supply chain disruptions, and so-called “stay-at-home” orders throughout much of the United States and many other countries. The fall-out from these disruptions has included the rapid closure of businesses deemed “non-essential” by federal, state, or local governments and rapidly increasing unemployment, as well as greatly reduced liquidity for certain instruments at times. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses. Such disruptions may continue for an extended period of time or reoccur in the future to a similar or greater extent. In response, the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have taken extraordinary actions to support the domestic economy and financial markets, resulting in very low interest rates and in some cases negative yields. It is unknown how long circumstances related to the pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future, whether efforts to support the economy and financial markets will be successful, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could result in disruptions in the trading markets, increased premiums or discounts to each Fund’s NAV, and adverse effects on Fund performance.

Index Calculation

The Adviser has retained an unaffiliated third party to calculate the Fund’s American Customer Satisfaction Investable Index (the “Index”)(the “Calculation Agent”). The Calculation Agent, using the rules-based methodology, will calculate, maintain, and disseminate the Index on a daily basis. The Adviser will monitor the results produced by the Calculation Agent to help ensure that the Index is being calculated in accordance with the applicable rules-based methodology. In addition, the Adviser has established policies and procedures designed to prevent non-public information about pending changes to the Index from being used or disseminated in an improper manner. Furthermore, the Adviser has established policies and procedures designed to prevent improper use and dissemination of non-public information about the Fund’s portfolio strategies.

DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS

The following are descriptions of the permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies.

In addition, certain of the techniques and investments discussed in this SAI are not principal strategies of the Fund as disclosed in the Prospectus, and while such techniques and investments are permissible for the Fund to utilize, the Fund is not required to utilize such non-principal techniques or investments.

Borrowing

Although the Fund does not intend to borrow money, the Fund may do so to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may borrow up to one-third (1/3) of its total assets. The Fund will borrow money only for short-term or emergency purposes. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the Fund promptly. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by earnings on the securities purchased. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

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Equity Securities

Equity securities, such as the common stocks of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment, or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio may also cause the value of Shares to decline.

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, or banking crises.

Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.

When-Issued Securities – A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to complete the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.

When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.

Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.

Types of Equity Securities:

Common Stocks — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.

Preferred Stocks — Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.

Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.

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Rights and Warrants — A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable, and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.

An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) — A REIT is a corporation or business trust (that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation) which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct from taxable income the dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level federal income tax. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things: invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs), cash and government securities; derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property; and, in general, distribute annually 90% or more of its taxable income (other than net capital gains) to shareholders.

REITs are sometimes informally characterized as Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs. An Equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold ownership of land and buildings (e.g., commercial equity REITs and residential equity REITs); a Mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real property, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans.

REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that REITs in which a Fund invests may concentrate investments in particular geographic regions or property types. Additionally, rising interest rates may cause investors in REITs to demand a higher annual yield from future distributions, which may in turn decrease market prices for equity securities issued by REITs. Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of a Fund’s investments to decline. During periods of declining interest rates, certain Mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that the mortgagors elect to prepay, which prepayment may diminish the yield on securities issued by such Mortgage REITs. In addition, Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of borrowers to repay when due the debt extended by the REIT and Equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.

Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of securities issued by such REITs. Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through a Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of such Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders.

In addition to these risks, Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, Equity and Mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and Mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, Equity and Mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally available to REITs under the Code or fail to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a

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borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.

Smaller Companies — The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.

Tracking Stocks — The Funds may invest in tracking stocks. A tracking stock is a separate class of common stock whose value is linked to a specific business unit or operating division within a larger company and which is designed to “track” the performance of such business unit or division. The tracking stock may pay dividends to shareholders independent of the parent company. The parent company, rather than the business unit or division, generally is the issuer of tracking stock. However, holders of the tracking stock may not have the same rights as holders of the company’s common stock.

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”)

The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies (including ETFs). As the shareholder of another ETF, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses the Fund pays in connection with its own operations. The Fund’s investments in other ETFs may be limited by applicable law.

Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETFs purchased or sold by the Fund could result in losses on investments in ETFs. ETFs also carry the risk that the price the Fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. ETFs and other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV.

Fixed Income Securities

A Fund may invest directly or indirectly in fixed income securities. Even though interest-bearing securities are investments that promise a stable stream of income, the prices of such securities are affected by changes in interest rates. In general, fixed income security prices rise when interest rates fall and fall when interest rates rise. Securities with shorter maturities, while offering lower yields, generally provide greater price stability than longer term securities and are less affected by changes in interest rates. The values of fixed income securities also may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of the issuing entities. Once the rating of a portfolio security has been changed, a Fund will consider all circumstances deemed relevant in determining whether to continue to hold the security.

Fixed income investments bear certain risks, including credit risk, or the ability of an issuer to pay interest and principal as they become due. Generally, higher yielding bonds are subject to more credit risk than lower yielding bonds. Interest rate risk refers to the fluctuations in value of fixed income securities resulting from the inverse relationship between the market value of outstanding fixed income securities and changes in interest rates. An increase in interest rates will generally reduce the market value of fixed income investments and a decline in interest rates will tend to increase their value.

A number of factors, including changes in a central bank’s monetary policies or general improvements in the economy, may cause interest rates to rise. Fixed income securities with longer durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations, making them more volatile. This means their prices are more likely to experience a considerable reduction in response to a rise in interest rates.

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Fixed-Income Securities Ratings

The nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”) publish ratings based upon their assessment of the relative creditworthiness of the rated fixed-income securities. Generally, a lower rating indicates higher credit risk, and higher yields are ordinarily available from fixed-income securities in the lower rating categories to compensate investors for the increased credit risk. Any use of credit ratings in evaluating fixed-income securities can involve certain risks. For example, ratings assigned by the rating agencies are based upon an analysis completed at the time of the rating of the obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal, typically relying to a large extent on historical data. Rating agencies typically rely to a large extent on historical data which may not accurately represent present or future circumstances. Ratings do not purport to reflect to risk of fluctuations in market value of the fixed-income security and are not absolute standards of quality and only express the rating agency’s current opinion of an obligor’s overall financial capacity to pay its financial obligations. A credit rating is not a statement of fact or a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a fixed-income obligation. Also, credit quality can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and credit ratings may not reflect the issuer’s current financial condition or events since the security was last rated. Rating agencies may have a financial interest in generating business, including the arranger or issuer of the security that normally pays for that rating, and a low rating might affect future business. While rating agencies have policies and procedures to address this potential conflict of interest, there is a risk that these policies will fail to prevent a conflict of interest from impacting the rating. Additionally, legislation has been enacted in an effort to reform rating agencies. Rules have also been adopted by the SEC to require rating agencies to provide additional disclosure and reduce conflicts of interest, and further reform has been proposed. It is uncertain how such legislation or additional regulation might impact the ratings agencies business and the Adviser’s investment process.

Illiquid Investments

The Fund may invest in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). Illiquid securities include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws); securities that may only be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, but that are deemed to be illiquid; and repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days. However, the Fund will not acquire illiquid securities if, immediately after the acquisition, such securities would comprise more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets. Determinations of liquidity are made pursuant to guidelines contained in the liquidity risk management program of the Trust applicable to the Fund. The Adviser determines and monitors the liquidity of the portfolio securities and reports periodically on its decisions to the Board. In making such determinations it takes into account a number of factors in reaching liquidity decisions, including but not limited to: (1) the frequency of trades and quotations for the security; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential buyers; (3) the willingness of dealers to undertake to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the marketplace trades, including the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer. The term “illiquid security” is defined as a security that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the security.

An institutional market has developed for certain restricted securities. Accordingly, contractual or legal restrictions on the resale of a security may not be indicative of the liquidity of the security. If such securities are eligible for purchase by institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act or other exemptions, the Adviser may determine that the securities are liquid.

Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a

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period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell.

Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith under procedures adopted by the Board. If, through the appreciation of illiquid securities or the depreciation of liquid securities, the Fund should be in a position where more than 15% of the value of its net assets are invested in illiquid securities, including restricted securities which are not readily marketable, the Fund will take such steps as set forth in its procedures as adopted by the Board.

Investment Company Securities

The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including money market funds and ETFs, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Investing in another pooled vehicle exposes the Fund to all the risks of that pooled vehicle. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (1) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (2) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (3) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.

If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act or as may at some future time be permitted by an exemptive order that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding the terms of the investment.

The Fund may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, which provide an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows the Fund to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions: (a) the Fund, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than three percent of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund, and (b) the sales load charged on the Fund’s Shares is no greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2341 of the Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Additionally, the Fund may rely on exemptive relief issued by the SEC to other registered funds, including ETFs, or Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to invest in such other funds in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) if the Fund complies with the terms and conditions of such exemptive relief or rule.

Other Short-Term Instruments

In addition to repurchase agreements, the Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (1) shares of money market funds; (2) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (3) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits, and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (4) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; (5) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (6) short-term

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U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

Securities Lending

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current value of the securities loaned. The Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. The lending Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities. Distributions received on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments (i.e., substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend income.

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, the Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, which may include those managed by the Adviser.

The Fund may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities lending agents approved by the Board who administer the lending program for the Fund in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent causes the delivery of loaned securities from the Fund to borrowers, arranges for the return of loaned securities to the Fund at the termination of a loan, requests deposit of collateral, monitors the daily value of the loaned securities and collateral, requests that borrowers add to the collateral when required by the loan agreements, and provides recordkeeping and accounting services necessary for the operation of the program.

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty, and market risk. In the event a borrower does not return the Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities.

Tax Risks

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account or other tax-advantaged arrangement, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.

U.S. Government Securities

A Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or

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instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, GNMA pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by FNMA, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of the FNMA and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the “Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement” or “Agreement”). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. As a result of this Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Fund, of mortgage-backed securities and other obligations issued by the FNMA and Freddie Mac are protected.

On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury amended the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth over the next three years. On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced the Third Amendment to the Agreement that recalibrated the calculation of the quarterly dividends that Freddie Mac pays to the U.S. Treasury which eliminated the need for Freddie Mac circularly to borrow from the U.S. Treasury only then to pay dividends back to the U.S. Treasury. The Third Amendment suspended the periodic commitment fee for so long as the dividend amounts were based on net worth. The Third Amendment also eliminated the requirement that Freddie Mac obtain the U.S. Treasury’s consent for asset dispositions with a fair market value (individually or in aggregate) of less than $250 million, but required Freddie Mac to submit annual risk management plans to the U.S. Treasury. On December 21, 2017, a letter agreement between the U.S. Treasury and Freddie Mac changed the terms of the senior preferred stock certificates to permit Freddie Mac to retain a $3 billion capital reserve, quarterly. On September 30, 2019, the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), acting as Conservator to Freddie Mac, announced amendments to the senior preferred stock certificates that will permit Freddie Mac to retain earnings beyond the $3 billion capital reserves previously allowed through the letter agreements. Since January 6, 2014, FHFA has conducted an ongoing assessment of its obligations and statutory mandates in preparation for Freddie Mac’s eventual exit from conservatorship.

The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008–2009 financial downturn. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt can raise concerns that the U.S. government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. This increase has also necessitated the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt limit to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. In August 2011, S&P lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. In explaining the

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downgrade at that time, S&P cited, among other reasons, controversy over raising the statutory debt limit and growth in public spending. On August 2, 2019, following passage by Congress, the President of the United States signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, which suspends the statutory debt limit through July 31, 2021. Any controversy or ongoing uncertainty regarding the statutory debt ceiling negotiations may impact the U.S. long-term sovereign credit rating and may cause market uncertainty. As a result, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may be adversely affected.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Funds. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to a Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of a Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, each Fund may not:

1.Concentrate its investments (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets) in any industry or group of related industries, except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that the Index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of related industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, investment companies, and tax-exempt securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

2.Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

3.Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

4.Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, REITs or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

5.Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities.

6.Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

7.With respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase the securities of any one issuer if, immediately after and as a result of such purchase, (a) the value of the Fund’s holdings in the securities of such issuer exceeds 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, or (b) the Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer (with the exception that this restriction does not apply to the Fund’s investments in the securities of the U.S. government, or its agencies or instrumentalities, or other investment companies).

In determining its compliance with the fundamental investment restriction on concentration, the Fund will look through to the underlying holdings of any affiliated investment company and will consider its entire investment in any investment company with a policy to concentrate, or having otherwise disclosed that it is concentrated, in a particular industry or group of related industries as being invested in such industry or group of related industries. Additionally, in determining its compliance with the fundamental investment restriction on concentration, each Fund will look through to the user or use of private activity municipal bonds to determine their industry.

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In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following non-fundamental restriction, which may be changed without a shareholder vote.

1.The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in investments that are tied economically to the United States. The Fund will provide the Fund’s shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior notice of any change in this policy.

If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing of money and illiquid securities will be observed continuously.

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.

There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove Shares from the listing under any of the following circumstances: (1) the Exchange becomes aware that the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 of the Investment Company Act of 1940; (2) the Fund no longer complies with the Exchange’s requirements for Shares; or (3) such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Board, which elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.

The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Distributor (defined below), and the Administrator (defined below). The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance, or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures, and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objective, strategies, and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, their investment philosophies, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructures. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer and other service providers, such as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit

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Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, the Board or its designee may meet with the Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and the nature of the Fund’s investments.

The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.

From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm, and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures, and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available, or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.

Members of the Board. There are four members of the Board, three of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). Mr. Eric W. Falkeis serves as Chairman of the Board and is an interested person of the Trust.

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The Board is composed of a majority (75 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and composed solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Audit Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Audit Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Audit Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust, despite there being no Lead Independent Trustee. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees of the Trust constitute a super majority of the Board, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from Fund management.

Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Tidal ETF Trust, 898 North Broadway, Suite 2, Massapequa, New York 11758.

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Name and Year of Birth

Position Held with the Trust

Term of Office and Length of Time Served

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee

Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years

Independent Trustees (1)

Mark H.W. Baltimore
Born: 1967

Trustee

Indefinite term; since 2018

Co-Chief Executive Officer, Global Rhino, LLC (asset management consulting firm) (since 2018); Chief Business Development Officer, Joot (asset management compliance services firm) (since 2019); Chief Executive Officer, Global Sight, LLC (asset management distribution consulting firm) (2016-2018); Head of Global Distribution Services, Foreside Financial Group, LLC (broker-dealer) (2016); Managing Director, Head of Global Distribution Services, Beacon Hill Fund Services (broker-dealer) (2015–2016).

None

Dusko Culafic
Born: 1958

Trustee

Indefinite term; since 2018

Retired (since 2018); Senior Operational Due Diligence Analyst, Aurora Investment Management, LLC (2012–2018).

None

Eduardo Mendoza
Born: 1966

Trustee

Indefinite term; since 2018

Executive Vice President - Head of Capital Markets & Corporate Development, Credijusto (financial technology company) (since 2017); Founding Partner / Capital Markets & Head of Corporate Development, SQN Latina (specialty finance company) (2016–2017).

None

Interested Trustee

Eric W. Falkeis (2)

Born: 1973

President, Principal Executive Officer, Trustee, Chairman, and Secretary

President and Principal Executive Officer since 2019, Indefinite term; Trustee, Chairman, and Secretary since 2018, Indefinite term

Chief Executive Officer, Tidal ETF Services LLC (since 2018); Chief Operating Officer (and other positions), Rafferty Asset Management, LLC (2013–2018) and Direxion Advisors, LLC (2017–2018).

Independent Director, Muzinich BDC, Inc. (since 2019); Trustee, Professionally Managed Portfolios (27 series) (since 2011); Interested Trustee, Direxion Funds, Direxion Shares ETF Trust, and Direxion Insurance Trust (2014–2018).

(1) All Independent Trustees of the Trust are not “interested persons” of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”).

(2) Mr. Falkeis is considered an “interested person” of the Trust due to his positions as President, Principal Executive Officer, Chairman and Secretary of the Trust, and Chief Executive Officer of Tidal ETF Services LLC, an affiliate of the Adviser.

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Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the series of the Trust provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Trust, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the shareholders of each series of the Trust. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills as described below.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Baltimore should serve as a Trustee because of his substantial experience with the distribution of investment company securities and his experience with regulatory matters through his current position at Global Rhino, LLC and prior position at Global Sight, LLC, asset management distribution consulting firms, current position at Joot, an asset management compliance services firm, and his past experience with distribution activities at the parent company of the Trust’s Distributor (defined below). The Board believes Mr. Baltimore’s experience, qualifications, attributes, or skills, on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees, leads to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills and attributes as a Trustee to carry out oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Culafic should serve as a Trustee because of his substantial experience with investment management operations and his experience with financial, accounting, investment, and regulatory matters through his former position as Senior Operational Due Diligence Analyst of Aurora Investment Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser. The Board believes Mr. Culafic’s experience, qualifications, attributes, or skills, on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees, leads to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills and attributes as a Trustee to carry out oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Mendoza should serve as a Trustee because of his substantial experience with credit markets and finance and his experience with financial, accounting, investment, and regulatory matters through his former positions as Managing Director (and other positions) of BMO Capital Markets, an investment bank. The Board believes Mr. Mendoza’s experience, qualifications, attributes, or skills, on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees, leads to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills and attributes as a Trustee to carry out oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Falkeis should serve as a Trustee because of his substantial investment company experience and his experience with financial, accounting, investment, and regulatory matters through his former position as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (and other positions) of U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Global Fund Services” or the “Transfer Agent”), a full service provider to ETFs, mutual funds, and alternative investment products, from 1997 to 2013. In addition, he has experience consulting with investment advisors regarding the legal structure of mutual funds, distribution channel analysis, and actual distribution of those funds. Mr. Falkeis also has substantial managerial, operational, technological, and risk oversight related experience through his former position as Chief Operating Officer of the advisers to the Direxion mutual fund and ETF complex. The Board believes Mr. Falkeis’ experience, qualifications, attributes, or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees leads to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills and attributes as a Trustee to carry out oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust.

In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Trust.

Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees of the Board:

Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the

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Audit Committee include overseeing the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices and its internal controls; overseeing the quality, objectivity and integrity of the Trust’s financial statements and the independent audits thereof; monitoring the independent auditor’s qualifications, independence, and performance; acting as a liaison between the Trust’s independent auditors and the full Board; pre-approving all auditing services to be performed for the Trust; reviewing the compensation and overseeing the work of the independent auditor (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work; pre-approving all permitted non-audit services (including the fees and terms thereof) to be performed for the Trust; pre-approving all permitted non-audit services to be performed for any investment adviser or sub-adviser to the Trust by any of the Trust’s independent auditors if the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Trust; meeting with the Trust’s independent auditors as necessary to (1) review the arrangement for and scope of the annual audits and any special audits, (2) discuss any matters of concern relating to the Fund’s financial statements, (3) consider the independent auditors’ comments with respect to the Trust’s financial policies, procedures and internal accounting controls and Trust management’s responses thereto, and (4) review the form of opinion the independent auditors propose to render to the Board and the Fund’s shareholders; discussing with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of the Fund’s financial statements; and reviewing and discussing reports from the independent auditors on (1) all critical accounting policies and practices to be used, (2) all alternative treatments within generally accepted accounting principles for policies and practices related to material items that have been discussed with management, (3) other material written communications between the independent auditor and management, including any management letter, schedule of unadjusted differences, or management representation letter, and (4) all non-audit services provided to any entity in the Trust that were not pre-approved by the Committee; and reviewing disclosures made to the Committee by the Trust’s principal executive officer and principal accounting officer during their certification process for the Fund’s Form N-CSR. Each Independent Trustee currently serves as a member of the Audit Committee. As of the date of this SAI, the Audit Committee has not met with respect to the Fund.

The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”) for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer (the “issuer attorneys”). An issuer attorney who becomes aware of evidence of a material violation by the Trust, or by any officer, director, employee, or agent of the Trust, may report evidence of such material violation to the QLCC as an alternative to the reporting requirements of Rule 205.3(b) (which requires reporting to the chief legal officer and potentially escalating further to other entities).

Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to identify, evaluate, and recommend candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary, but at least annually in November.

Valuation Committee. The Board has delegated day-to-day valuation issues to a Valuation Committee that is composed of Messrs. Falkeis and Carlson. Although the Valuation Committee is not a committee of the Board (i.e., committee members need not be a Trustee), the Valuation Committee’s membership is appointed by the Board and its charter and applicable procedures are approved by the Board. The function of the Valuation Committee is to value securities held by any series of the Trust for which current and reliable market quotations are not readily available. Such securities are valued at their respective fair values as determined in good faith by the Valuation Committee and the actions of the Valuation Committee are subsequently reviewed and ratified by the Board. The Valuation Committee meets as necessary.

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Principal Officers of the Trust

The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust is c/o Tidal ETF Trust, 898 North Broadway, Suite 2, Massapequa, New York 11758, unless otherwise indicated. Additional information about the Trust’s officers is as follows:


Name and Year of Birth	Position(s) Held with the Trust	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
Eric W. Falkeis (1) Born: 1973	President, Principal Executive Officer, Interested Trustee, Chairman, and Secretary	President and Principal Executive Officer since 2019, Indefinite term; Interested Trustee, Chairman, and Secretary since 2018, Indefinite term	Chief Executive Officer, Tidal ETF Services LLC (since 2018); Chief Operating Officer (and other positions), Rafferty Asset Management, LLC (2013–2018) and Direxion Advisors, LLC (2017–2018).
Daniel H. Carlson Born: 1955	Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer, and AML Compliance Officer	Indefinite term; since 2018	Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Managing Member, Toroso Investments, LLC (since 2012).
Bridget P. Garcia, Esq. c/o Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC 480 E. Swedesford Road, Suite 220 Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087 Born: 1985	Chief Compliance Officer	Indefinite term; since 2018	Compliance Manager, Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC (since 2017); Senior Associate, Central Compliance - Risk Management Group (2016-2017), Client Services Associate (2014-2016), Macquarie Group (global financial services firm).
Aaron J. Perkovich c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 Born: 1973	Assistant Treasurer	Indefinite term; since 2018	Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (since 2006).
Cory R. Akers c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 Born: 1978	Assistant Secretary	Indefinite term; since 2019	Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (since 2006).

(1) Mr. Falkeis is considered an “interested person” of the Trust due to his positions as President, Principal Executive Officer, Chairman and Secretary of the Trust, and Chief Executive Officer of Tidal ETF Services LLC, an affiliate of the Adviser.

Trustee Ownership of Shares. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”).

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As of December 31, 2021, Mr. Falkeis beneficially owned shares of certain series of the Trust as follows, and no other Trustee owned shares of any series of the Trust:


Trustee	Dollar Range of Shares Owned in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Shares of Series of the Trust
Eric W. Falkeis	None	Over $100,000

Board Compensation. The Independent Trustees each receive $10,000 for each regular quarterly meeting attended, $5,000 for each special meeting attended, and $1,000 for each telephonic audit committee meeting attended, as well as reimbursement for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with serving as a Trustee. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan.

The following table shows the compensation estimated to be earned by each Trustee for the Fund’s current fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. Independent Trustee fees are paid by the Adviser or the sub-adviser to each series of the Trust and not by the Fund. Trustee compensation shown below does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.


Name	Estimated Aggregate Compensation From Fund(1)	Estimated Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees (1) (2)
Interested Trustee
Eric W. Falkeis	$0	$0
Independent Trustees
Mark H.W. Baltimore	$7,000	$45,000
Dusko Culafic	$7,000	$45,000
Eduardo Mendoza	$7,000	$45,000

(1) Compensation is based on estimated amounts for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021.

(2) There are currently 16 other portfolios comprising the Fund complex.

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP

A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding Shares. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund. As of the date of this SAI, there were no outstanding Shares.

CODES OF ETHICS

The Trust and the Adviser have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust and the Adviser from engaging in deceptive, manipulative, or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each code of ethics permits personnel subject to that code of ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund. The Distributor (as defined below) relies on the principal underwriters exception under

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Rule 17j-1(c)(3), specifically where the Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust or the Adviser, and no officer, director, or general partner of the Distributor serves as an officer, director, or general partner of the Trust or the Adviser.

There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted proxy voting policies and guidelines for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”), which have been adopted by the Trust as the policies and procedures that will be used when voting proxies on behalf of the Fund.

In the absence of a conflict of interest, the Adviser will generally vote “for” routine proposals, such as the election of directors, approval of auditors, and amendments or revisions to corporate documents to eliminate outdated or unnecessary provisions. Unusual or disputed proposals will be reviewed and voted on a case-by-case basis. The Proxy Voting Policies address, among other things, material conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Fund and the interests of the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.

The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies.

When available, information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 will be available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling

INVESTMENT ADVISER

Toroso Investments, LLC, 898 North Broadway, Suite 2, Massapequa, New York 11758, serves as investment adviser to the Fund and has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Fund.

Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to the direction and control of the Board. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is also responsible for arranging sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other related services necessary for the Fund to operate. The Adviser administers the Fund’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping, and administrative services. Under the Advisory Agreement, in exchange for a single unitary management fee from the Fund, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund except for the Excluded Expenses, as defined in the Prospectus. For services provided to the Fund, the Fund pays the Adviser a unified management fee at an annual rate of 0.65% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

The Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person (or in another manner permitted by the 1940 Act or pursuant to exemptive relief therefrom) at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Adviser or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares. The Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or the Adviser.

The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding, or sale of any security.

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The Fund is new, and the Fund has not paid fees to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement as of the date of this SAI.

The table below shows advisory fees paid by the Predecessor Fund for the fiscal years ended September 30:


2020	2019	2018
$364,516	$368,779	$320,516

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The Fund is managed by Michael Venuto, Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser and Charles A. Ragauss, CFA, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser.

Other Accounts. In addition to the Fund, the portfolio managers managed the following other accounts as of February 28, 2021:

Michael Venuto


Type of Accounts	Total Number of Accounts	Total Assets of Accounts	Total Number of Accounts Subject to a Performance-Based Fee	Total Assets of Accounts Subject to a Performance-Based Fee
Registered Investment Companies	23	$4,267,029,056	0	$0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	468	$280965687	0	$0
Other Accounts	0	$0	0	$0

Charles A. Ragauss, CFA


Type of Accounts	Total Number of Accounts	Total Assets of Accounts	Total Number of Accounts Subject to a Performance-Based Fee	Total Assets of Accounts Subject to a Performance-Based Fee
Registered Investment Companies	20	$3,672,621,311	0	$0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	0	$0	0	$0
Other Accounts	0	$0	0	$0

Portfolio Manager Fund Ownership. The Fund is required to show the dollar range of each portfolio manager’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund had not yet commenced operations and no Shares were owned by the portfolio managers.

Portfolio Manager Compensation. Mr. Venuto is compensated by the Adviser with a base salary and a profit sharing plan. Mr. Venuto is an equity owner of the Adviser and therefore benefits indirectly from the revenue generated from the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser. Mr. Ragauss is compensated by the Adviser with a fixed salary and discretionary bonus based on the financial performance and profitability of the Adviser and not based on the performance of the Fund.

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Description of Material Conflicts of Interest. The portfolio managers’ management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Fund. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result, whereby a portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include a portfolio manager’s knowledge about the size, timing, and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts the firms manage are fairly and equitably allocated.

THE DISTRIBUTOR

The Trust and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Fund and distributes Shares on a best efforts basis. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will review orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA.

The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).

The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (1) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (2) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person (or in another manner permitted by the 1940 Act or pursuant to exemptive relief therefrom) at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.

The Fund is new and the Fund has not incurred any underwriting commissions and the Distributor has not retained any amounts as of the date of this SAI.

Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks, and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares.

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Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars, and printed communications). The Adviser will periodically assess the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker, or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker, or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker, or investment professional if they receive similar payments from their Intermediary firm.

Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker, or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments their Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.

If you have any additional questions, please call 1-800-617-0004.

ADMINISTRATOR

Tidal ETF Services LLC (“Tidal” or the “Administrator”), an affiliate of the Adviser, serves as the Fund’s administrator. Tidal is located at 898 North Broadway, Suite 2, Massapequa, New York 11758. Pursuant to a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement between the Trust and Tidal, Tidal provides the Trust with, or arranges for, administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) to be provided to the Trust and the Board. Pursuant to the Fund Administration Servicing Agreement, officers or employees of Tidal serve as the Trust’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, Tidal coordinates the payment of Fund-related expenses, and Tidal manages the Trust’s relationships with its various service providers. As compensation for the services it provides, Tidal receives a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. Tidal also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above.

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Plan. The Trust has adopted a Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. No payments pursuant to the Plan are expected to be made during the twelve (12) month period from the date of this SAI. Rule 12b-1 fees to be paid by the Fund under the Plan may only be imposed after approval by the Board.

Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Disinterested Trustees”). The Plan may be continued from year-to-year only if the Board, including a majority of the Disinterested Trustees, concludes at least annually that continuation of the Plan is likely to benefit shareholders. The Board has determined that the Plan is likely to benefit the Fund by providing an incentive for brokers, dealers, and other financial intermediaries to engage in sales and marketing efforts on behalf of the Fund and to provide enhanced services to shareholders. The Board also determined that the Plan may enhance the Fund’s ability to sell shares and access important distribution channels.

The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding Shares. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Disinterested Trustees.

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The Plan provides that the Fund pays the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers, and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with FINRA rules concerning sales charges.

Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, the Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or for providing, or arranging for others to provide, shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (1) delivering copies of the Fund’s then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers of Creation Units; (2) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (3) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of the Fund; (4) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of the Fund, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of the Fund; (5) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies, and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets, and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (6) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of Shares, including the cost of providing, or paying others to provide, services to beneficial owners of Shares, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to Shareholder accounts; and (7) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement.

The Fund is new and Tidal has not received any fees for administrative services to the Fund as of the date of this SAI.

SUB-ADMINISTRATOR AND TRANSFER AGENT

Global Fund Services, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the Fund’s sub-administrator and transfer agent.

Pursuant to a Fund Sub-Administration Servicing Agreement and a Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and Global Fund Services, Global Fund Services provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services, and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, Global Fund Services does not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Fund, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays Global Fund Services a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. Global Fund Services also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above, including pricing expenses.

The Fund is new and Global Fund Services has not received any fees for administrative services to the Fund as of the date of this SAI.

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CUSTODIAN

Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, U.S. Bank National Association (“U.S. Bank”), 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as the custodian (the “Custodian”) of the Fund’s assets. U.S. Bank is the parent company of Global Fund Services. The Custodian holds and administers the assets in the Fund’s portfolio. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Trust’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.

LEGAL COUNSEL

Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., located at 833 East Michigan Street, Suite 1800, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as legal counsel for the Trust and the Independent Trustees.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 342 N. Water Street, Suite 830, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. The Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business and through financial reporting and news services including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the Deposit Securities is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”).

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and shares. Each share represents an equal proportionate interest in the Fund with each other share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing Shares will not be issued. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.

Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds in the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. The Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters upon the written request of shareholders holding at least a majority of the outstanding shares of the Trust entitled to vote at such meeting. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.

Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.

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LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY

The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee, or agent of the Trust, and, upon due approval of the Trustees, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, agent, or fiduciary of another organization with respect to any alleged acts or omissions while acting within the scope of his or her service in such a position. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for a Trustee’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

The Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker/ dealer for each specific transaction, the Adviser chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting, and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker/ dealers. The Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.

Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units — Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash Creation Unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units — Creation Transaction Fee” and “ — Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, even if the

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decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.

The Adviser may use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full-service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services, and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research.

Accordingly, the Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Adviser, but only if the Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to (1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate, (2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal, and (3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.

The Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Adviser can use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing the Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.

The Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by the Board, for placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.

The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.

Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund or the Adviser for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act, and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being

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purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically. The Fund is new and has not paid brokerage commissions to any registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund or the Adviser as of the date of this SAI. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, the Predecessor Fund did not pay brokerage commissions to affiliated brokers.

Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year (1) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund’s portfolio transactions, (2) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Fund, or (3) sold the largest dollar amounts of Shares. The Fund is new and did not own equity securities of its regular broker-dealers or their parent companies as of the date of this SAI. As of September 30, 2020, the Predecessor Fund did not hold securities of its “regular brokers and dealers.”

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

A portfolio turnover rate is, in summary, the percentage computed by dividing the lesser of the Fund’s purchases or sales of securities (excluding short-term securities and securities transferred in-kind) by the average market value of the Fund. A rate of 100% indicates that the equivalent of all of the Fund’s assets have been sold and reinvested in a year. High portfolio turnover may affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions, and, as a result, may increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Higher portfolio turnover also results in higher transaction costs. To the extent that net short-term capital gains are realized by the Fund, any distributions resulting from such gains are considered ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. Because the Fund is newly organized, no portfolio turnover data is available. The table below shows the Predecessor Fund’s portfolio turnover for the fiscal years ended September 30:


2020			2019
67%			36%

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.

DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations, and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).

Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to in this SAI as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names, and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of Share certificates. Each Beneficial

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Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number, and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement, or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners; or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Shares; or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests; or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Fund shall act either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS

The Trust issues and redeems Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Transfer Agent, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). The NAV of Shares is calculated each Business Day as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business.

Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below) computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.

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Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund may change from time to time.

Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Transfer Agent to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (1) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (2) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.

All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units is 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, which time may be modified by the Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units must be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases, there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by

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telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Transfer Agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Fund, the Transfer Agent will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Transfer Agent by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone, or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Transfer Agent or an Authorized Participant.

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities), and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. A Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the second Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form, and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Transfer Agent, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.

The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.

Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided in this SAI, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the Custodian (or sub-custodian, as applicable), the Transfer Agent and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an

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amount equal to the sum of (1) the Cash Component, plus (2) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Transfer Agent, plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Transfer Agent with respect to the Fund including, without limitation, if (1) the order is not in proper form; (2) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (3) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares; (4) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (5) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (6) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (7) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (8) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.

Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions, and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy, and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process; and other extraordinary events. The Transfer Agent shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian, and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits, nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.

All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The

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fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders.


Fixed Creation Transaction Fee			Maximum Variable Transaction Fee
$250			2%

Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities (defined below) from the Trust to their account or on their order.

Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.

Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.

Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities — as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a

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receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. If the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.

Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders.


Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee			Maximum Variable Transaction Fee
$250			2%

Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units. Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (1) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (2) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers, or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank, or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds will generally be made within two Business Days of the trade date.

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The Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities, but does not differ in NAV.

Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant, or an investor for which it is acting, subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units, may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

DETERMINATION OF NAV

NAV per Share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by Global Fund Services and determined at the scheduled close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.

In calculating the Fund’s NAV per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (1) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer); (2) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer); or (3) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Fund may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions, and Taxes.”

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General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by the Fund. The Fund intends to distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.

The Fund makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (1) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Fund, plus any net capital gains and (2) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income at the Fund level.

Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the Fund at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

The following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local, or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.

The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.

The tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) made significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for taxation of individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Many of the changes applicable to individuals are temporary and would apply only to taxable years before January 1, 2026. There were only minor changes with respect to the specific rules applicable to RICs, such as the Fund. The Tax Act, however, also made numerous other changes to the tax rules that may affect shareholders and the Fund. Subsequent legislation has modified certain changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules made by the Tax Act

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which may, in addition, affect shareholders and the Fund. You are urged to consult with your own tax advisor regarding how this legislation affects your investment in the Fund.

Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, local, or foreign taxes.

Taxation of the Fund. The Fund will elect and intends to qualify each year to be treated as a RIC under the Code. As such, the Fund should not be subject to federal income taxes on its net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that it timely distributes such income and capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, to be taxed as a RIC, the Fund must distribute in each taxable year at least 90% of its “investment company taxable income” for the taxable year, which includes, among other items, dividends, interest, net short-term capital gain, and net foreign currency gain, less expenses, as well as 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (1) at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or foreign currencies, and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (2) at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, the Fund’s assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).

To the extent the Fund makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, including certain derivatives, the Fund will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Fund’s non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.

Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute its capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. The Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the Fund level rather than at the Trust level.

If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to the Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the Fund as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by noncorporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and

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profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a fund-level tax on certain net built-in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.

The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late-year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late-year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late-year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”), and certain other late-year losses.

Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. The Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated.

The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gain to shareholders for each taxable year. If the Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund may elect to designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain as deemed distributions in a notice to its shareholders, who (1) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated; (2) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities; and (3) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.

Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions. The Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and its net tax-exempt income, if any. The Fund intends to distribute annually any net capital gain (net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net capital gain will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.

The Fund (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends received

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deduction for corporate shareholders, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at long-term capital gain rates.

Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.

Qualified dividend income includes, in general, subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain “qualified foreign corporations.” Subject to certain limitations, “qualified foreign corporations” include those incorporated in territories of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by the Fund from an ETF or an underlying fund taxable as a RIC or a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund or REIT. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.

Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the Fund does not meet certain holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, or the shareholder does not meet certain holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid. Distributions by the Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income.

In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 50% dividends-received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Fund from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction. To qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends-received deduction with respect to those Shares.

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November, or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.

In general, qualified REIT dividends that an investor receives directly from a REIT are automatically eligible for the 20% qualified business income deduction. The IRS has issued final Treasury Regulations that permit a dividend or part of a dividend paid by a RIC and reported as a “section 199A dividend” to be treated by the recipient as a qualified REIT dividend for purposes of the 20% qualified business income deduction, if certain holding period and other requirements have been satisfied by the recipient with respect to their Shares.

In addition to the federal income tax, certain individuals, trusts, and estates may be subject to a Net Investment Income (“NII”) tax of 3.8%. The NII tax is imposed on the lesser of (1) a taxpayer’s investment income, net of deductions properly allocable to such income; or (2) the amount by which such taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain thresholds ($250,000 for married individuals filing jointly, $200,000 for unmarried individuals, and $125,000 for married individuals filing separately). The Fund’s distributions are includable in a shareholder’s investment income for

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purposes of this NII tax. In addition, any capital gain realized by a shareholder upon a sale or redemption of Fund shares is includable in such shareholder’s investment income for purposes of this NII tax.

Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.

To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

If the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.

Taxation of Shareholders – Sale of Shares. A sale or redemption of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain with respect to such Shares (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an exchanger who does not mark-to-market its portfolio), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares composing the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will

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generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction, and whether the wash sales rule applies, and when a loss may be deductible.

Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund, and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount, and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding Fund-level income and excise taxes. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.

Backup Withholding. The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that they are not subject to “backup withholding;” or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that they are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is at a rate set under Section 3406 of the Code. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. federal income tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the United States.

Foreign Shareholders. Any non-U.S. investors in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisors prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts, and estates) are generally subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation,

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unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year (based on a formula that factors in presence in the United States during the two preceding years as well). Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), the Fund may be required to withhold a generally nonrefundable 30% tax on (1) distributions of investment company taxable income and (2) distributions of net capital gain and the gross proceeds of a sale or redemption of Fund shares paid to (a) certain “foreign financial institutions” unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, monitor, and report to the IRS the identity of certain of its account holders, among other items (or unless such entity is otherwise deemed compliant under the terms of an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and the foreign financial institution’s country of residence), and (b) certain “non-financial foreign entities” unless such entity certifies to the Fund that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provides the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner, among other items. In December 2018, the IRS and Treasury Department released proposed Treasury Regulations that would eliminate FATCA withholding on Fund distributions of net capital gain and the gross proceeds from a sale or redemption of Fund shares. Although taxpayers are entitled to rely on these proposed Treasury Regulations until final Treasury Regulations are issued, these proposed Treasury Regulations have not been finalized, may not be finalized in their proposed form, and are potentially subject to change. This FATCA withholding tax could also affect the Fund’s return on its investments in foreign securities or affect a shareholder’s return if the shareholder holds its Fund shares through a foreign intermediary. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding the application of this FATCA withholding tax to your investment in the Fund and the potential certification, compliance, due diligence, reporting, and withholding obligations to which you may become subject in order to avoid this withholding tax.

For foreign shareholders to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, described above, the foreign shareholder must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign shareholders in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.

Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation, except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are generally not permitted to offset losses from one unrelated trade or business against the income or gain of another unrelated trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Fund if, for example, (1) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”); (2) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”), or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP, or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC; or (3) Shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.

Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of the Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting

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requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not

affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Other Issues. In those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.

The table below shows the Predecessor Fund’s capital loss carryforwards for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. These amounts do not expire.


Short-Term			Long-Term
$4,133,319			$3,336,969

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Fund has adopted the financial statements of the Predecessor Fund. The Predecessor Fund’s audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, including the notes thereto and the report of the Predecessor Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, included in the Predecessor Fund’s Annual Report are incorporated into this Statement of Additional Information by reference.

Supplemental Financial Information. A table showing the fees and expenses of the Target Fund and the fees and expenses of the Acquiring Fund on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the proposed Reorganization, is included in the Prospectus.

The Reorganization will not result in a material change to any of the Target Fund’s investment portfolios due to the investment restrictions of the corresponding Acquiring Fund. As a result, a schedule of investments of the Target Fund modified to show the effects of such change is not required and is not included.

There are no material differences in accounting policies of the Target Fund as compared to those of the Acquiring Fund.

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Part C: OTHER INFORMATION

Item 15. Indemnification:

Every person who is, has been, or becomes a Trustee or officer of the Trust (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”) shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against any and all liabilities and expenses reasonably incurred or paid by them in connection with the defense of any proceeding in which they become involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of their being or having been such a Trustee or officer, and against amounts paid or incurred by them in the settlement thereof. Every person who is, has been, or becomes an agent of the Trust may, upon due approval of the Trustees (including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust), be indemnified by the Trust, to the fullest extent permitted by law, against any and all liabilities and expenses reasonably incurred or paid by them in connection with the defense of any proceeding in which they become involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of their being or having been an agent, and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof. Every Person who is serving or has served at the request of the Trust as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, agent or fiduciary of another domestic or foreign corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, other enterprise or employee benefit plan (“Other Position”) and who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of alleged acts or omissions while acting within the scope of his or her service in such Other Position, may, upon due approval of the Trustees (including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust), be indemnified by the Trust, to the fullest extent permitted by law, against any and all liabilities and expenses reasonably incurred or paid by them in connection with the defense of any proceeding in which they become involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of their being or having held such Other Position, and against amounts paid or incurred by them in the settlement thereof.

The Trust shall indemnify each Covered Person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding, by reason of alleged acts or omissions within the scope of their service as a Covered Person, against judgments, fines, penalties, settlements and reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually incurred by them in connection with such proceeding to the maximum extent consistent with state law and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

No indemnification shall be provided to any person who shall have been adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was brought: (i) to be liable to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of their office, or (ii) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest of the Trust.

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustee, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Item 16. Exhibits:


(1)	(a)	Certificate of Trust of Tidal ETF Trust (the “Trust” or the “Registrant”) - previously filed with the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A on September 12, 2018 and is incorporated herein by reference.
	(b)	Registrant’s Declaration of Trust - previously filed with the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A on September 12, 2018 and is incorporated herein by reference.
(2)		Registrant’s Amended and Restated By-Laws - previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A on December 21, 2018 and are incorporated herein by reference.
(3)		Not Applicable.

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(4)		Form of Agreement and Plan of Reorganization is filed herewith as Appendix A to Part A of this Registration Statement on Form N-14.
(5)		Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders - See relevant portions of Declaration of Trust and By-Laws.
(6)		Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust (on behalf of American Customer Satisfaction ETF) and Toroso Investments, LLC (“Toroso”) — filed herewith.
(7)	(a)(1)	ETF Distribution Agreement between the Trust and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Foreside”) - previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 on Form N-1A on April 5, 2019 and is incorporated herein by reference.






	(a)(2)	Form of Seventh Amendment to ETF Distribution Agreement (adding the American Customer Satisfaction ETF) — filed herewith.
	(b)	Form of Authorized Participant Agreement - previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A on December 21, 2018 and is incorporated herein by reference.
	(c)	Distribution Services Agreement between Toroso and Foreside - previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 on Form N-1A on April 5, 2019 and is incorporated herein by reference.
(8)		Bonus, profit sharing contracts - Not Applicable.
(9)	(a)(1)	Custody Agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bank National Association - previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 on Form N-1A on April 5, 2019 and is incorporated herein by reference.







	(a)(2)	Form of Eighth Amendment to Custody Agreement (adding the American Customer Satisfaction ETF) — filed herewith.
(10)	(a)	Form of Amended and Restated Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Plan — filed herewith.
	(b)	Rule 18f-3 Plan - Not applicable.
(11)		Opinion and Consent regarding the validity of shares to be issued — filed herewith.
(12)		Form of Opinion and Consent regarding certain tax matters — filed herewith.
(13)	(a)(1)	Fund Administration Servicing Agreement between the Trust and Tidal ETF Services LLC - previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 on Form N-1A on April 5, 2019 and is incorporated herein by reference.





	(a)(2)	Form of Sixth Amendment to Fund Administration Servicing Agreement (adding the American Customer Satisfaction ETF) — filed herewith.
	(b)(1)	Fund Sub-Administration Servicing Agreement - previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 on Form N-1A on April 5, 2019 and is incorporated herein by reference.







	(b)(2)	Form of Eighth Amendment to Fund Sub-Administration Servicing Agreement (add the American Customer Satisfaction ETF) — filed herewith.
	(c)(1)	Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC - previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 on Form N-1A on April 5, 2019 and is incorporated herein by reference.







	(c)(2)	Form of Eighth Amendment to Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement (adding the American Customer Satisfaction ETF) — filed herewith.
	(d)(1)	Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC - previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 on Form N-1A on April 5, 2019 and is incorporated herein by reference.







	(d)(2)	Form of Eighth Amendment to Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement (adding the American Customer Satisfaction ETF) — filed herewith.
	(e)	Compliance Services Agreement between the Trust and Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC - previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A on January 28, 2019 and is incorporated herein by reference.
(14)		Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm — filed herewith.
(15)		Not applicable
(16)		Powers of attorney - previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A on April 28, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference.
(17)		None

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Item 17. Undertakings:

(1)The Registrant agrees that prior to any public reoffering of the securities registered through the use of a prospectus which is a part of this registration statement by any person or party who is deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Rule 145(c) of the Securities Act, the reoffering prospectus will contain the information called for by the applicable registration form for the reofferings by persons who may be deemed underwriters, in addition to the information called for by the other items of the applicable form.

(2)The Registrant agrees that every prospectus that is filed under paragraph (1) above will be filed as a part of an amendment to the registration statement and will not be used until the amendment is effective, and that, in determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement for the securities offered therein, and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering of them.

(3)The Registrant agrees to file by PEA the opinion and consent of counsel regarding the tax consequences at the proposed Reorganization required by item 16(12) of Form N-14 upon the closing of the Reorganization.

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SIGNATURES

As required by the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed on behalf of the Registrant, in the City of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin, on March 5, 2021.


TIDAL ETF TRUST

By:			/s/ Eric W. Falkeis
Name:			Eric Falkeis
Title:			President

Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this registration statement has been signed as of March 5, 2021 by the following persons in the capacities indicated.


Signature			Title

/s/ Eric W. Falkeis			President (principal executive officer), Trustee, Chairman, and Secretary
Eric W. Falkeis

Dusko Culafic*			Trustee
Dusko Culafic

Mark H. W. Baltimore*			Trustee
Mark H. W. Baltimore

Eduardo Mendoza*			Trustee
Eduardo Mendoza

/s/ Daniel H. Carlson			Treasurer (principal financial officer and principal accounting officer)
Daniel H. Carlson


*By:			/s/ Eric W. Falkeis
			Eric W. Falkeis Attorney-in-Fact pursuant to Powers of Attorney filed previously.

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[LOGO] PROXY CARD

SIGN, DATE AND VOTE ON THE REVERSE SIDE


YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT NO MATTER HOW MANY SHARES YOU OWN. PLEASE CAST YOUR PROXY VOTE TODAY! [Shareholder registration printed here]			PROXY VOTING OPTIONS 1. MAIL your signed and voted proxy back in the postage paid envelope provided 2. ONLINE at proxyonline.com using your proxy control number found below 3. By PHONE when you dial toll-free (888) 886-4425 to reach an automated touchtone voting line CONTROL NUMBER > [12345678910]

American Customer Satisfaction ETF

PROXY FOR A SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON May 12, 2021

The undersigned hereby appoints each of Michael A. Castino, Kristina R. Nelson, Kristen M. Weitzel, Michael D. Barolsky, and Isabella K. Zoller as Proxy of the undersigned, with full power of substitution, and hereby authorizes any of them to vote on behalf of the undersigned all shares of the Fund that the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund to be held at 11:00 a.m. Central Time, on May 12, 2021 at the principal executive offices of ETF Series Solutions, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 and at any postponements or adjournments thereof, as fully as the undersigned would be entitled to vote if personally present. This proxy will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware and applicable federal securities laws. The execution of this proxy is not intended to, and does not, revoke any prior proxies or powers of attorney other than the revocation, in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware and applicable federal securities laws, of any proxy previously granted specifically in connection with the voting of the shares subject hereto. This proxy may be revoked at any time prior to the exercise of the powers conferred thereby.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for this Special Meeting of Shareholders to Be Held on May 12, 2021. The proxy statement for this meeting is available at: https://vote.proxyonline.com/etfss/docs/acsetf.pdf.

American Customer Satisfaction ETF PROXY CARD


YOUR SIGNATURE IS REQUIRED FOR YOUR VOTE TO BE COUNTED. Please sign your name exactly as it appears on this card. If you are a joint owner, any one of you may sign. When signing as executor, administrator, attorney, trustee, or guardian, or as custodian for a minor, please give your full title as such. If you are signing for a corporation, please sign the full corporate name and indicate the signer’s office. If you are a partner, sign in the partnership name.			________________________________________________________SIGNATURE (AND TITLE IF APPLICABLE) ________________________________________________________DATE
			________________________________________________________SIGNATURE (IF HELD JOINTLY) ________________________________________________________ DATE

This proxy is solicited on behalf of the Board of Trustees of ETF Series Solutions (the “Trust”), and the Proposal has been unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees and recommended for approval by shareholders. This proxy when properly executed will be voted in the manner directed herein by the undersigned shareholder. If no direction is made, this proxy will be voted FOR the Proposal. In his or her discretion, the Proxy is authorized to vote upon such other matters as may properly come before the meeting.

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TRUST UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE PROPOSAL.

TO VOTE, MARK CIRCLES BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS. Example: ●

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

To approve the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization approved by the Board of Trustees of ETF Series Solutions, which provides for the reorganization of the American Customer Satisfaction ETF, a series of the Trust, into the American Customer Satisfaction ETF, a newly created series of Tidal ETF Trust.

○

THANK YOU FOR VOTING

ZEGA Buy and Hedge ETF (ZHDG) N-14Registration statement for investment companies business combination