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NOTE 3 – Principal Investment Risks |
ARK Innovation ETF (“ARKK”), Tesla, Inc. (TSLA), Apple Inc. (APLY), Nvidia Corporation (NVDA), Amazon.com (AMZN), Alphabet.com (GOOGL), Meta Platforms, Inc. (META), Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), Coinbase Global, Inc.(CONY), The Walt Disney Company (“DIS”), Microsoft Corporation (“MSFT”), Exxon Mobile Corporation (“SQ”), JPMorgan Chase & Co. . (“JPM”), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (“XOM”), PayPal Holdings, Inc. (“PYPL”), Block, Inc. (“SQ”), Moderna, Inc. (“MRNA”), Ai, Inc. (“AI”), Microstrategy Inc. (“MSTR”), and ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (“BITO”), together (the “Companies”).
The Funds, excluding ULTY ETF, YMAG ETF and YMAX ETF, invest in options contracts that are based on the value of each underlying stock: OARK ETF (AARK), TSLY ETF (TSLA), APLY ETF (AAPL), NVDY ETF (NVDA), AMZY ETF (AMZN), GOOY ETF (GOOGL), FBY ETF (META), NFLY ETF (NFLX), CONY ETF (COIN), DISO ETF (DIS), MSO ETF (MSFT), XOMO ETF (XOM), JPMO ETF (JPM), AMDY ETF (AMD), PYPY ETF (PYPL), SQY ETF (SQ), MRNY ETF (MRNY), AIYY ETF (AI), MSTY ETF (MSTR), and YBIT ETF (BITO). This subjects the Funds to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of each underlying stock, even though it does not. By virtue of the Funds’ investments in options contracts that are based on the value of each underlying stock, the Fund may also be subject to the following risks:
ARKK Risk. The OARK ETF invests in options contracts that are based on the value of an ETF, specifically ARKK. This subjects the OARK ETF to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of ARKK, as well as the types of instruments in which ARKK invests, even though it does not. The value of ARKK will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by ARKK, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of ARKK and, in turn, the value of the OARK ETF’s shares. Since ARKK is an ETF, it is also subject to the same structural risks as the OARK ETF, which is an ETF.
Counterparty Risk. The Funds are subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Funds are not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Funds will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives positions, the Funds will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from a clearing house through their accounts at clearing members. Customer funds held at a clearing organization in connection with any options contracts are held in a commingled omnibus account and are not identified to the name of the clearing member’s individual customers. As a result, assets deposited by the Funds with any clearing member as margin for options may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of each Fund’s clearing member. In addition, although clearing members guarantee performance of their clients’ obligations to the clearing house, there is a risk that the assets of the Funds might not be fully protected in the event of the clearing member’s bankruptcy, as the Funds would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing member’s customers for the relevant account class. The Funds are also subject to the risk that a limited number of clearing members are willing to transact on each Fund’s behalf, which heightens the risks associated with a clearing member’s default. This risk is greater for the Funds as it seeks to hold options contracts on a single security, and not a broader range of options contracts, which may limit the number of clearing members that are willing to transact on each Fund’s behalf. If a clearing member defaults the Funds could lose some or all of the benefits of a transaction entered into by the Funds with the clearing member. If the Funds cannot find a clearing member to transact with on each Fund’s behalf, the Funds may be unable to effectively implement its investment strategy.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Funds’ investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Funds’ other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of derivatives may result in larger losses or smaller gains than directly investing in securities. When the Funds use derivatives, there may be an imperfect correlation between the value of their underlying instrument and the derivative, which may prevent the Funds from achieving their investment objective. Because derivatives often require only a limited initial investment, the use of derivatives may expose the Fund to losses in excess of those amounts initially invested. In addition, each Fund’s investments in derivatives are subject to the following risks: