As filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on July 27, 2026.
1933 Act Registration No.
333-261454 1940 Act Registration No. 811-23759
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 |
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Pre-Effective Amendment No. |
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Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 |
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REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 |
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(Check appropriate box or boxes) |
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THRIVENT ETF TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Declaration of Trust)
901 Marquette Avenue,
Suite 2500
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211
(612) 844-7190
Name and Address of Agent for Service
John D. Jackson
Secretary
Thrivent ETF Trust
901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211
Brian D. McCabe Ropes & Gray LLP Prudential Tower 800 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 02199 |
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Jeremy C. Smith Ropes & Gray LLP 1211 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 11036 |
It is proposed that this filing will become effective:
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immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
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on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) |
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60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
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on October 19, 2026 pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
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75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
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on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485 |
If appropriate, check the following box:
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this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-261454) is being
filed pursuant to Rule 485(a)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to register shares of Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF and Thrivent Securitized Income ETF (the “Funds”) as new series of the Registrant. This Post-Effective Amendment relates only to the Funds and no information contained herein is intended to amend or supersede any prior filing relating to
any other series of the Registrant.
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF ([ ]:TLCE) |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF ([ ]:TSIE) |
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to
sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Go paperless. Manage your communication choices and sign up for paperless delivery of prospectuses by logging into your account.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Thrivent Large Cap Stock
ETF
Investment Objective
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF (the "Fund") seeks long-term capital appreciation. The Fund’s investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and/or sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial
intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example
below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of
the value of your investment) |
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
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1"Other Expenses" is an estimate based on the expenses the Fund expects to incur for its first full fiscal year.
The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated (whether or not shares are sold or redeemed), and also assumes that your investment has a 5%
return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example does not take into
account brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that you may pay on your purchases
and sales of shares of the Fund. It also does not include the transaction fees on purchases and redemptions
of creation units (“Creation Units”), because those fees will not be imposed on retail investors.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be (based on
estimated Fund expenses):
The 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 annual fund
operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund had not commenced
operations prior to the date of this prospectus, the
Fund's portfolio turnover rate for the most recent fiscal year end is not yet available.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in equity securities of large-capitalization
companies. Should Thrivent Asset Management, LLC (“Thrivent Asset Mgt.” or the
“Adviser”) change the 80% investment policy, we will notify you at least 60 days prior to the
change. The Adviser focuses mainly on the equity securities of domestic large-cap companies. The Fund defines
large-cap companies as those with market capitalizations at or above the market capitalization of the
smallest company represented in either the S&P 500 Index (approximately $5.8 billion as of December 31,
2025), the Russell 1000 Index (approximately $1.0 billion as of December 31, 2025), or other widely-followed
indices that represent all or a portion of the large-cap equity segment of the securities market.
The Fund is an actively managed exchange traded fund (“ETF”) and does not seek to replicate the performance of
a specified index. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in common
stocks. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund generally intends to allocate its
investments among industries in a manner that is broadly similar to the allocations of its benchmark index. To
the extent the benchmark index has significant exposure to a particular industry or group of industries, the
Fund may also have significant exposure to such industry or group of industries, in accordance with the
Fund’s fundamental investment policy on industry concentration. The Fund is classified as a
non-diversified fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and may
invest in a smaller number of issuers and have a greater percentage of its assets in those issuers than a
diversified investment company.
In buying and selling securities for the Fund, the Adviser uses an active strategy. This strategy consists of a disciplined approach that involves computer-aided, quantitative analysis
of fundamental, technical and risk-related factors. The Adviser’s factor model (a method of analyzing
and combining multiple data sources) systematically reviews thousands of stocks, using data such as
historical earnings growth and expected future growth, valuation, price momentum, and other quantitative
factors to forecast return potential. Then, risk characteristics of potential investments and covariation among
securities are analyzed along with the return forecasts in determining the Fund’s holdings. The Fund
may make use of the unique features of the ETF structure, such as in-kind transactions and custom baskets, to
select securities or modify the Fund’s investment exposure.
Principal Risks
The Fund is subject to the following principal investment risks, which you should review carefully and in entirety. An
investment in the Fund is not a deposit or other obligation of Thrivent Trust Company, Thrivent Bank, or any
bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other federal
agency. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and you could lose money by investing in the Fund.
Equity Security Risk. Equity securities held by the Fund may decline significantly in price, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur because of declines in the equity market as a whole, or because of declines in only a particular
country, geographic region, company, industry, or sector of the market. From time to time, the Fund may
invest a significant portion of its assets in companies in one particular country or geographic region or one
or more related sectors or industries, which would make the Fund more vulnerable to adverse developments
affecting such countries, geographic regions, sectors or industries. Equity securities generally do not move
in the same direction at the same time and are generally more volatile than most debt securities.
Market Risk. Over time, securities markets generally tend to move in cycles with periods when security prices rise and periods when security prices decline. The value of the
Fund’s investments may move with these cycles and, in some instances, increase or decrease more than
the applicable market(s) as measured by the Fund’s benchmark index(es). The securities markets may also
decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or market sector, or due to impacts from
domestic or global events, including regulatory events, economic downturn, government shutdowns, the spread
of infectious illness such as the outbreak of COVID-19, public health crises, war, terrorism, social unrest, recessions, natural disasters or similar events.
Non-Diversified Risk. The Fund is not “diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act. That means the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of any single issuer compared to other funds. A non-diversified
portfolio is generally more susceptible than a diversified portfolio to the risk that events or developments
affecting a particular issuer or industry will significantly affect the Fund’s performance.
ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is structured as an ETF and is subject to risks related to exchange trading, including:
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The Fund’s shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange (the “Exchange”) and are bought and sold on the secondary market at market prices.
Although it is expected that the market price of Fund shares will typically approximate the Fund’s net
asset value (“NAV”), there may be times when the market price reflects a significant premium or
discount to NAV.
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Although the Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange, it is possible that an active trading market in the Fund’s shares may not be maintained.
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The Fund could potentially face trading halts and/or delisting from the Exchange. This risk is heightened in
times of market stress,
including at both the Fund share level and at the Fund holdings level.
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Only an authorized participant (an “Authorized Participant”) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is
obligated to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. The Fund has a limited number of institutions
that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To
the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation or
redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to
create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and
possibly face trading halts or delisting.
Investment
Adviser Risk. The Fund is actively managed and the success of its investment strategy depends significantly
on the skills of the Adviser in assessing the potential of the investments in which the Fund invests. The
assessment of potential Fund investments may prove incorrect, resulting in losses or poor performance, even
in rising markets. Poor investments by the Adviser may cause the Fund to underperform relative to its
benchmark or similar funds. There is also no guarantee that the Adviser will be able to effectively implement
the Fund’s investment objective.
Large Cap Risk. Large-sized companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology. They may also not be able to attain the
high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic
expansion.
New and Smaller Sized Fund Risk. The Fund is new and has a limited operating history as an ETF for investors to evaluate and may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies. The Fund may fail to attract sufficient assets to
achieve or maintain economies of scale, which could result in the Fund being liquidated at any time without
shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Smaller ETFs will have a
lower public float and lower trading volumes, leading to wider bid/ask spreads.
Quantitative Investing Risk. Securities selected according to a quantitative analysis methodology can perform differently from the market as a whole based on the model and the factors used in the analysis, the weight placed on each factor
and changes in the factor’s historical trends. Such models are based on assumptions relating to these
and other market factors, and the models may not take into account certain factors, or perform as intended,
and may result in a decline in the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Among other risks, results generated
by such models may be impaired by errors in human judgment, data imprecision, software or other technology
systems malfunctions, or programming flaws. Such models may not perform as expected or may underperform in
periods of market volatility.
Performance
No performance information for the Fund is provided because it had not commenced operations prior to the date of this prospectus and does not yet have a full calendar year of performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that provide some indication of the risks of investing
in the Fund. The bar chart will show the Fund’s performance from year to year. The table will show how
the Fund’s average annual total returns for the indicated periods compare with those of an appropriate
broad-based securities market index and a more narrowly based index.
The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an
indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available on
the Fund’s website at thriventETFs.com/individual or by calling 800-847-4836.
The Fund
will compare its performance to the Russell 3000® Index, an appropriate broad-based securities market index that represents the overall equity market. The Russell
3000® Index
measures the performance of 3,000 large-, mid-, and small-cap U.S. equities, representing approximately 98%
of the U.S. equity market. The Fund also compares its performance to The S&P 500® Index which more closely reflects the market segments in which the Fund invests. The S&P 500® Index measures performance of 500 widely held, publicly traded stocks.
The Fund is managed by Thrivent Asset Management, LLC (“Thrivent Asset Mgt.” or the
“Adviser”).
The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible
for the day-to-day management of the Fund:
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Portfolio Manager
of the Fund Since |
Brian W. Bomgren, CQF
Senior Portfolio Manager |
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Noah J. Monsen, CFA
Senior Portfolio Manager |
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Sharon Wang, CFA, FRM
Senior Portfolio Manager |
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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in Creation Units. These transactions are usually in exchange for
a basket of securities and/or an amount of cash. As a practical
matter, only Authorized Participants purchase or redeem Creation
Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold in the secondary market
(i.e., on a national securities exchange) through a broker or dealer at market prices. Because Fund shares
trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Fund shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or
less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs
attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the
Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) (the
“bid-ask spread”). When available, recent information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads will be available at thriventETFs.com/individual.
The Fund’s distributions may be comprised of taxable ordinary income, taxable capital gains and/or a non-taxable return of capital, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged
arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Investments in such tax-advantaged
plans will generally be taxed only upon withdrawal of monies from the tax-advantaged arrangement.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or insurance company), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of the Fund 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 the Fund over another
investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more
information.
Thrivent Securitized
Income ETF
Investment Objective
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF (the "Fund") seeks a high level of current income consistent with stability of principal. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without
shareholder approval.
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold
and/or sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage
commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not
reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of
the value of your investment) |
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
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1"Other Expenses" is an estimate based on the expenses the Fund expects to incur for its first full fiscal year.
The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated (whether or not shares are sold or redeemed), and also assumes that your investment has a 5%
return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example does not take into
account brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that you may pay on your purchases
and sales of shares of the Fund. It also does not include the transaction fees on purchases and redemptions
of creation units (“Creation Units”), because those fees will not be imposed on retail investors.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be (based on
estimated Fund expenses):
The 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 annual fund
operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund had not commenced
operations prior to the date of this prospectus, the
Fund's portfolio turnover rate for the most recent fiscal year end is not yet available.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in securitized securities or investments
that provide exposure to securitized securities. Should Thrivent Asset Management, LLC (“Thrivent Asset
Mgt.” or the “Adviser”) change the 80% investment policy, we will notify you at least 60
days prior to the change. For purposes of this 80% policy, securitized securities are debt securities that entitle their holders to payments that depend primarily on the assets underlying the securities, and include, but are not limited
to agency and non-agency mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”), collateralized loan obligations
(“CLOs”), asset-backed securities (“ABS”), and other similar securities and related
instruments. MBS are securities backed by pools of residential or commercial mortgage loans, the cash flows
of which are passed through to investors. CLOs are securities backed by pools of corporate loans that are
securitized and issued in tranches with differing risk and return characteristics. ABS are securities backed
by notes or receivables originated by banks, credit card companies, or other providers of credit.
The Fund is an actively managed exchange traded fund (“ETF”). It invests primarily in investment-grade debt
securities. At the time of purchase, these investment-grade securities are rated at or above BBB- by S&P,
or Baa3 by Moody’s, or unrated but considered to be of comparable quality by the Adviser. When the
ratings from the two agencies are different, the lower is used. In cases where explicit bond level ratings
may not be available, the Adviser may use other sources to classify securities by credit quality.
The Adviser uses fundamental and other investment research techniques to determine which debt obligations to buy and sell.
Fundamental techniques assess a security’s value based on factors such as the financial profile of the
underlying collateral, structural features, servicer or manager characteristics, and expected cash flows, as
applicable.
While the Fund may use derivatives for any investment purpose, the Fund expects to utilize U.S. Treasury futures contracts in order to manage the Fund’s duration, or interest rate risk. The Fund may invest in other types of
derivatives or to be announced (“TBA”) mortgage-backed securities and may enter into derivatives
contracts traded on exchanges or in the over the counter market. Derivatives instruments that provide
investment exposure to investments included in the Fund’s 80% policy and derivatives instruments that
provide investment exposure to one or more of the market risk factors associated with such securities may be
counted towards the Fund’s 80% investment policy.
The Fund may invest in securities of any market
sector and may hold a significant amount of securities of companies, from time to time, within a single
sector such as financials.
The Fund may make use of the unique features of the ETF structure, such as in-kind transactions and custom baskets, to
select securities or modify the Fund’s investment exposure.
The Fund is subject to the following principal investment risks, which you should review carefully and in entirety.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit or other obligation of Thrivent Trust Company, Thrivent Bank, or any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or any other federal agency. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and you could lose money by investing in the Fund.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of debt securities decline in value when interest rates rise for debt securities that pay a fixed rate of interest. Debt securities with longer durations (a measure of price sensitivity
of a bond or bond fund to changes in interest rates) or maturities (i.e., the amount of time until a
bond’s issuer must pay its principal or face value) tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest
rates than debt securities with shorter durations or maturities. Changes in general economic conditions,
inflation, and monetary policies, such as certain types of interest rate changes by the Federal Reserve,
could affect interest rates and the value of some securities. During periods of low interest rates or when
inflation rates are high or rising, the Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security to which the Fund is exposed may no longer be able or willing to pay its debt. As a result of such an event, the
debt security may decline in price and affect the value of the Fund.
Market Risk. Over time, securities markets generally tend to move in cycles with periods when security prices rise and periods when security prices decline. The value of the Fund’s investments may move with these cycles and, in some
instances, increase or decrease more than the applicable market(s) as measured by the Fund’s benchmark
index(es). The securities markets may also decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or
market sector, or due to impacts from domestic or global events, including regulatory events, economic
downturn, government shutdowns, the spread of infectious illness such as the outbreak of COVID-19, public
health crises, war, terrorism, social unrest, recessions, natural disasters or similar events.
Mortgage-Backed and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are influenced by the factors affecting the housing market and the assets underlying such securities. As a result, during periods of declining asset value, difficult or
frozen credit markets, swings in interest rates, or deteriorating economic conditions, mortgage-related and
asset-backed securities may decline in value, face valuation difficulties, become more volatile and/or become
illiquid. In addition, both mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are sensitive to
changes in the repayment patterns of the
underlying security. If the principal payment on the underlying asset is repaid faster or slower than the
holder of the asset-backed or mortgage-backed security anticipates, the price of the security may fall,
particularly if the holder must reinvest the repaid principal at lower rates or must continue to hold the security when interest rates rise. This effect may cause the value of the Fund to decline and reduce the overall return of the
Fund. Mortgage-backed securities are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that when interest
rates rise, certain mortgage-backed securities are paid in full by the issuer more slowly than anticipated.
This can cause the market value of the security to fall because the market may view its interest rate as low
for a longer-term investment.
Collateralized Loan Obligations Risk. The risks of an investment in a collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”) depend largely on the quality of the underlying
leveraged loans and other debt obligations held by the CLO, the structure of the CLO, and the tranche of the
CLO in which the Fund invests. In addition to the risks generally associated with fixed income securities,
asset-backed securities, and leveraged loans, CLOs are subject to a number of additional risks, including, but
not limited to: (i) the possibility that cash flows from the underlying loan collateral will be insufficient
to make interest or principal payments on the CLO securities; (ii) the risk that underlying borrowers may
default, become subject to credit deterioration, or experience downgrades, which may reduce the value of the
CLO; (iii) the Fund may invest in CLO tranches that are subordinate to other tranches and therefore bear
greater risk of loss; (iv) the CLO may be highly dependent on the performance and credit selection of the CLO
manager; (v) coverage test failures, diversion of cash flows, or other structural features may adversely
affect distributions to certain tranches, including through forced sales of underlying assets; (vi) the value
of CLO securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in market perceptions of credit quality, loan
defaults, recovery rates, and economic conditions; (vii) CLO securities may be difficult to value and may be subject to limited liquidity or a lack of an active secondary market; and (viii) the complexity of the CLO structure and transaction
documents may create legal, operational, or valuation risks and may result in outcomes that differ
significantly from those anticipated by financial models.
Derivatives Risk. The use of derivatives (such as futures) involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. The Fund utilizes futures on U.S. Treasuries
in order to manage duration, or interest rate risk. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of
adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by
certain features of the contract. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate as intended with
the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Fund could lose much more than the original amount invested.
Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. Certain derivatives may also be subject
to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its
contractual obligations due to its financial condition, market events, or other reasons.
ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is structured as an ETF and is subject to risks related to exchange trading, including:
•
The
Fund’s shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange (the “Exchange”) and are bought and sold on the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Fund shares will typically approximate the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), there may be times when the market price
reflects a significant premium or discount to NAV.
•
Although the
Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange, it is possible that an active trading market in the Fund’s shares may not be maintained.
•
The Fund could potentially face trading halts and/or delisting from the Exchange. This risk is heightened in times of market stress, including at both the Fund share level and at the Fund holdings level.
•
Only an authorized participant (an “Authorized Participant”) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is
obligated to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. The Fund has a limited number of institutions
that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To
the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation or
redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to
create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and
possibly face trading halts or delisting.
Futures
Contract Risk. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the
underlying instrument. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and
the potential loss from futures can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts. In
addition, the value of the futures contract may not accurately track the value of the underlying
instrument.
Government Securities Risk. The Fund invests in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities (such as Federal Home Loan Bank, Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac securities). Securities issued or guaranteed by Federal Home Loan Banks, Ginnie
Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are not issued directly by the U.S. government. Ginnie Mae is a wholly owned
U.S. corporation that is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, the
timely payment of principal and interest of its securities. By contrast, securities issued or guaranteed by
U.S. government-related organizations such as Federal Home Loan Banks, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not
backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. No assurance can be given that the U.S.
government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if not required to do so by
law. In addition, the value of U.S. government securities may be affected by changes in the credit rating of
the U.S. government, which may be negatively impacted by rising levels of indebtedness. It is possible that
issuers of U.S.
government securities will not have the funds to meet their payment
obligations in the future.
Investment Adviser Risk. The Fund is actively managed and the success of its investment strategy depends significantly on the skills of the Adviser in assessing the potential of
the investments in which the Fund invests. The assessment of potential Fund investments may prove incorrect,
resulting in losses or poor performance, even in rising markets. Poor investments by the Adviser may cause
the Fund to underperform relative to its benchmark or similar funds. There is also no guarantee that the
Adviser will be able to effectively implement the Fund’s investment objective.
Issuer Risk. Issuer risk is the possibility that factors specific to an issuer to which the Fund is exposed will affect the market
prices of the issuer’s securities and therefore the value of the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity is the ability to sell a security relatively quickly for a price that most closely reflects the actual value of the security. To the extent that dealers do
not maintain inventories of bonds that keep pace with the growth of the bond markets over time, relatively
low levels of dealer inventories could lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed
income markets, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. As a result of this decreased
liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance.
New and Smaller Sized Fund Risk. The Fund is new and has a limited operating history for investors to evaluate and may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies.
The Fund may fail to attract sufficient assets to achieve or maintain economies of scale, which could result
in the Fund being liquidated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable
for all shareholders. Smaller ETFs will have a lower public float and lower trading volumes, leading to wider
bid/ask spreads.
Prepayment Risk. When interest rates fall, certain obligations are paid off by the obligor more quickly than originally anticipated, and a Fund may have to invest the proceeds in
securities with lower yields. In periods of falling interest rates, the rate of prepayments tends to increase
(as does price fluctuation) as borrowers are motivated to pay off debt and refinance at new lower rates.
During such periods, reinvestment of the prepayment proceeds by the management team will generally be at
lower rates of return than the return on the assets that were prepaid. Prepayment generally reduces the yield
to maturity and the average life of the security.
Structured Product Risk. Investments in securities that are backed by, or represent interests in, an underlying pool of securities or other assets, including investments in mortgage-
and asset-backed securities and in CMOs, CDOs and CLOs, involve risks associated with the underlying assets
(e.g., the risks of default by mortgagors whose mortgages are included in a mortgage-backed security or CMO),
and may also involve different or greater risks, including the risk that distributions
from the underlying assets will be inadequate to
make interest or other payments to the Fund, the risk that the issuer of the securities will fail to
administer the underlying assets properly or become insolvent, prepayment and extension risk, and the risk
that the securities will be less liquid than other Fund investments.
No
performance information for the Fund is provided because it had not commenced operations prior to the date of this prospectus and does not yet have a full calendar year of performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart will show the Fund’s
performance from year to year. The table will show how the Fund’s average annual total returns for the
indicated periods compare with those of an appropriate broad-based securities market index and a more
narrowly based index.
The Fund’s past performance (before and
after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available on the Fund’s website at thriventETFs.com/individual or by
calling 800-847-4836.
The Fund will compare its performance to the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, an appropriate broad-based securities market index which represents the overall fixed income market in which the Fund may invest. The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index measures performance of U.S. investment-grade bonds. The Fund also compares its performance to The Bloomberg US Mortgage Backed Securities Total Return USD Index. The Bloomberg US Mortgage Backed Securities Total Return USD Index more closely reflects the market segments in which the Fund invests.
The Fund is managed by Thrivent Asset Management, LLC (“Thrivent Asset Mgt.” or the “Adviser”).
The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund:
| |
Portfolio Manager
of the Fund Since |
Chad E. Diefenderfer, CFA
Senior Portfolio Manager |
|
Jon-Paul (JP) Gagne
Senior Portfolio Manager |
|
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in Creation Units. These
transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of securities and/or an amount of cash. As a practical
matter, only Authorized Participants purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation
Units, shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold in the secondary market (i.e., on a national securities exchange) through a broker or dealer at market prices. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Fund shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid)
and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) (the “bid-ask
spread”). When available, recent information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and
discounts, and bid-ask spreads will be available at thriventETFs.com/individual.
The Fund’s distributions may be comprised of taxable ordinary income, taxable capital gains and/or a non-taxable
return of capital, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an
individual retirement account. Investments in such tax-advantaged plans will generally be taxed only upon
withdrawal of monies from the tax-advantaged arrangement.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or insurance
company), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of the Fund 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 the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or
visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
More About Investment
Strategies and Risks
Each Fund’s investment objective and
principal strategies are described in the “Summary Section” above. The principal strategies are
the strategies that the Adviser believes are most likely to be important in trying to achieve a Fund’s investment objectives. Please note that each Fund may also use strategies and invest in securities that are not described in this
prospectus, but that are described in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).
This section provides additional information about some of the securities and other
practices in which the Funds may engage, along with their associated risks.
Information About Certain Principal Investment Strategies
Adjustable Rate Securities. The interest rate may be adjusted daily or at specified intervals (such as monthly, quarterly or annually). Adjustments may be based on a referenced market rate for a specified term (such as one, three or twelve months). For some securities, adjustments are
made by a third-party or auction process designed to maintain a market value close to the security’s
face amount. Adjustments may be limited by caps or floors.
Some adjustable rate securities are payable upon demand, which should reduce the volatility of their market values. The right to demand payment may be exercisable after a
specified notice period (such as seven or thirty days) and only at specified intervals (such as at the end of
a calendar month or quarter). The right to demand payment may terminate upon certain events (such as the
issuer’s insolvency).
So long as the Adviser expects an adjustable rate security’s market value to approximate its face value after each
interest rate adjustment, the Adviser may rely on the interest rate when calculating a Fund’s
dollar-weighted average maturity or duration. The market value of an adjustable rate security may
nevertheless decline, due to changes in market conditions or the financial condition of the issuer and the
effects of caps or floors on interest rate adjustments.
Collateralized Loan Obligations. Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) are asset-backed securities that are typically issued by a trust or other special purpose vehicle and collateralized primarily by a diversified pool of
leveraged loans, including senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and other corporate debt
obligations. The underlying loans may be rated below investment grade or, if unrated, considered by the
Adviser to be of comparable quality. CLOs are generally issued in multiple classes, or tranches, that vary in
their rights to receive principal and interest payments and their exposure to credit losses. The Fund expects
to invest primarily in investment-grade CLO debt tranches, which generally have priority over more junior
tranches with respect to the receipt of cash flows and the absorption of losses, although they remain subject
to the credit, structural, and liquidity risks associated with CLO investments. CLO securities are often privately
offered and sold and may not be registered
under the federal securities laws. As a result, certain CLO investments may be characterized by the Fund as
illiquid securities. CLOs are also subject to structural features, including overcollateralization and
interest coverage tests, that may affect the timing and amount of distributions received by investors.
Derivatives. Derivatives, a category that includes options, futures, swaps and hybrid instruments, are financial instruments whose value derives from another security, an index, an interest rate, or a currency. Each Fund may use
derivatives for hedging (attempting to offset a potential loss in one position by establishing an interest in
an opposite position). This includes the use of currency-based derivatives for hedging its positions in
foreign securities. Each Fund may also use derivatives to obtain investment exposure to a certain asset class
or for speculation (investing for potential income or capital gain).
While hedging can guard against potential risks, using derivatives adds to a Fund’s expenses and can eliminate some opportunities for gains. There is also a risk that a
derivative intended as a hedge may not perform as expected. For example, the price or value of the underlying
instrument, asset, index, currency or rate may move in a different direction than expected or such movements
may be of a magnitude greater or less than expected.
Another risk with derivatives is that some types can amplify a gain or loss, thereby creating investment exposure greater than the initial investment. For example, futures contracts,
options on futures contracts, forward contracts, and options on derivatives can allow a Fund to obtain large
investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in
those transactions may be highly leveraged, and a Fund could potentially earn or lose substantially more
money than the actual cost (if any) incurred when the derivative is entered into by a Fund. The use of
leverage may cause a Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy
its obligations. In addition, a derivative used for hedging or replication may not accurately track the value
of the underlying asset, index or rate.
With some derivatives, whether used for hedging, replication or speculation, there is also the risk that the counterparty may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss for a
Fund. In addition, suitable derivative investments for hedging, replication or speculative purposes may not
be available.
Derivatives can be difficult to value and illiquid, which means a Fund may not be able to close out a derivatives
transaction in a cost-efficient manner. Futures contracts are subject to the risk that an exchange may impose
price fluctuation limits, which may make it difficult or impossible for a Fund to close out a position when
desired.
Hybrid instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) can combine the characteristics of securities, futures,
and
options. For example, the principal amount,
redemption, or conversion terms of a security could be related to the market price of some commodity,
currency, or securities index. Such securities may bear interest or pay dividends at below market or even
relatively nominal rates. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero.
Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities. Mortgage-backed securities are securities that are backed by pools of mortgages and which pay income based on the payments of principal and income they receive from the underlying mortgages. Asset-backed securities are similar but
are backed by other assets, such as pools of consumer loans. Both are sensitive to interest rate changes as
well as to changes in the repayment patterns of the underlying securities. If the principal payment on the
underlying asset is repaid faster or slower than the holder of the mortgage-backed or asset-backed security
anticipates, the price of the security may fall, especially if the holder must reinvest the repaid principal
at lower rates or must continue to hold the securities when interest rates rise.
Information About Certain Non-Principal Investment Strategies
Defensive Investing. In response to market, economic, political or other conditions, each Fund may invest without limitation in cash, preferred stocks, or investment-grade debt
securities for temporary defensive purposes that are not part of the Fund’s principal investment
strategies. If a Fund does this, different factors could affect the Fund’s performance and it may not
achieve its investment objective.
Exchange Traded Funds. An ETF is an investment company that trades on a securities exchange and holds a portfolio of investments. An ETF that is designed to track an index or
benchmark may fail to do so accurately and may trade at a discount to its net asset value. Other ETFs are
actively managed and instead of tracking a particular index or benchmark they seek to outperform it.
Generally, investments in other investment companies (including ETFs) are subject to statutory limitations prescribed
by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the rules thereunder.
These limitations include a prohibition on a Fund acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any other
investment company, and a prohibition on investing more than 5% of a Fund’s total assets in the
securities of any one investment company or more than 10% of its total assets, in the aggregate, in
investment company securities. Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act permits a Fund to invest in other investment
companies beyond the statutory limits, subject to certain conditions.
Illiquid Investments. A Fund will not purchase any securities that are illiquid investments (as defined in Rule 22e-4(a)(8) under the 1940 Act) at the time of purchase. An illiquid investment is an investment that a 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 investment. Any securities that are thinly traded
or whose resale is restricted
can be difficult to sell at a desired time and price. Some of these securities are new and complex, and trade only among
institutions. The markets for these securities are still developing and may not function as efficiently as
established markets. Owning a large percentage of illiquid investments could hamper a Fund’s ability to
raise cash to meet redemptions. Also, because there may not be an established market price for these
securities, a Fund may have to estimate their value, which means that their valuation (and, to a much smaller
extent, the valuation of the Fund) may have a subjective element.
Short-Term Trading. The investment strategy for each Fund at times may include short-term trading. While a Fund ordinarily does not trade securities for short-term profits, it will sell any security at any time it believes best, which
may result in short-term trading.
Unusual Opportunities. Each Fund may purchase some securities that do not meet its normal investment criteria when the Adviser perceives an unusual opportunity for gain, which could include a variety of factors, including a change in
management, an extraordinary corporate event, or a temporary imbalance in the supply of or demand for the
securities.
When-Issued Securities. A Fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year. In addition, no income will be
earned on these securities until they are actually delivered.
Zero Coupons. A zero coupon security is a debt security that does not make cash interest payments for some or all of its life. Instead, it is sold and traded at a discount to its face value. The interest consists of the gradual appreciation in
price as the bond approaches maturity and is reported as income to a Fund that has purchased the security.
The Fund is required to distribute to shareholders an amount equal to the amount of income reported to the
Fund even though such income may not be received by the Fund as distributable cash. The shareholder
distributions may require the Fund to liquidate Fund securities at a disadvantageous time and incur a loss.
Zero coupon bonds can be higher- or lower-quality debt and are more volatile than coupon bonds.
Differences Between Investing in an ETF and a Mutual Fund
Shareholders of the Funds should be aware of certain differences between investing in an ETF, like the Funds, and a mutual fund.
Redeemability. Mutual fund shares may be bought from, and redeemed with, the issuing fund for cash at NAV typically calculated once at the end of each business day. Shares of the Funds, by contrast, cannot be purchased from or redeemed
with the Funds except by or through Authorized Participants and then typically for an in-kind basket of
securities. In contrast, investors who are not Authorized Participants purchase and sell shares generally for
cash on a secondary market at the prevailing market price. In addition, the Funds
issue and redeem shares on a continuous basis
only in large blocks of shares, typically 10,000 shares, called Creation Units.
Exchange Listings. Unlike mutual funds, the Funds’ shares are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market in the same manner as other equity securities and ETFs.
Investors can purchase and sell individual shares of the Funds only on the secondary market through a
broker-dealer. The Funds’ shares may be less actively traded in certain markets than others, and
investors are subject to the execution and settlement risks and market standards of the market where they or
their broker-dealers direct their trades for execution. Certain information available to investors who trade Fund shares on a U.S. stock exchange during regular U.S. market hours may not be available to investors who trade in other
markets, which may result in secondary market prices in such markets being less efficient. Secondary market
transactions do not occur at NAV, but at market prices that change throughout the day, based on the supply
of, and demand for, shares of the Funds.
In-Kind Redemptions. Unlike shares of many mutual funds that are only bought and sold at closing NAVs, the shares of a Fund are created and redeemed principally in kind in Creation Units at each day’s market close at the Fund’s
NAV and tradable in a secondary market on an intraday basis at prevailing market prices. These in-kind
arrangements will potentially mitigate adverse effects on a Fund’s portfolio that could arise from
frequent cash purchase and redemption transactions that continuously affect the NAV of the Fund. These
transactions may reduce transaction costs borne by a Fund. Moreover, relative to mutual funds, where frequent
redemptions can have an adverse tax impact on taxable shareholders because of the need to sell portfolio
securities that, in turn, may generate taxable gain, a Fund’s in-kind redemption mechanism is expected
to reduce the need to sell portfolio securities to meet redemption requests, and therefore may lessen the
taxable gain generated by such sales of portfolio securities. A Fund may nevertheless be required to sell
certain securities from its portfolio prior to effecting an in-kind redemption to ensure it distributes the proper securities to Authorized Participants. Any such sales may generate taxable gain or loss. A Fund cannot predict to what extent, if
any, it will redeem its shares in kind rather than in cash; nor can a Fund predict the extent to which any
such in kind redemption will reduce the taxable gain recognized in connection therewith. A Fund may still
realize gains related to either cash redemptions or rebalancing transactions which may need to be
distributed.
Glossary of Principal Risks
The main risks associated with investing in each Fund are summarized in each Fund’s respective “Summary
Section” above. More detailed descriptions of the risks are provided below in alphabetical order for
ease of reference. Additional risks are described in the SAI.
ETF Structure Risks. The Funds are structured as ETFs and are subject to risks related to exchange trading, including:
•
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Prior to
trading in the secondary market, shares of the Funds are “created” at their NAV pursuant to an agreement
between Authorized Participants and the Distributor (as defined below). A creation transaction, which is
subject to acceptance by the Distributor and a Fund, generally takes place when an Authorized Participant
deposits into the Fund a designated portfolio of securities, assets or other positions (a “creation
basket”), and an amount of cash (including any cash representing the value of any substituted
securities, assets or other positions), if any, that together approximate the holdings of the Fund in
exchange for Creation Units. Similarly, shares can be redeemed only in Creation Units, generally for a
designated portfolio of securities, assets or other positions (a “redemption basket”) held by a
Fund and an amount of cash (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted). Only
an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Funds. Each
Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants, none of which are or will
be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the
business or are unable or unwilling to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to a Fund
and no other Authorized Participant is able or willing to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units,
the Fund’s shares may trade at a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the
Fund’s shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. Additionally, a Fund
could possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from the Exchange. This risk is heightened in times of
market stress, including at both the Fund share level and at the Fund holdings level.
Absence of Active Market. Although shares of the Funds are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares or a Fund’s underlying portfolio securities will develop or
be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants.
Secondary Market Trading Risk. Shares of the Funds may trade in the secondary market at times when the Funds do not accept orders to purchase or redeem shares. At such times, shares may trade in the secondary market with more significant premiums or discounts than might be experienced at times when the Funds accept purchase and redemption orders. Secondary market trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or for other reasons.
Shares of the Funds, similar to shares of other issuers listed on a stock exchange, may be sold short and are therefore subject to the risk of increased volatility and price
decreases associated with being sold short. Fund shares may be loaned, borrowed, pledged or purchased on
margin, and certain ETFs have options associated with them. The use of Fund shares in these ways may result
in increased volatility and larger premiums and discounts on Fund shares. In addition, trading activity in
derivative
products based on a Fund may
lead to increased trading volume and volatility in the secondary market for the shares of the Fund.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. Shares of the Funds trade on the Exchange at prices at, above or below the Funds’ most recent NAVs. The NAV of each Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of a Fund’s shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based
on both market supply of and demand for Fund shares and the underlying value of a Fund’s portfolio
holdings or NAV. As a result, the trading prices of a Fund’s shares may deviate significantly from NAV
during periods of market volatility, including during periods of significant redemption requests or other
unusual market conditions. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to
the Funds’ shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. However, because shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units at NAV, the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of a Fund are not likely to be sustained over the long term (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAVs). While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it more likely that a Fund’s shares normally will
trade on the Exchange at prices close to the Fund’s next calculated NAV, exchange prices are not
expected to correlate exactly with a Fund’s NAV due to timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and
other factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers,
Authorized Participants, or other market participants, and during periods of significant market volatility,
may result in trading prices for shares of a Fund that differ significantly from its NAV. Authorized
Participants may be less willing to create or redeem Fund shares if there is a lack of an active market for
such shares or its underlying investments, which may contribute to a Fund’s shares trading at a premium
or discount to NAV.
Costs of Buying or Selling Fund Shares. Buying or selling Fund shares on the Exchange involves two types of costs that apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling shares of a Fund through a broker, you will likely
incur a brokerage commission and other charges. In addition, you may incur the cost of the “bid-ask
spread”; that is, the difference between what investors are willing to pay for Fund shares (the
“bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell Fund shares (the “ask” price).
The bid-ask spread, which varies over time for shares of a Fund based on trading volume and market liquidity, is generally narrower if the Fund has more trading volume and market liquidity and wider if the Fund has less trading volume and market liquidity. In addition, increased market
volatility may cause wider bid-ask spreads. There may also be regulatory and other charges that are incurred
as a result of trading activity. Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Fund shares, frequent
trading may detract significantly from investment results and an
investment in Fund shares may
not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments through a brokerage
account.
•
Fund Shares Liquidity Risk. Although each Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active, liquid or otherwise orderly trading market for shares will be established or maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants, particularly in times of stressed market conditions. There is no guarantee
that a Fund will be able to attract market makers and Authorized Participants. There is no obligation for
market makers to make a market in a Fund’s shares or for Authorized Participants to submit purchase or
redemption orders for Creation Units. Accordingly, if such parties do not perform their functions, such as
during times of market stress, this could, in turn, lead to variances between the market price of a
Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares and bid/ask spreads could widen. Trading in a
Fund’s shares on the Exchange also may be disrupted or even halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in a Fund’s shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in a
Fund’s shares on the Exchange may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility
pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There also can be no assurance that the
requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of a Fund’s shares will continue to be
met or will remain unchanged.
•
Redemption Risk. Authorized Participants may from time to time own a substantial amount of Fund shares. These Authorized Participants may also pledge or loan Fund shares (to secure financing or otherwise), which may result in the shares becoming concentrated in another party. There can be no assurance that any large Authorized Participant or large group of Authorized Participants would not redeem their investment or that the size of a Fund would be maintained. Redemptions of a large number of Fund shares by Authorized Participants may adversely affect a Fund’s liquidity and net assets. To the extent a
Fund permits redemptions in cash, these redemptions may force the Fund to sell portfolio securities when it
might not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV, have a material effect on the
market price of the shares and increase the Fund’s brokerage costs and/or accelerate the realization of
taxable income and/or gains and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to its investors earlier than
the Fund otherwise would have. A Fund also may be required to sell its more liquid Fund investments to meet a
large redemption, in which case the Fund’s remaining assets may be less liquid, more volatile, and more
difficult to price. To the extent these large Authorized Participants transact in shares on the secondary
market, such transactions may account for a large percentage of the trading volume for the shares of a Fund
and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market price of the shares.
Artificial Intelligence Risk. The development and use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies, including generative AI, are expanding rapidly and may be
employed by issuers in
which the Funds invest, as well as by service
providers that support the operations of the Funds. AI technologies rely on complex algorithms and large data
sets, which may produce incomplete, inaccurate, or biased outcomes and lead to errors in decision making,
reputational damage, legal or operational challenges, and investment losses affecting the Funds. The broader
use of AI may also heighten market risks, including manipulation, fraud, and cyberattacks.
To the extent a Fund invests in companies that develop, implement, or are otherwise involved in AI technologies, the Fund may be impacted by risks affecting such companies.
These risks may include small or limited markets for such securities, changes in business cycles, impediments
to technological progress, rapid obsolescence, and government regulation. Securities of such companies,
especially smaller, start-up companies, tend to be more volatile than securities of larger, more established
companies. Rapid changes to AI technologies could have a material adverse effect on such company’s
operating results. These companies are generally heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be
adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. There can be no assurance that the steps taken by
companies to protect their proprietary intellectual property rights in AI technologies will be sufficient to
prevent the misappropriation of their technology or that competitors will not independently develop similar
technologies. Such companies may engage in significant amounts of spending on research and development, and
there is no guarantee that the products or services produced by these companies will be successful. AI
technology could face increased regulatory scrutiny in the future, which may limit the development of AI
technologies and impede the growth of companies that develop or use such technologies.
The use of AI technologies and applicable laws and regulations continues to evolve. It is not possible to predict the
full extent, impact, or risks of such use.
Collateralized Loan Obligations (“CLO”) Risk. The risks of an investment in a collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”) depend largely on the quality of the underlying leveraged loans and other debt obligations held by the CLO, the structure
of the CLO, and the tranche of the CLO in which the Fund invests. In addition to the risks generally
associated with fixed income securities, asset-backed securities, and leveraged loans, CLOs are subject to a
number of additional risks, including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that cash flows from the
underlying loan collateral will be insufficient to make interest or principal payments on the CLO securities; (ii) the risk that underlying borrowers may default, become subject to credit deterioration, or experience downgrades, which may
reduce the value of the CLO; (iii) the Fund may invest in CLO tranches that are subordinate to other tranches
and therefore bear greater risk of loss; (iv) the CLO may be highly dependent on the performance and credit
selection of the CLO manager; (v) coverage test failures, diversion of cash flows, or other structural
features may adversely affect distributions to certain tranches, including through forced sales of underlying
assets; (vi) the value of CLO securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in market perceptions of
credit quality, loan defaults, recovery rates, and economic conditions; (vii)
CLO securities may be difficult to value and may
be subject to limited liquidity or a lack of an active secondary market; and (viii) the complexity of the CLO
structure and transaction documents may create legal, operational, or valuation risks and may result in
outcomes that differ significantly from those anticipated by financial models.
Although CLOs are a type of collateralized debt obligation, CLOs
are often backed primarily by below-investment-grade senior secured loans, which may be subject to significant credit, liquidity, prepayment, and covenant-related risks. In addition, investments in CLOs may be characterized by the
Fund as illiquid securities.
Conflicts of Interest Risk. An investment in the Funds is subject to a number of actual or potential conflicts of interest. The following does not purport to be a comprehensive list or complete explanation of all potential conflicts of interest
which may affect the Funds. A Fund may encounter circumstances, or enter into transactions, in which
conflicts of interest may arise, which are not listed or discussed below.
The Adviser or its affiliates may provide services to the Funds for which the Fund would compensate the Adviser and/or such affiliates. The Funds may invest in investments affiliated
with the Adviser. The Adviser may have an incentive (financial or otherwise) to enter into transactions or
arrangements on behalf of a Fund with itself or its affiliates in circumstances where it might not have done
so otherwise.
The Adviser or its affiliates manage other investment funds and/or accounts (including proprietary accounts) and have
other clients with investment objectives and strategies that are similar to, or overlap with, the investment
objective and strategy of a Fund, creating conflicts of interest in investment and allocation decisions
regarding the allocation of investments that could be appropriate for the Fund and other clients of the
Adviser or their affiliates. The Adviser and its affiliates have no obligation to make available any information regarding their proprietary activities or strategies, or the activities or strategies used for other funds and/or accounts
managed by them, for the benefit of the management of the Fund. No affiliate of the Adviser is under any
obligation to share any investment opportunity, including an investment technique, idea, model or strategy,
with a Fund. The portfolio compositions and performance results of a Fund therefore will differ from other
such funds and/or accounts. These conflicts of interest are exacerbated to the extent that the Adviser’s
other clients are proprietary or pay them higher fees or performance-based fees. Further, the activities in
which the Adviser and its affiliates are involved on behalf of other accounts could limit or preclude the
flexibility that a Fund could otherwise have to participate in certain investments.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security to which a Fund is exposed may no longer be able or willing to pay its debt. As a result of such an event, the debt security may decline in price and affect the value of a
Fund. Similarly, there is a risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the
issuer’s ability or willingness to make interest and/or principal payments. Debt securities are subject
to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in credit ratings. The credit rating of a debt
security may be lowered if the issuer suffers
adverse changes in its financial condition, which can lead to more volatility in the price of the security
and in shares of a Fund.
Cybersecurity Risk. The Funds and their service providers may be susceptible to operational, information security, privacy, fraud, business disruption, and related risks. In
general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Increased geopolitical
tensions may increase the risk, scale, and sophistication of cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, but are
not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems to misappropriate assets or sensitive
information, corrupt data, or otherwise disrupt operations. Cyber incidents affecting the Adviser or other
service providers (including, but not limited to fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents, and financial
intermediaries) have the ability to disrupt and impact business operations, potentially resulting in
financial losses, by interfering with a Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, corrupting data or
preventing parties from sharing information necessary for a Fund’s operation, preventing or slowing trades, stopping shareholders from making transactions, potentially subjecting a Fund or the Adviser to regulatory fines and penalties, and
creating additional compliance costs. Similar types of cybersecurity risks are also present for issuers or
securities in which a Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers
and may cause a Fund’s investments in such companies to lose value. While a Fund’s service
providers have established business continuity and incident response plans in the event of such cyber
incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems. Additionally, a Fund cannot control the
cybersecurity plans and systems put in place by their service providers or any other third parties whose
operations may affect a Fund or its shareholders. Although each Fund attempts to minimize such failures
through controls and oversight, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect a Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence of such failures or other
disruptions in service. The value of an investment in a Fund’s shares may be adversely affected by the
occurrence of the operational errors or failures or technological issues or other similar events and a Fund
and its shareholders may bear costs tied to these risks.
Derivatives Risk. The use of derivatives (such as futures, options, credit default swaps, and total return swaps) involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave a
Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Changes in the value of the derivative
may not correlate as intended with the underlying asset, rate or index, and a Fund could lose much more than
the original amount invested. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value.
Derivatives are also subject to the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations.
Some derivatives may give rise to a form of economic leverage and may expose a Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. Such leverage may cause a Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so
to satisfy its obligations. Increases and decreases in the value of a Fund’s portfolio will be
magnified when a Fund uses leverage. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts,
forward contracts, and options on derivatives can
allow a Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements.
As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged.
The success of a Fund’s derivatives strategies will depend on the Adviser’s ability to assess and predict the impact of market or economic developments on the underlying asset,
index or rate and the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative
under all possible market conditions. Swap agreements may involve fees, commissions or other costs that may
reduce a Fund’s gains from a swap agreement or may cause a Fund to lose money. Futures contracts are
subject to the risk that an exchange may impose price fluctuation limits, which may make it difficult or
impossible for a Fund to close out a position when desired.
The use of derivatives involves the risks associated with the securities or other assets underlying those derivatives, including the risk of changes in the value of the underlying
assets between the date that a Fund enters into the derivatives transaction and the date that a Fund closes
out that transaction. When a Fund enters into a futures contract, for example, it commits to purchasing or
selling a particular security at a future date at a specified price. Changes in the value of the underlying
security between the time that a Fund enters into the futures contract and the time the Fund has to purchase
or sell the security may cause the Fund to have to purchase the security at a price which is greater than, or to sell the security at a price which is lower than, the security’s then-current market value. When a Fund enters into an
interest rate swap, it agrees with another party to exchange their respective interest rate exposures on a
similar principal amount (e.g., exchanging fixed rate interest payments on a specific principal amount for
floating rate interest payments on that same principal amount, or vice versa). If interest rates change in a
manner or to a degree not anticipated by a Fund, the Fund could end up receiving less interest on its investment than if the Fund had not entered into the swap agreement. When a Fund enters into a credit default swap, it agrees with
another party to transfer the credit exposure of one or more underlying debt obligations. The purchaser of
the credit default swap agrees to pay the seller a fixed premium for a specific term, in exchange for which
the seller agrees to make a contingent payment to the buyer in the event the issuer of the underlying debt
obligations defaults or upon the occurrence of another credit event specified in the swap agreement. If the
specified credit event does not occur during the term of the credit default swap, the swap’s purchaser
will have paid the fixed premiums and received no return on the swap agreement. Conversely, if the specified
credit event does occur during the swap’s term, the swap’s seller may have to make a payment to
the purchaser which exceeds the value of the premiums that were received by the seller.
The use of derivatives may also involve risks which differ from,
or are potentially greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying reference
asset. For example, the use by a Fund of privately negotiated, over-the-counter (“OTC”)
derivatives contracts, including interest rate swaps and credit default swaps, exposes the Fund to the risk
that the counterparty to the OTC derivatives
contract will be unable or unwilling to make
timely payments under the contract or otherwise honor its obligations. There can be no assurance that a
counterparty will meet its obligations, especially during periods of adverse market conditions. The market
for certain types of derivative instruments may also be less liquid than the market for the underlying
reference asset, making it difficult for a Fund to value its derivative investments or sell those investments at an acceptable price.
Equity Security Risk. Equity securities held by a Fund may
decline significantly in price, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, over short or extended periods of time,
and such declines may occur because of declines in the equity market as a whole, or because of declines in
only a particular country, company, industry, or sector of the market. From time to time, a Fund may invest a
significant portion of its assets in one particular sector, industry, or geographic region which would make
the Fund more vulnerable to adverse developments affecting such sectors, industries, or geographic regions.
Equity securities are generally more volatile than most debt securities. The prices of individual stocks generally do not all move in the same direction at the same time. A variety of factors can negatively affect the price of a particular
company’s stock. These factors may include, but are not limited to: poor earnings reports, a loss of
customers, litigation against the company, general unfavorable performance of the company’s sector or
industry, or changes in government regulations affecting the company or its industry.
Investment Adviser Risk. The Funds are actively managed and the success of a Fund’s investment strategy depends significantly on the skills of the Adviser in assessing the potential of the investments in which the Fund invests. This
assessment of Fund investments may prove incorrect, resulting in losses or poor performance, even in rising
markets. Poor investments by the Adviser may cause a Fund to underperform relative to its benchmark or
similar funds. There is also no guarantee that the Adviser will be able to effectively implement the
Fund’s investment objective.
Issuer Risk. Issuer risk is the possibility that factors specific to a company to which a Fund’s portfolio is exposed will affect the market prices of the company’s securities and
therefore the value of the Fund. Some factors affecting the performance of a company include demand for the
company’s products or services, the quality of management of the company and brand recognition and
loyalty. To the extent that a Fund invests in common stock, common stock of a company is subordinate to other
securities issued by the company. If a company becomes insolvent, interests of investors owning common stock
will be subordinated to the interests of other investors in, and general creditors of, the company.
Large Cap Risk. Large-sized companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology. They may also not be able to attain the
high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic
expansion.
Large Shareholder Risk. From time to time, shareholders of a Fund (which may include institutional investors, financial intermediaries, investment models constructed by the Adviser
or its affiliates, or
affiliated funds or accounts) may make or result in relatively large redemptions or purchases of shares.
These transactions may cause a Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices or invest additional cash,
as the case may be. While it is impossible to predict the overall impact of these transactions over time,
there could be adverse effects on a Fund’s performance to the extent that a Fund may be required to
sell securities or invest cash at times when it would not otherwise do so. Redemptions of a large number of shares also may increase transaction costs or have adverse tax consequences for shareholders of a Fund by requiring a sale
of portfolio securities. In addition, a large redemption could result in a Fund's current expenses being
allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund's expense ratio.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity is the ability to sell a security relatively quickly for a price that most closely reflects the actual value of the security. Certain securities (e.g.,
small-cap stocks, foreign securities, private equity funds, and high-yield bonds) often have a less liquid
resale market. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by the Adviser, particularly during
periods of market turmoil. As a result, the Adviser may have difficulty selling or disposing of securities
quickly in certain markets or may only be able to sell the holdings at prices substantially less than what the Adviser believes they are worth. Less liquid securities can also become more difficult to value. In addition, when there is
illiquidity in the market for certain securities, a Fund, due to limitations on illiquid investments, may be
subject to purchase and sale restrictions.
To the extent that dealers do not maintain inventories of bonds that keep pace with the growth of bond markets over time,
relatively low levels of dealer inventories could lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the
fixed income markets, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. In addition, inventories of
municipal bonds held by brokers and dealers have decreased in recent years, lessening their ability to make a
market in these securities. As a result of this decreased liquidity, the Adviser may have to accept a lower
price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance.
Market Risk. Over time, securities markets generally tend to move in cycles with periods when security prices rise and periods when security prices decline. The value of a
Fund’s investments may move with these cycles and, in some instances, increase or decrease more than
the applicable market(s) as measured by a Fund’s benchmark index(es). The securities markets may also
decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or market sector.
Price declines may occur in response to general market and economic conditions or events, including conditions and developments outside of the financial markets such as significant changes in interest and inflation rates and the availability of credit. In addition, domestic or global
events, including regulatory events, economic downturn, government shutdowns, the spread of an infectious
illness such as the outbreak of COVID-19, public health crises, war, terrorism,
social unrest, recessions, natural disasters or
similar events could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel
restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the world economy, which in turn
could adversely affect a Fund's investments. Any investment is subject to the risk that the financial markets as a whole may decline in value, thereby depressing the investment’s price.
Mortgage-Backed and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities are influenced by the factors affecting the housing market and the assets underlying such securities. As a result, during periods of declining asset value, difficult or
frozen credit markets, swings in interest rates, or deteriorating economic conditions, mortgage-related and
asset-backed securities may decline in value, face valuation difficulties, become more volatile and/or become
illiquid. In addition, both mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are sensitive to changes in the
repayment patterns of the underlying security. If the principal payment on the underlying asset is repaid faster or slower than the holder of the asset-backed or mortgage-backed security anticipates, the price of the security may fall, particularly if the holder must reinvest the repaid principal at lower rates or must continue to hold the
security when interest rates rise. This effect may cause the value of a Fund to decline and reduce the
overall return of the Fund. Mortgage-backed securities are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk
that when interest rates rise, certain mortgage-backed securities are paid in full by the issuer more slowly
than anticipated. This can cause the market value of the security to fall because the market may view its interest rate as low for a longer-term investment.
New and Smaller Sized Fund Risk. Funds that are relatively new or relatively small are subject to additional risks. A Fund that is relatively new has a limited operating history for investors to evaluate and may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies. A Fund that is relatively small may fail to attract sufficient assets to achieve
or maintain economies of scale, which could result in the Fund being liquidated at any time without
shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. In addition, a Fund that
is relatively small may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies after the Fund’s assets grow beyond a certain size, which could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. Smaller ETFs will have a lower
public float and lower trading volumes, leading to wider bid/ask spreads.
Non-Diversified Risk. A Fund that is not “diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of any single issuer compared
to other funds. A non-diversified portfolio is generally more susceptible than a diversified portfolio to the
risk that events or developments affecting a particular issuer or industry will significantly affect the
Fund’s performance.
Prepayment Risk. When interest rates fall, certain obligations are paid off by the obligor more quickly than originally anticipated, and a Fund may have to invest the proceeds in
securities with lower yields. In periods of falling interest rates,
the rate of prepayments tends to increase (as
does price fluctuation) as borrowers are motivated to pay off debt and refinance at new lower rates. During
such periods, reinvestment of the prepayment proceeds by the management team will generally be at lower rates
of return than the return on the assets that were prepaid. Prepayment generally reduces the yield to maturity
and the average life of the security.
Quantitative Investing Risk. Securities selected according to a quantitative analysis methodology can perform differently from the market as a whole based on the model and the factors used in the analysis, the weight placed on each factor and changes in the factor’s historical trends. Such
models are based on assumptions relating to these and other market factors, and the models may not take into
account certain factors, or perform as intended, and may result in a decline in the value of a Fund’s
portfolio. If models or data used in the models are incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance
thereon expose a Fund to potential risks. If incorrect market data is entered into even a well-founded model, the resulting information will be incorrect and could lead to losses for a Fund. For example, the data on which a model is
based may be imprecise or become stale due to new events or changing circumstances. Market performance can be
affected by non-quantitative factors (for example, investor fear or over-reaction or other emotional
considerations) that are not easily integrated into quantitative analysis, which could adversely affect
performance of these models and, in turn, a Fund. The performance of a model may also be impaired by
technical issues with the construction and implementation of quantitative models such as software or other
technology system malfunctions, or programming inaccuracies. Human judgment plays a role in building,
utilizing, testing and modifying the financial algorithms and formulas underlying the models and accordingly
such models are subject to the risk of human error and biases.
Regulatory Risk. Legal, tax, and regulatory developments may adversely affect a Fund. Securities and futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements enforced by the SEC, other regulators and self-regulatory organizations, and exchanges, which are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of
market emergencies. The regulatory environment for the Funds is evolving, and changes in the regulation of
investment funds, managers, and their trading activities and capital markets, or a regulator’s
disagreement with a Fund’s interpretation of the application of certain regulations, may adversely affect the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy, its ability to obtain leverage and financing, and the value of
investments held by the Fund.
Structured Products Risk. Structured products are securities backed by, or that represent interests in, an underlying pool of debt obligations. Structured products include mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities and also include investments in
CDOs, which is a category of products that includes collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”),
real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”), CBOs and CLOs. Interests in certain
structured products are issued to investors by a trust or other special purpose entity that has been
organized to hold the underlying pool of
obligations. For example, CMOs and REMICs are backed by a pool of U.S. government insured mortgage-backed
securities (such as Ginnie Mae certificates) and/or other mortgage loans that are not backed by the U.S.
government, CBOs are backed by a pool of fixed income obligations (which may include debt obligations that
are rated below investment grade), and CLOs are backed by a pool of loans that may include, among others,
domestic and non-subordinate corporate loans, including loans rated below investment grade or equivalent
unrated loans. Some structured products may be backed by so-called “subprime” mortgages.
CDOs are typically issued in multiple “tranches,” each of which represents
a portion or “slice” of the full economic interest in the underlying assets. Each tranche is issued at a specific fixed or floating interest rate and has a final scheduled distribution rate. Principal payments received on the underlying pool of assets are often applied to each tranche in the order of its stated maturity, so that none of the
principal payments received in a given period will be distributed to a “junior” tranche until all
other, more “senior” tranches are paid in full for that period. The most junior tranche is commonly
referred to as the “residual” or “equity” interest.
All structured products entail the same risks associated with an investment in the underlying debt obligations, including credit risk, interest-rate risk, market and liquidity risks,
prepayment and extension risk, and management risk.
Additionally, an investment in this type of product entails the
risks that the distributions from the underlying pool of assets may be inadequate to make interest or other
payments to an investor, or that the entity which issues the securities and administers the underlying
investment pool will fail to make distribution payments, default or otherwise perform poorly. An investment
in a junior tranche is subject to a greater risk of depreciation or loss than an investment in a more senior
tranche. The market for structured products may also be less liquid than for other debt obligations, making
it difficult for a Fund to value its investment or sell the investment in a timely manner or at an acceptable
price. This may be especially true for structured products backed by less creditworthy assets, such as a CMO
or REMIC backed primarily by subprime mortgages, a CLO backed primarily by investment grade loans, or a CMO
backed primarily by below investment grade bonds. The pool of assets that backs a structured product is
typically owned by a special purpose vehicle, such as a trust, and investors in structured products also face
the risk that the trustee or other manager of that special purpose vehicle will fail in its management
responsibilities, which may in turn delay or disrupt the payment of distributions to the investors in the
structured product. Finally, certain structured products may use derivative contracts, such as credit default
swaps, to create “synthetic” exposure to assets rather than holding the assets directly, which
may entail additional risks as discussed above.
Investment Adviser
The Funds are managed by Thrivent Asset Mgt., 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211. Thrivent Asset Mgt. had approximately $37.2 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Thrivent Asset Mgt. is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (“Thrivent”). Thrivent and its affiliates have been in the
investment advisory business since 1986 and had approximately $205.2 billion in assets under management as of
December 31, 2025. Thrivent Asset Mgt. provides investment research and supervision of the assets for the
Funds.
Each Fund pays an annual management fee to the Adviser expressed as a percentage of the
Fund’s average daily net assets as shown in the table below. A discussion regarding the basis for the
Board’s approval of the Funds’ Investment Advisory Agreement will be included in the Funds’ first Form N-CSR filing.
| |
|
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
Information about the portfolio managers who are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management for each
Fund is shown below. The SAI for the Funds provides information about the portfolio managers’
compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership
of shares of the Funds.
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF
| |
|
| |
Industry professional since
2006; joined Thrivent in
2006 |
| |
Industry professional since
2008; joined Thrivent in
2000 |
| |
Industry professional since 2001; joined Thrivent in 2017 |
Thrivent Securitized Income
ETF
| |
|
Chad E. Diefenderfer, CFA |
Industry professional since
2005; joined Thrivent in
2023; prior to joining
Thrivent in 2023, at Aegon
Asset Management from
2011 to 2023 |
| |
Industry professional since 2004; joined Thrivent in 2018 |
Administrator. [name, street, city, state, zip], serves as the Funds’ administrator and performs certain accounting and administrative services for the Funds.
Distributor. [name, street, city, state, zip], serves as the distributor (the “Distributor”) of Creation Units for the
Funds on an agency basis. The Distributor will deliver a prospectus to Authorized Participants purchasing
shares in Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of
acceptance furnished by it to Authorized Participants. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market
in shares of the Fund. The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Funds or which
securities are to be purchased or sold by the Funds. The Adviser has entered into an agreement with the
Distributor under which it makes payments to the Distributor in consideration for its services under the
Distribution Agreement. The payments made by the Adviser to the Distributor do not represent an additional
expense to the Funds or their shareholders.
Custodian. [name, street, city, state, zip], serves as the Custodian for the Funds.
Transfer Agent. [name, street, city, state, zip], serves as shareholder servicing and transfer agent for the Funds.
Primary Listing Exchange. The shares of the Funds are listed for trading on the [ ], a national securities exchange.
Personal Securities Investments
Personnel of Thrivent Asset Mgt. may invest in securities for their own account pursuant to codes of ethics that establish
procedures for personal investing and restrict certain transactions. Transactions in securities that may be
held by the Funds are permitted by Thrivent Asset Mgt., subject to compliance with applicable provisions
under the applicable codes of ethics.
Trademarks and Disclaimers
BLOOMBERG, Bloomberg Indices and Bloomberg Fixed Income Indices (the “Indices”) are trademarks or service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P. Bloomberg Finance
L.P. and its affiliates, including Bloomberg Index Services Limited, the administrator of the Indices
(collectively, “Bloomberg”) or Bloomberg’s licensors own all proprietary rights in the Indices. Bloomberg does not guarantee the timeliness, accuracy or completeness of any data or information relating to the Indices. Bloomberg makes no warranty, express or implied, as to the Indices or any data or values relating thereto or
results to be obtained therefrom, and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose with respect thereto.
Frank Russell Company is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell® is a trademark of Frank Russell Company. Russell 3000® and Russell 1000®, is/are
a trademark(s) of the relevant LSE Group companies and is/are used by any other LSE Group company under
license. All rights in the FTSE Russell indexes or data vest in the relevant LSE Group company which owns the
index or the data. Neither London Stock Exchange Group plc and its group undertakings (collectively the
“LSE Group”) nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the indexes or
data and no party may rely on any indexes or data contained in this communication. No further distribution of data from the LSE Group is permitted without the relevant LSE Group company’s express written consent. The LSE Group
does not promote, sponsor, or endorse the content of this communication.
The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and have been licensed for use by the Funds. Copyright © 2026 S&P Dow Jones
Indices LLC, a subsidiary of McGraw Hill Financial Inc., and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Redistribution, reproduction and/or photocopying in whole or in part are prohibited without written
permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. For more information on any of S&P Dow Jones indices
LLC’s indices please visit spdji.com. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard &
Poor’s Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark
Holdings LLC. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings, LLC their affiliates nor
their third party licensors make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the ability of any
index to accurately represent the asset class or market sector that it purports to represent and neither
S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones
Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors shall have any liability for any errors,
omissions, or interruptions of any index or the data included therein.
This prospectus may contain information obtained from third parties, including ratings from credit ratings agencies such as Standard & Poor’s. Reproduction and distribution
of third party content in any form is prohibited except with the prior written permission of the related
third party. Third party content providers do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or
availability of any information, including ratings, and are not responsible for any errors or omissions (negligent or otherwise), regardless of the cause, or for the results obtained from the use of such content. THIRD PARTY CONTENT PROVIDERS GIVE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE. THIRD PARTY CONTENT PROVIDERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY, COMPENSATORY, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, COSTS, EXPENSES, LEGAL FEES, OR LOSSES (INCLUDING LOST INCOME OR PROFITS AND OPPORTUNITY COSTS OR LOSSES CAUSED BY NEGLIGENCE) IN CONNECTION WITH ANY USE OF THEIR CONTENT, INCLUDING RATINGS. Credit ratings are statements of opinions and are not statements of fact or recommendations to purchase, hold, or sell securities. They do
not address the suitability of securities or the suitability of securities for investment purposes and should
not be relied on as investment advice.
Shares of the Funds are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of a Fund or any member
of the public regarding the ability of a Fund to achieve its investment objective. The Nasdaq Stock Market
LLC is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the Funds’ investments,
nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of the Funds to be issued, nor
in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the Funds in connection with the administration, marketing or
trading of the shares of the Funds. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall The Nasdaq Stock
Market LLC have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages
(including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
Buying and Selling Shares
Shares of the Funds may be acquired or redeemed directly from the Funds only in Creation Units or multiples thereof, as discussed in the “Purchase, Redemption and Pricing
Shares” section of the SAI. Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption
transactions directly with the Funds. An Authorized Participant is either a “participating party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National
Securities Clearing Corporation) or a Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participant, in either
case, who has executed an agreement with the Distributor, and accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to
creations and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, shares of the Funds generally trade in the
secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.
Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Funds in secondary market transactions through broker-dealers. Shares of the Funds are listed for trading on a national securities
exchange during the trading day. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like shares of
other publicly traded companies. However, there can be no guarantee that an active trading market will
develop or be maintained, or that a Fund’s shares listing will continue or remain unchanged. The Funds
do not impose any minimum investment for shares of the Funds purchased on an exchange. Buying or selling a
Fund’s shares involves certain costs that apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling
shares of a Fund through a financial intermediary, you may incur a brokerage commission or other charges
determined by your financial intermediary. Due to these brokerage costs, if any, frequent trading may detract
significantly from investment returns. In addition, you may also incur the cost of the spread (the difference
between the bid price and the ask price of the Fund’s shares). The commission is frequently a fixed amount and may be a significant cost for investors seeking to buy or sell small amounts of Fund shares. The spread varies over
time for shares of a Fund based on its trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally narrower if the
Fund has more trading volume and market liquidity and wider if the Fund has less trading volume and market
liquidity. Shares of the Funds trade on an exchange at prices that may differ to varying degrees from the
daily NAV of the shares.
The Funds’ primary listing exchange is The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC is open for trading
Monday through Friday and is closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving
Day, and Christmas Day.
A “Business Day” with respect to the Funds is each day the Funds are open and includes any day that the Funds are required to be open under Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act.
Orders from
Authorized Participants to create or redeem Creation Units will only be accepted on a Business Day. On days
when The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC closes earlier than normal, the Funds may require orders to create or redeem
Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. Please see the SAI for more information.
Shares are held in book entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The DTC, or its nominee, is the
registered owner of all outstanding shares of the Funds and is recognized as the owner of all shares.
Participants in DTC 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 share 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 on the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures
are the same as those that apply to any stocks that you hold in book entry or “street name”
through your brokerage account. Your account information will be maintained by your financial intermediary,
which will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales of shares, and tax
information. Your financial intermediary also will be responsible for distributing income dividends and
capital gain distributions and for ensuring that you receive shareholder reports and other communications
from the Funds.
The trading prices of a Fund’s shares in the secondary market generally differ from the Fund’s daily NAV and
are affected by market forces such as the supply of and demand for shares of the Fund and shares of
underlying securities held by the Fund, economic conditions and other factors. The quotations of certain Fund
holdings may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the United States.
Calculating Net Asset Value
The Funds determine their NAV once daily at the close of regular trading on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Exchange”), which is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the Exchange has an unscheduled early close but
certain other markets remain open until their regularly scheduled closing time, the NAV may be determined as
of the regularly scheduled closing time of the Exchange. If the Exchange and/or certain other markets close
early due to extraordinary circumstances (e.g., weather, terrorism, etc.), the NAV may be calculated as of
the early close of the Exchange and/or certain other markets. The NAV generally will not be determined on
days when, due to extraordinary circumstances, the Exchange and/or certain other markets do not open for
trading. The
Funds generally do not determine NAV on holidays
observed by the Exchange or on any other day when the Exchange is closed. The Exchange is regularly closed on
Saturdays and Sundays, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday,
Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The price at which
an Authorized Participant purchases shares of a Fund is based on the next calculation of the NAV after the
Fund receives a purchase request in good order.
Each Fund determines its NAV by dividing the total Fund assets, less all liabilities, by the total number of outstanding shares. To determine the NAV, a Fund generally values its
securities at current market value using readily available market prices. If market prices are not readily
available or if the Adviser determines that they are not reliable, the Board has designated the Adviser to
make fair valuation determinations in accordance with Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act pursuant to policies
approved by the Board. Fair valuation of a particular security is an inherently subjective process, with no
single standard to utilize when determining a security’s fair value. In each case where a security is fair valued, consideration is given to the facts and circumstances relevant to the particular situation. This consideration includes a
review of various factors set forth in the pricing policies. For any portion of a Fund’s assets that
are invested in mutual funds, the NAV is calculated based upon the NAV of the mutual funds in which the Fund
invests, and the prospectuses for those mutual funds explain the circumstances under which they will use fair
value pricing and the effects of such a valuation.
[To be updated in subsequent amendment.]
Policy Regarding Short-Term or Excessive Trading
The Funds do not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Fund shares. When considering that a policy regarding short-term or excessive trading was not necessary for the Funds, the Board considered the structure of the Funds as ETFs and that Fund shares are purchased and redeemed directly with the Funds only in Creation Units by Authorized Participants who are
authorized to purchase and redeem shares directly with the Funds. Because purchase and redemption
transactions with Authorized Participants are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep ETF trading
prices in line with NAV, the Funds accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by Authorized Participants.
Frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase portfolio transaction costs and may lead to
realization of capital gains. Frequent in-kind creations and redemptions do not give rise to these concerns. The Funds reserve the right to reject or limit any purchase order at any time.
The Funds reserve the right to impose restrictions on disruptive or abusive trading. Such trading is defined by the
Funds as purchases and sales of Fund shares in amounts and frequency determined by the Funds to be
significant and in a
pattern of activity that can potentially be detrimental to a Fund
and its shareholders. Such adverse effects can include diluting the value of the shareholders’
holdings, increasing Fund transaction costs, disrupting portfolio management strategy, incurring unwanted
taxable gains or forcing the Fund to hold excess levels of cash. The Funds may reject purchase or redemption
orders in such instances. The Funds also impose a transaction fee on Creation Unit transactions that is
designed to offset a Fund’s transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and
redemption of the Creation Units. The Board may determine that policies and procedures regarding the
frequency of purchases and redemptions of fund shares are necessary in the future.
Investments by Registered Investment Companies
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, as amended, restricts investments by registered
investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of the Funds.
Registered investment companies are permitted under Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to invest in the Funds
beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including,
potentially, that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Funds.
Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The Adviser may make arrangements for the Funds to make payments, directly or through the Adviser or its affiliates, to selected financial intermediaries (such as brokers or
third party administrators) for providing certain shareholder services, including, potentially, sub-transfer
agency and related administrative services to shareholders holding Fund shares in nominee or street name.
Those services may include, without limitation: maintaining investor accounts at the financial intermediary
level and keeping track of purchases, redemptions and exchanges by such accounts; processing and mailing
trade confirmations, monthly statements, prospectuses, annual reports, semiannual reports, and shareholder
notices and other SEC-required communications; capturing and processing tax data; issuing and mailing
dividend checks to shareholders who have selected cash distributions; preparing record date shareholder lists
for proxy solicitations; collecting and posting distributions to shareholder accounts; and establishing and
maintaining systematic withdrawals and automated investment plans and shareholder account registrations. The
Funds may pay a fee for these services, directly or through the Adviser or its affiliates, to financial
intermediaries selected by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. The actual services provided, and the fees paid for such services, may vary from firm to firm.
The payments described above may be material to financial intermediaries relative to other compensation paid by the Funds and/or the Adviser and their affiliates and may be in
addition to any (i) distribution and/or servicing (12b-1) fees and
(ii) revenue sharing fees described herein. The
Adviser relies primarily on contractual arrangements with financial intermediaries to verify whether such
intermediaries are providing the services for which they are receiving such payments. Although the Adviser
does not audit such financial intermediaries, they may make periodic information requests to verify certain
information about the services provided.
Thrivent Asset Mgt. has entered into an agreement with the Distributor, pursuant to which Thrivent Asset Mgt. makes
payments to the Distributor in consideration for its services under the Distribution Agreement. The payments
made by the Adviser to the Distributor do not represent an additional expense to the Funds or their
shareholders.
In addition, Thrivent Asset Mgt. and Thrivent Distributors, LLC make payments, out of their own resources, to financial
intermediaries that sell shares of the Funds in order to promote the distribution and retention of Fund
shares. Such payments may be made for a variety of purposes or services, including, without limitation,
marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, events or
conferences (including sponsorships of such events by the Adviser), data analytics and support, printing and
mailing costs, and the development of technology platforms and reporting systems. In addition, the Adviser
makes payments to certain intermediaries (through Thrivent Distributors) that promote or make shares of the
Funds available to their clients and to intermediaries for activities that the Adviser and Thrivent
Distributors believe facilitate investment in the Funds. This compensation, often referred to as revenue
sharing, is in addition to any compensation paid by the Funds through the Plan or for administrative, sub-transfer agency, networking, recordkeeping, and/or other shareholder support services. Currently, payments made to intermediaries
are generally 0.10% on assets for each intermediary. However, these payments are expected to vary year to
year and may differ depending on the intermediary. The Adviser may make arrangements at other rates with
certain intermediaries.
These payments create an incentive for the
financial intermediary or its financial representatives to recommend or offer shares of the Funds to you. The
Adviser could make payments (through Thrivent Distributors) based on any number of metrics, including
payments in fixed amounts, amounts based upon an intermediary’s services at defined levels, amounts
based on the intermediary’s net sales of a Fund or one or more Thrivent funds in a year or other period,
or calculated in basis points based on average net assets attributed to the intermediary, any of which
arrangements may include an agreed-upon minimum or maximum payment, or any combination of the foregoing.
Payments to an intermediary may be significant and may create conflicts of interest for the
intermediary.
Revenue sharing arrangements are separately negotiated between the Adviser and/or its affiliates, and the recipients of these payments. Revenue sharing payments are not made by
the Funds and are not reflected as additional expenses in the fee table in a Fund’s prospectus.
For additional information regarding agreements in place as of the date of this prospectus to make such payments, please
see the section entitled “Underwriting and Distribution Services – Other Payments” in the
SAI.
Shares can be redeemed only in Creation Units, generally for a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion
of such securities for which cash may be substituted) and a specified amount of cash. Except when aggregated
in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable by the Funds.
The prices at which redemptions occur are based on the next calculation of NAV after a creation or redemption order is received in an acceptable form. These prices may differ from
the market price of a Fund’s shares. Only an Authorized Participant may create or redeem Creation Units
directly with the Funds. In the event of a system failure or other interruption, including disruptions at
market makers or Authorized Participants, orders to redeem Creation Units either may not be executed
according to a Fund’s instructions or may not be executed at all, or the Fund may not be able to place
or change orders.
When a Fund engages in in-kind transactions, the Fund intends to comply with the U.S. federal securities laws in accepting securities for deposit and satisfying redemptions with redemption securities by, among other means, assuring
that any securities accepted for deposit and any securities used to satisfy redemption requests will be sold
in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(“Securities Act”). Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional
buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive
restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.
Redemptions must be made through a firm that is either a member of the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation or a DTC participant
and has executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit
aggregations. The Funds impose a redemption transaction fee to offset transfer and other transaction costs
associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. Information about the procedures regarding
redemption of Creation Units (including the cut-off times for receipt of creation and redemption orders) and
the applicable transaction fees are included in the SAI. In addition, creation and redemption baskets may
differ and the Funds may accept “custom baskets." The Adviser may decide to use a “custom basket” when doing so would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, in accordance with policies and procedures
adopted by the Funds. See the "Custom Baskets" section of the SAI.
Your broker-dealer or agent may charge you a fee to effect transactions in Fund shares.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio securities is
available in the SAI. Each Fund discloses its portfolio holdings
daily at thriventETFs.com/individual.
Dividends
Dividends of the Funds, if any, are generally declared and paid annually. Income dividends are derived from investment income, including dividends, interest, and certain foreign currency gains, if any, received by the Fund.
A Fund’s distributions may be comprised of taxable ordinary income, taxable capital gains and/or a non-taxable return of capital, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged
arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (in which case you will be taxed upon
withdrawal from such account).
At the time you purchase Fund shares, the Fund's NAV may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities held by
the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a
return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in a Fund just before the Fund declares an income
dividend or capital gain distribution is sometimes known as “buying a dividend" because a taxable
investor would be purchasing shares at a price that may include the amount of an upcoming distribution and
then receiving a portion of the purchase price back in the form of a taxable distribution.
Capital gains distributions, if any, usually will be declared and paid in
December.
The Funds
intend to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains. In general, any net
investment income and short-term capital gain distributions you receive from a Fund is taxable as ordinary
income. To the extent a Fund receives and distributes qualified dividend income, you may be eligible for a
tax rate lower than that on other ordinary income distributions if certain requirements are met.
Distributions of other net capital gains by a Fund are generally taxable as capital gains—in most cases, at different rates from those that apply to ordinary income. In addition, there is a possibility that some of the distributions of a
Fund may be classified as return of capital.
The tax you pay on a given capital gains distribution generally depends on how long the Fund has held the Fund securities it sold. It does not depend on how long you have owned your
Fund shares or whether you reinvest your distributions or take them in cash.
A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in
securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares,
including those paid in securities or other instruments, usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and your adjusted tax basis in the shares, which is generally the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid
in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or
loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain
circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term; in other circumstances, capital
losses may be disallowed under the “wash sale” rules.
By law, the Funds must withhold 24% of your distributions and proceeds as a prepayment of federal income tax if you have not provided complete, correct taxpayer information.
Authorized Participants Purchasing and Redeeming in Creation Units
An Authorized Participant that exchanges equity securities for one or more Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or a loss on the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to
the difference between (i) the market value of the Creation Unit(s) at the time and, (ii) the
exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus (or minus) any cash component paid (or
received). A person who redeems one or more Creation Units for equity securities will generally recognize a
gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Unit(s) and,
(ii) the aggregate market value of the securities received plus (or minus) any cash component received (or
paid). Any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption of one or more Creation Units is generally treated
as long-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Unit(s) have been held for more than one year and as
short-term capital gain or loss if they have been held for one year or less. Authorized Participants exchanging
securities for Creation Units or redeeming Creation Units should consult with their own tax adviser. If you
purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many shares you
purchased or sold and at what price. Authorized Participants who are dealers in securities are subject to the
tax rules applicable to dealers, which may result in tax consequences to such Authorized Participants
different from those described herein.
Premium/Discount Information
Information regarding how often the shares of a 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 during the most
recently completed calendar year, and the most recently completed calendar quarters since that year, as
applicable, can be found at thriventETFs.com/individual.
You should be aware of certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Funds. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Funds on an
ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur at any
point. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on
the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render
them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units
after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent shares, and sells such shares
directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active
selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one
is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances
pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples
mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a
categorization as an underwriter. Broker-dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating
in a distribution of shares are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus
delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions
as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who
are not underwriters but are
participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the
shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(A) of the Securities Act would
be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the
Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares are reminded that,
under Rule 153 of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the
Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the primary listing exchange is
satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the primary listing exchange upon request. The
prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an
exchange. In addition, certain affiliates of the Funds and the Adviser may purchase and resell Fund shares
pursuant to this prospectus.
It is also possible that, from time to time, the Adviser and its affiliates (including their directors, partners,
trustees, managing members, officers and employees (collectively, the “Affiliates”)) may, subject
to compliance with applicable law, purchase and hold shares of the Funds. Increasing a Fund’s assets
may enhance liquidity, investment flexibility and diversification. The Adviser and its Affiliates reserve the right, subject to compliance with applicable law, to sell or redeem at any time some or all of the shares of a Fund acquired for
their own accounts, and any such sale may be done in reliance on this Registration Statement. A large sale or
redemption of shares of a Fund by the Adviser or its Affiliates could significantly reduce the asset size of
the Fund, which might have an adverse effect on the Fund’s liquidity, investment flexibility and
portfolio diversification. The Adviser seeks to consider the effect of redemptions on a Fund and other
shareholders in deciding whether to redeem its shares. For more information about conflicts of interest, see
the “Investment Adviser and Portfolio Managers–Investment Adviser–Conflicts of
Interest” section in the SAI.
[This page
intentionally left blank]
The Funds are newly organized and therefore
have not yet had any operations as of the date of this prospectus.
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intentionally left blank]
4321 N. Ballard Rd.
Appleton, WI 54919-0001
A
better way to deliver documents. In response to concerns regarding multiple mailings, we send one copy of a prospectus and each annual and semiannual report for Thrivent ETF Trust to each household. This consolidated mailing process is known as householding. It helps save money by reducing printing and postage costs. If you wish to discontinue householding in the future, contact your financial intermediary.
Investment Adviser Thrivent Asset Management, LLC 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211 |
Legal Counsel Ropes & Gray LLP Prudential Tower, 800 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 02199-3600 |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm [name] [street] [city, state, zip] |
Distributor [name] [street] [city, state, zip] |
Transfer Agent, Administrator & Custodian [name] [street] [city, state, zip] |
|
The SAI, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, contains additional information about the Funds. Additional information about a Fund’s investments will be available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR. In a Fund’s annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find a Fund’s annual and semiannual financial statements. To make shareholder inquiries or to request a free copy of the SAI, a Fund’s annual or semiannual report (when available), or other information such as a Fund’s financial statements (when available), call 800-847-4836 or visit thriventETFs.com/prospectus. Reports and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website
at sec.gov, and you may request copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending an email to [email protected]. 1940 Act File No. 811-23759
ALPS Distributors, Inc., member
FINRA, is the distributor for Thrivent ETFs. Thrivent Distributors, LLC, a subsidiary of
Thrivent, is the marketing agent. ALPS Distributors, Inc. is not affiliated with Thrivent, the marketing name for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, or any of its
subsidiaries.
Thrivent ETF Trust
Statement of Additional Information
Dated [ ], 2026
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Principal U.S. Listing Exchange |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
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Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
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Each Fund is a series of Thrivent ETF Trust (the “Trust”). This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with each Fund’s prospectus dated [ ], 2026, as from time to time revised or supplemented (referred to together as the “Prospectus” herein).
The Funds are newly formed and do not have any operating history. The audited financial
statements for the Funds’ initial semiannual and annual periods, as they become available, will contain important information about the Funds.
For a free copy of the Prospectus, this SAI, or an annual or semiannual report for the Funds, as they become available, or
to request other information or ask questions about the Funds, call 800-847-4836. In addition, you may visit
thriventETFs.com/prospectus.
The Prospectus and SAI do not purport to create any contractual
obligations between the Trust or the Funds and their shareholders. In addition, shareholders are not intended third-party beneficiaries of any contracts entered into by (or on
behalf of) the Funds, including contracts with the investment manager or other parties who provide services to the Funds.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE
SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR
SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
General Information About the
Trust
The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts Business Trust on September 2,
2021 and is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). The Trust is authorized to issue shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.00000001 per share, divisible into an indefinite number of
different series and classes and operates as a “series company” as provided by Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act. The Trust currently consists of seven series. This SAI contains information about Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF and Thrivent
Securitized Income ETF (each a “Fund” and, together, the “Funds”), each a series of the Trust. Thrivent Securitized Income ETF is diversified within the meaning of the 1940 Act. Information about Thrivent Core Plus Bond ETF, Thrivent Mid
Cap Value ETF, Thrivent Small-Mid Cap Equity ETF, Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF, and Thrivent Ultra Short Bond ETF, each a series of the Trust, can be found in its Statement of
Additional Information, dated January 31, 2026. Information about Thrivent International Large Cap ETF and Thrivent International Small Cap ETF, each a series of the Trust, can be found in its Statement of Additional Information, dated May 4, 2026.
The Declaration of Trust provides that each shareholder shall be deemed to have agreed to be bound by its terms. The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may amend the Declaration of Trust upon notice to shareholders. The Trust may issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series as the Board may authorize.
Shares are freely transferable, and holders thereof are entitled to receive dividends
declared by the Trustees, and receive the assets of each Fund in the event of liquidation. The Trust generally holds shareholder meetings only when required by law.
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a business trust may be held personally liable, under certain circumstances, for the obligations of the Trust. However, the Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder, Trustee and/or officer liability for acts performed on behalf of the Trust or for Trust obligations that are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust.
Each Fund intends to include this disclaimer in each agreement, obligation, or contract entered into or executed by the Trust or the Board. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of the Trust’s assets for all losses and
expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust.
The Declaration of Trust provides that state and federal courts
sitting within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall be the sole and exclusive forums for any shareholder to bring (i) any action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust,
(ii) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Trustee, officer or employee, if any, of the Trust to the Trust or the Trust’s shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or
employees, if any, arising pursuant to any provision of the Massachusetts Business Corporation Act, the Massachusetts Uniform Trust Code, or any federal or state securities law, in each case as amended from time to time, or the Declaration of
Trust or the Trust’s Bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, governed by the internal affairs doctrine.
This exclusive jurisdiction provision may make it more expensive for a shareholder to bring a suit and may limit a shareholder’s ability to litigate a claim in the
jurisdiction and in a manner that may be more favorable to the shareholder. A court may choose not to enforce this provision of the Declaration of Trust.
The Declaration of Trust also provides that no shareholder shall have the right to bring or maintain any court action or
other proceeding asserting a derivative claim or any claim asserted on behalf of the Trust or involving any alleged harm to the Trust without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring or maintain such action, proceeding
or claim and that any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle (or not to bring, maintain or settle) such court action, proceeding or claim, or to submit the matter to
a vote of shareholders, shall be binding upon the shareholders. The provision does not apply to claims arising under the federal securities laws.
Reference should be made to the Declaration of Trust on file with the SEC for the full text of these provisions.
Capitalized terms used in this SAI and not otherwise defined have the meanings given to them in the Prospectus.
Exchange Listing and Trading
A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the
Funds is contained in the “Shareholder Information” section of the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such section of the Prospectus.
The shares of each Fund are listed for trading, and trade throughout the day, on the
[exchange]. (“[exchange]” or the “Exchange”). The shares trade on the [exchange] at prices that may differ to some degree from net asset value
(“NAV”). There can be no assurance that the requirements of the [exchange] necessary to maintain the listing of shares of the Funds will continue to be met.
The [exchange] may consider the suspension of trading and will commence delisting
proceedings under any of the following circumstances: (i) if any of the continued listing requirements are not continuously maintained, (ii) if following the initial twelve-month period after commencement of trading on the [exchange], there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of
the shares, (iii) if [exchange] becomes aware that a Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act, (iv) if any statements or representations regarding the description of the portfolio, limitations on portfolio
holdings or the applicability of [exchange] listing rules is not continuously maintained, or (v) if such other event shall occur or condition exists that, in the opinion of the [exchange], makes further dealings on the [exchange] inadvisable. In
addition, the [exchange] will remove the shares of a Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.
As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, when you buy or sell shares through a broker-dealer or other financial
intermediary, you will be responsible for any fees or commissions charged by that broker-dealer or other financial intermediary.
The Funds reserve the right to conduct stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would impact the price of a Fund’s shares but have no effect on the net assets of the Fund or an investor’s equity interest in the Fund.
The base and trading currency of the Funds is the U.S. dollar. The
base currency is the currency in which a Fund’s NAV per share is calculated and the trading currency is the currency in which shares of a Fund are listed and traded on the
[exchange].
Investment Policies and
Restrictions
In addition to those practices stated in the Prospectus, the Funds
may purchase the securities or engage in the transactions described below. Each of these investment practices is a non-principal investment strategy except as otherwise noted. References in this SAI to the Funds investing in any instrument, security or strategy includes direct or
indirect investment, including gaining exposure through derivatives or other investment companies. In general, a Fund may make any investment, including investments which are not identified below, if such Fund’s investment adviser,
Thrivent Asset Management, LLC (“Thrivent Asset Mgt.” or the “Adviser”) reasonably believes that the investment is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective(s) and policies and the Fund’s investment limitations do not expressly prohibit the Fund from doing so. All percentage limitations and requirements (including those set forth in the fundamental
investment restrictions discussed below) as to investments will apply only at the time of an investment to which the limitation or requirement is applicable and shall not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists
immediately after and as a result of such investment. Accordingly, any later increase or decrease resulting from a change in values, net assets or other circumstances will not be considered in determining whether any investment complies with a
Fund’s limitation or requirement. Such percentage limitations and requirements do not apply to the asset coverage test set forth in Section 18(f)(1) of the 1940 Act.
Each Fund may invest in bank instruments in pursuit of its investment objective. These
instruments include, but are not limited to, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits. Certificates of deposit are generally short-term (i.e., less than one year),
interest-bearing negotiable certificates issued by commercial banks or savings and loan associations against funds deposited in the issuing institution. A banker’s acceptance
is a time draft drawn on a commercial bank by a borrower, usually in connection with an international commercial transaction (to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods). A banker’s acceptance may be obtained from a domestic or foreign bank including a
U.S. branch or agency of a foreign bank. The borrower is liable for payment as well as the bank, which unconditionally guarantees to pay the draft at its face amount on the maturity date. Most acceptances have maturities of six months or less
and are traded in secondary markets prior to maturity. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits for a fixed period of time at a stated interest rate.
U.S. branches of foreign banks are offices of foreign banks and are not separately incorporated entities. They are chartered
and regulated under federal or state law. U.S. federal branches of foreign banks are chartered and regulated by the Comptroller of the Currency, while state branches and agencies
are chartered and regulated by authorities of the respective state or the District of Columbia. U.S. branches of foreign banks may accept deposits and thus are eligible for FDIC insurance; however, not all such branches elect FDIC insurance. U.S. branches of foreign banks can maintain credit
balances, which are funds received by the office incidental to or arising out of the exercise of their banking powers and can exercise other commercial functions, such as lending activities.
Investing in instruments issued by foreign branches of U.S. banks and U.S. branches of
foreign banks may involve risks. These risks may include future unfavorable political and economic developments, possible withholding or confiscatory taxes, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations and other governmental restrictions that might
affect payment of principal or interest, and possible difficulties pursuing or enforcing claims against banks located outside the U.S. Additionally, foreign issuers are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting
standards or other regulatory requirements and practices comparable to U.S. issuers, and there may be less public
information available about foreign banks and their branches and agencies.
Each Fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions in pursuit of its investment
objective. A repurchase agreement consists of a purchase and a simultaneous agreement to resell an investment for later delivery at an agreed
upon price and rate of interest. A Fund must take
possession of collateral either directly or through a third-party custodian. If the original seller of a security subject to a repurchase agreement fails to repurchase the security
at the agreed upon time, the Fund could incur a loss due to a drop in the market value of the security during the time it takes the Fund to either sell the security or take action to enforce the original seller’s agreement to repurchase the security. Also, if a defaulting original seller filed for bankruptcy or became insolvent, disposition of such security might be delayed by pending
court action. A Fund may only enter into repurchase agreements with banks and other recognized financial institutions such as broker/dealers that are found by the Adviser to be creditworthy.
The Funds may buy or sell restricted securities, including securities that meet the
requirements of Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Rule 144A Securities”). Rule 144A Securities may be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under certain circumstances only to qualified institutional buyers as defined in the rule. Rule 144A Securities may be subject to the
potential for delays on resale and may be deemed to be liquid as determined by or in accordance with methods adopted by the Board. See the discussion of Illiquid Investments below. Under such methods the following factors are considered,
among others: the frequency of trades and quotes for the security, the number of dealers and potential purchasers in the market, market making activity, and the nature of the security and marketplace trades. Investments in Rule 144A Securities
could have the effect of increasing the level of a Fund’s illiquidity to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing such
securities. Also, a Fund may be adversely impacted by the subjective valuation of such securities in the absence of an active market for them. Restricted securities that are not
resalable under Rule 144A may be subject to risks of illiquidity and subjective valuations to a greater degree than Rule 144A securities.
Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, each Fund may not acquire any “illiquid investment” if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets. An
illiquid investment is an investment that a 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
investment.
The Funds have implemented a written liquidity risk management program and related
procedures (“Liquidity Program”) that are reasonably designed to assess and manage the Funds’ “liquidity risk” (defined by the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as the risk that a Fund could not meet requests to redeem shares issued by the Fund without significant dilution of remaining investors’ interests in the Fund) pursuant to Rule 22e-4, as it relates to the Funds. The liquidity of a Fund’s portfolio investments is determined based on relevant market, trading and investment-specific
considerations under the Liquidity Program. The adoption of the Liquidity Program is not a guarantee that a Fund will have sufficient liquidity to satisfy its redemption requests in all market conditions or that redemptions can be effected without
diluting remaining investors in the Fund.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
Each Fund also may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which may be viewed as
borrowings, subject to a Fund’s limitation on borrowings, made by a Fund. A reverse repurchase agreement is a transaction in which a Fund transfers possession of a portfolio instrument to another person, such as a financial institution, broker or dealer, in return for a
percentage of the instrument’s market value in cash, with an agreement that at a stipulated date in the future the Fund will repurchase the portfolio instrument by remitting the original consideration plus interest at an agreed upon rate. The use of
reverse repurchase agreements may enable a Fund to avoid selling portfolio instruments at a time when a sale may be deemed to be disadvantageous. However, the ability to enter into reverse repurchase agreements does not assure that the Fund
will be able to avoid selling portfolio instruments at a disadvantageous time. The Funds will engage in reverse
repurchase agreements that are not in excess of 60
days to maturity and will do so to avoid borrowing cash and not for the purpose of investment leverage or to speculate on interest rate changes.
When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions
Each Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued and delayed delivery basis. When-issued and delayed delivery transactions arise when U.S. Government obligations and other types of securities are bought by a Fund with payment and
delivery taking place in the future. The settlement dates of these transactions, which may be a month or more after entering into the transaction, are determined by mutual
agreement of the parties. There are no fees or other expenses associated with these types of transactions other than normal transaction costs. To the extent a Fund engages in
when-issued and delayed delivery transactions, it will do so for the purpose of acquiring portfolio instruments consistent with its investment objective and policies and not for the purpose of investment leverage. On the settlement date, the value of such
instruments may be less than the cost thereof.
The Funds may enter into dollar roll transactions with respect to securities issued or to be issued by the Government
National Mortgage Association, Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation in which the Funds sell mortgage securities and simultaneously agree to repurchase similar (same type, coupon and maturity)
securities at a later date at an agreed upon price. During the period between the sale and repurchase, the Funds forgo principal and interest paid on the mortgage securities sold.
The Funds are compensated by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale and from negotiated fees paid by brokers offered as an inducement to the Funds to “roll over” their purchase commitments. While the dollar roll transactions may result in higher transaction costs or higher taxes for the Funds, the Adviser believes that the benefits of investing in such a program will outweigh the potential for
such increased costs.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations and Multi-Class Pass-Through Securities
As described in the Prospectus, the principal strategies of certain Funds include
investing in mortgage-backed securities (a type of asset-backed security that is backed by pools of underlying mortgages), including collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) and Multi-Class Pass-Through Securities (“MCPTS”), and the other Funds may invest in such instruments as a non-principal strategy. CMOs and MCPTS are debt instruments issued, and guaranteed as applicable, by either
a U.S. government agency (the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae)), a U.S. government sponsored entity (the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA or
Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC or Freddie Mac)), or a private financial institution. GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. corporation that is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, the timely payment of
principal and interest of its securities. Securities guaranteed by FNMA and FHLMC are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Private MBS are not guaranteed. The securities are issued in special purpose entities secured
by pools of mortgage loans or other mortgage-backed securities. MCPTS are interests in a trust composed of mortgage loans or other mortgage-backed securities. Payments of principal
and interest on the underlying collateral provide the money to pay debt service on the CMO or make scheduled distributions on the multi-class pass-through security. MCPTS, CMOs, and classes thereof (including those discussed below) are examples of the types of financial
instruments commonly referred to as “derivatives.”
FNMA and FHLMC are currently under a conservatorship established by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). If FNMA and
FHLMC are taken out of conservatorship, it is unclear whether the U.S. government would continue to enforce its rights or perform its obligations and how the capital structure of
FNMA and FHLMC would be constructed post-conservatorship and what effects, if any, this might have on their creditworthiness. Accordingly, should the FHFA take the enterprises out of conservatorship, there could be an adverse impact on the value of their securities which could cause a
Fund to lose value.
On June 3, 2019, under the FHFA’s
“Single Security Initiative”, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac started issuing uniform mortgage-backed securities (“UMBS”). The Single Security Initiative seeks
to align the characteristics of certain Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-based securities and to support the overall liquidity in certain markets. In addition, Freddie Mac has offered investors the opportunity to exchange outstanding legacy mortgage-backed securities for mirror UMBS.
The effects that the Single Security Initiative may have on the market and other mortgage-backed securities are uncertain.
A CMO contains a series of bonds or certificates issued in multiple classes. Each CMO class
(referred to as “tranche”) has a specified coupon rate and stated maturity or final distribution date. When people start prepaying the principal on the collateral underlying a CMO (such as mortgages underlying a CMO), some classes may retire substantially earlier than the
stated maturity or final distribution dates resulting in a loss of all or part of the premium, if any has been paid. The issuer structures a CMO to pay or accrue interest on all
classes on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. The issuer may allocate the principal and interest on the underlying mortgages among the classes in many ways. In a common
structure, the issuer applies the principal payments on the underlying mortgages to the classes according to scheduled cash flow priorities.
There are many classes of CMOs. Interest only classes (“IOs”) entitle the class
shareholders to receive distributions consisting solely or primarily of all or a portion of the interest in an underlying pool of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities (mortgage assets). Principal only classes (“POs”) entitle the class shareholders to receive distributions consisting solely or primarily of all or a portion of the underlying pool of mortgage assets. In addition, there are “inverse floaters,” which have coupon rates that move in the reverse direction to an applicable index, and accrual (or Z) bonds
(described below).
Inverse floating CMO classes are typically more volatile than fixed or adjustable rate CMO
classes. The Funds would only invest in inverse floating CMOs to protect against a reduction in the income earned on investments due to a predicted decline in interest rates. In the event interest rates increased, the Funds would lose money on investments in inverse
floating CMO classes. An interest rate increase would cause the coupon rate on an inverse CMO class to decrease.
Cash flow and yields on IO and PO classes are extremely sensitive to principal payment rates (including prepayments) on the
underlying mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. For example, rapid or slow principal payment rates may adversely affect the yield to maturity of IO or PO bonds,
respectively. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the holder of an IO bond may incur a complete loss in value due to the
lost interest stream even if the IO bond has a AAA rating. If the underlying mortgage assets experience slower than anticipated prepayments of principal, the PO bond will incur substantial losses in value due to lost prepayments. Rapid or
slow principal payment rates may cause IO and PO bond holders to incur substantially more losses in market value than if they had invested in traditional mortgage-backed securities. On the other hand, if interest rates rise, the value of an IO
might increase and partially offset other bond value declines in a Fund’s portfolio. If interest rates fall, the value of a PO might increase offsetting lower reinvestment rates in a Fund’s portfolio.
An accrual or Z bondholder does not receive cash payments until one or more of the other
classes have received their full payments on the mortgage loans underlying the CMO. During the period when the Z bondholders do not receive cash payments, interest accrues on the Z class at a stated rate. The accrued interest is added to the amount of principal due to
the Z class. After the other classes have received their payments in full, the Z class begins receiving cash payments until it receives its full amount of principal (including the accrued interest added to the principal amount) and interest at the
stated rate.
Generally, the date when cash payments begin on the Z class depends on the prepayment rate
of the mortgage loans underlying the CMO. A faster prepayment rate results in an earlier commencement of cash payments on the Z class. Like a zero coupon bond, during its accrual period the Z class has the advantage of eliminating the risk of reinvesting interest
payments at lower rates during a period of declining interest rates. Like a zero coupon bond, the market value of a Z class bond fluctuates more widely with changes in interest rates than would the market value of a bond from a class that pays
interest currently. Changing interest rates
influence prepayment rates. As noted above, such changes in prepayment rates affect the date at which cash payments begin on a Z tranche, which in turn influences its market
value.
Collateralized Debt Obligations
The Funds may invest in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), which include collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), and other similarly structured securities. CDOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CLO is ordinarily issued by a trust or other special purpose entity (“SPE”) and is typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and
subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment-grade or equivalent unrated loans, held by such issuer. A CBO is ordinarily issued by a trust or
other SPE and is typically backed by a diversified pool of fixed income securities (which may include high-risk, below investment-grade securities) held by such issuer. Although
certain CDOs may benefit from credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure, over-collateralization or bond insurance, such enhancement may not always be present, and may fail to protect a Fund against the risk of loss on default of
the collateral. Certain CDO issuers may use derivatives contracts to create “synthetic” exposure to assets rather than holding such assets directly, which entails the
risks of derivative instruments described elsewhere in this SAl. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses, which are in addition to those of a Fund.
For both CLOs and CBOs, the cash flows from the SPE are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk
and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche, which bears the first loss from defaults from the bonds or loans in the SPE and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default (though such protection is not complete). Since it is
partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CLO or CBO typically has higher ratings and lower yields than its underlying securities, and may be rated
investment-grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CLO or CBO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, downgrades of the underlying
collateral by rating agencies, forced liquidation of the collateral pool due to a failure of coverage tests, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults as well as investor aversion to
CLO or CBO securities as a class. Interest on certain tranches of a CDO may be paid in kind or deferred and capitalized (paid in the form of obligations of the same type rather than cash), which involves continued exposure to default risk with
respect to such payments.
The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities
and the class of the CDO in which a Fund invests. Normally, CLOs, CBOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by a Fund as illiquid securities. However,
an active dealer market may exist for CDOs, allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities and
asset-backed securities generally discussed elsewhere in this SAI, CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral
securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the risk that the collateral may default or decline in value or be downgraded, if rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”); (iii) a Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal
documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) the investment return achieved by a Fund could be significantly different than those predicted by financial models; (vi) the lack of a readily
available secondary market for CDOs; (vii) risk of forced “fire sale” liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (viii) the CDO’s manager may perform poorly.
The Funds may invest in senior loans. Senior loans hold the most senior position in the
capital structure of a business entity, are typically secured with specific collateral and have a claim on the general assets of the borrower that is senior to that held by subordinated debtholders and stockholders of the borrower. The proceeds of senior loans primarily are used to
finance leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, mergers, acquisitions, stock repurchases, and, to a lesser extent, to
finance internal growth and for other corporate
purposes. Senior loans typically have rates of interest which are redetermined either daily, monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually by reference to a base lending rate, plus a
premium. The base lending rates generally are the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), the prime rate offered by one or more major United States banks or the certificate of deposit rate, or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders.
Senior loans may not be rated by a rating organization, will not be registered with the SEC or any state securities commission and generally will not be listed or traded on any national securities exchange. Therefore, Funds that hold senior
loans may not be protected by the securities laws, the amount of public information available about senior loans will be limited, and the performance of investments in senior loans
will be more dependent on the analytical abilities of the Adviser than would be the case for investments in more widely-rated, registered or exchange-listed or traded securities.
In evaluating the creditworthiness of borrowers, the Adviser will consider, and may rely in part, on analyses performed by others. The Adviser generally does not receive material, non-public information about borrowers, which may further limit the
information available to the Adviser about senior loans. In the event the Adviser receives material, non-public information about a borrower that also issues public securities, the
Adviser may be restricted from trading in such public securities which could adversely impact performance of a Fund. Moreover, certain senior loans will be subject to contractual restrictions on resale and, therefore, will be illiquid.
The Funds may invest in structured securities. The issuer of a structured security links the
security’s coupon, dividend or redemption amount at maturity to some sort of financial indicator. Such financial indicators can include currencies, interest rates, individual securities, commodities and indexes. The coupon, dividend and/or redemption amount at maturity may
increase or decrease depending on the value of the linked or underlying instrument.
Investments in structured securities involve certain risks. In
addition to the normal credit and interest rate risks inherent with a debt security, the redemption amount may increase or decrease as a result of price changes in the underlying
instrument. Depending on how the issuer links the coupon and/or dividend to the underlying instrument, the amount of the dividend may be reduced to zero. Any further declines in the value of the underlying instrument may then reduce the
redemption amount at maturity. Structured securities may have more volatility than the price of the underlying instrument.
In addition, structured securities include equity linked notes. An equity linked note is a note whose performance is tied to a
single stock, a stock index or a basket of stocks. Equity linked notes can combine the principal protection normally associated with fixed income investments with the potential for capital appreciation normally associated with equity
investments. Not all equity linked notes, however, provide principal protection. Upon the maturity of the note, the holder receives, but is not guaranteed, a return of principal based on the capital appreciation of the linked securities. Depending
on the terms of the note, equity linked notes may also have a “cap” or “floor” on the maximum principal amount to be repaid to holders, irrespective of the performance of the underlying linked securities. The secondary market for equity
linked notes may be limited, and the lack of liquidity in the secondary market may make these securities difficult to dispose of and to value. Equity linked notes will be considered equity securities for purposes of a Fund’s investment objective and policies.
Variable Rate Demand Notes
The Funds may purchase variable rate master demand notes. Variable rate master demand notes are unsecured instruments that
permit the indebtedness thereunder to vary and provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate. These notes are normally not traded, and there is no secondary market for the
notes. However, a Fund may demand payment of the principal for such Fund at any time. If an issuer of a variable rate master demand note defaulted on its payment obligation, a Fund might not be able to dispose of the note due to the absence of a secondary market. A Fund might
suffer a loss to the extent of the default.
Lending Securities
Consistent with applicable regulatory requirements, each Fund may from time to time lend the
securities it holds to broker-dealers and other financial institutions, provided that such loans are made pursuant to written agreements and are initially secured by collateral in the form of cash or domestic securities in an amount equal to at least 102% of the market value of
the loaned securities or foreign securities in an amount equal to at least 105% of the market value of the loaned
securities. In electing to engage in securities lending for a Fund, the Adviser will take into account the investment objective and principal strategies of the Fund. For the period during which the securities are on loan, the lending Fund may be
entitled to receive the interest and dividends, or amounts equivalent thereto, on the loaned securities and a fee from the borrower or interest on the investment of the cash collateral. The right to terminate the loan may be given to either party
subject to appropriate notice. Upon termination of the loan, the borrower will return to the Fund securities identical to the loaned securities.
The primary risk in lending securities is that the borrower may become insolvent on a day on which the loaned security is rapidly increasing in value. In such event, if the borrower fails to return the loaned security, the existing collateral might be insufficient to purchase back the full amount of the security loaned, and the borrower would be unable to furnish additional
collateral. The borrower would be liable for any shortage, but the lending Fund would be an unsecured creditor with respect to such shortage and might not be able to recover all or any portion thereof. However, this risk may be minimized by
carefully selecting borrowers and securities to be lent and by monitoring collateral.
No Fund may lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than one-third
of its total assets would be lent to other parties.
Derivatives, including options, futures, swaps, and hybrid instruments, are financial
instruments whose value derives from another security, an index, an interest rate or a currency. Each Fund may invest in exchange-traded futures and may, but is not required to, use a number of exchange-traded derivative instruments for risk management purposes, to seek to enhance
investment returns, or for speculation (investing for potential income or capital gains). This includes the use of currency-based derivatives for hedging its positions in foreign
securities. Exchange-traded futures are U.S. listed futures contracts where the future contract’s reference asset is an asset that a Fund could invest in directly, or in the
case of an index future, is based on an index of a type of asset that a Fund could invest in directly. All future contracts that a Fund may invest in will be traded on a U.S. futures exchange.
While hedging can guard against potential risks, using derivatives adds to a Fund’s
expenses and can eliminate some opportunities for gains. There is also a risk that a derivative intended as a hedge may not perform as expected. For example, the price or value of the underlying instrument, asset, index, currency or rate may move in a different direction
than expected or such movements may be of a magnitude greater or less than expected.
Another risk with derivatives is that some types can amplify a gain or
loss, thereby creating investment exposure greater than the initial investment. For example, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, and options on
derivatives can allow a Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin
requirements. As a result, investments in such transactions may be highly leveraged, and a Fund could potentially earn or lose substantially more money than the actual cost (if any) incurred when the derivative is entered into by a Fund. The use
of leverage may cause a Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. In addition, a derivative used for hedging or
replication may not accurately track the value of the underlying asset, index or rate.
With some derivatives, whether used for hedging, replication or
speculation, there is also the risk that the counterparty may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss for a Fund. In addition, suitable derivative investments for hedging,
replication or speculative purposes may not be available.
Derivatives can be difficult to value and
illiquid, which means a Fund may not be able to close out a derivatives transaction in a cost-efficient manner. Futures contracts are subject to the risk that an exchange may
impose price fluctuation limits, which may make it difficult or impossible for a Fund to close out a position when desired.
Hybrid instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) can combine the characteristics of securities, futures, and options. For example, the principal amount, redemption, or conversion terms of a security could be related to the market
price of some commodity, currency, or securities index. Such securities may bear interest or pay dividends at below market or even relatively nominal rates. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero.
Rule 18f-4 governs a Fund’s use of derivative investments and certain financing transactions (e.g., repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements). Among other things, Rule 18f-4 requires funds that invest in derivative instruments beyond a
specified limited amount to apply a value-at-risk based limit to their use of certain derivative instruments and financing transactions and to adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program. The Trust has adopted written policies and
procedures to manage the derivatives risks of the Funds and comply with the requirements of Rule 18f-4. Funds that use derivative instruments (beyond certain currency and interest
rate hedging transactions) in a limited amount are not subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4. The application of Rule 18f-4 to a Fund could restrict its ability to utilize
derivative investments and financing transactions and prevent a Fund from implementing its principal investment
strategies as described herein, which may result in changes to a Fund’s principal investment strategies and could adversely affect a Fund’s performance and its ability to achieve its investment objective.
A Fund may use non-standard warrants, including low exercise price warrants or low exercise
price options and participatory notes, to gain indirect exposure to issuers in certain countries. Non-standard warrants are different from standard warrants in that they do not give their holders the right to receive a security of the issuer upon exercise. Rather,
they pay the holder the difference in price of the underlying security between the date the non-standard warrant was purchased and the date it is sold. Non-standard warrants are generally a type of equity-linked derivative that are traded
over-the-counter and constitute general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them. Generally, banks and broker-dealers associated with non-U.S.-based brokerage firms buy securities listed on certain foreign
exchanges and then issue non-standard warrants that are designed to replicate the performance of certain issuers and markets. The performance results of non-standard warrants will
not replicate exactly the performance of the issuers or markets that they seek to replicate due to transaction costs and other expenses. The holder of a non-standard warrant
typically does not receive voting or other rights as it would if it directly owned the underlying security, and non-standard warrants present similar risks to investing directly in the underlying security. Additionally, non-standard warrants entail the same risks as other over-the-counter derivatives. These include the risk that the counterparty or issuer of the non-standard
warrant may not be able to fulfill its obligations, that the holder and counterparty or issuer may disagree as to the meaning or application of contractual terms, or that the
instrument may not perform as expected. Additionally, there is no guarantee that a liquid market will exist for a particular non-standard warrant or that the counterparty or issuer
of a non-standard warrant will be willing to repurchase such instrument when the Fund wishes to sell it.
As described below, each of the Funds may invest in options on another security, an index, a
currency, or a futures contract. If the option is described as “covered,” the applicable Fund holds the investment underlying the option or has the right to obtain it at no additional cost.
Selling (“Writing”) Covered Call Options: The Funds may from time to time sell (write) covered call options on any portion of their portfolios as a hedge to provide
partial protection against adverse movements in prices of securities in those Funds and, subject to the limitations described below, for the non-hedging purpose of attempting to
create additional income. A call option gives the buyer of the option, upon payment of a premium, the right to call upon the writer to deliver
a specified amount of a security on or before a
fixed date at a predetermined (strike) price. As the writer of a call option, a Fund assumes the obligation to deliver the underlying security to the holder of the option on demand
at the strike price. This obligation is held by the Fund until either the option expires or an offsetting transaction is entered into by the Fund.
If
the price of a security hedged by a call option falls below or remains below the strike price of the option, a Fund will generally not be called upon to deliver the security. A
Fund will, however, retain the premium received for the option as additional income, offsetting all or part of any decline in the value of the security. If the price of a hedged
security rises above or remains above the strike price of the option, the Fund will generally be called upon to deliver the security. In this event, a Fund limits its potential gain by limiting the value it can receive from the security to the strike price of the option plus the option premium.
Buying Call Options: The Funds may also from time to time purchase call options on securities in which those Funds may invest. As the holder of
a call option, a Fund has the right (but not the obligation) to purchase the underlying security or currency at the exercise price at any time during the option period (American
style) or at the expiration of the option (European style). A Fund generally will purchase such options as a hedge to provide protection against adverse movements in the prices of securities that the Fund intends to purchase. In purchasing a call option, a Fund would realize a
gain if, during the option period, the price of the underlying security increased by more than the amount of the premium paid. A Fund would realize a loss equal to all or a portion
of the premium paid if the price of the underlying security decreased, remained the same, or did not increase by more than the premium paid.
Selling Put Options: The Funds may from time to time sell (write) put options. As the writer of a put
option, the Fund assumes the obligation to pay a predetermined (strike) price for the option’s underlying security if the holder of the option chooses to exercise it. Until the option expires or a closing transaction is made, the Fund must continue to be prepared to
pay the strike price, regardless of price movements in the underlying security.
If the price of the underlying security remains the same or rises above the strike
price, the Fund generally will not be called upon to purchase the security. The Fund will, however, retain the premium received for the option as additional income. If the price of the underlying security falls below the strike price, the Fund may be called upon to purchase the
security at the strike price.
Buying Put Options: The Funds may from time to time purchase put options on any portion of their portfolios. A put option gives the buyer of
the option, upon payment of a premium, the right (but not the obligation) to deliver a specified amount of a security to the writer of the option on or before a fixed date at a
predetermined (strike) price. A Fund generally will purchase such options as a hedge to provide protection against adverse movements in the prices of securities in the Fund. In purchasing a put option, a Fund would realize a gain if, during the option period, the price of the security declined
by an amount in excess of the premium paid. A Fund would realize a loss equal to all or a portion of the premium paid if the price of the security increased, remained the same, or did not decrease by more than the premium paid.
Options on Foreign Currencies: The Funds may also write covered call options and purchase put and call options on foreign currencies as a hedge against
changes in prevailing levels of currency exchange rates.
Index Options: The Funds may also purchase and sell call options and
put options on stock and bond indices. Options on securities indices are similar to options on a security except that, upon the exercise of an option on a securities index, settlement is made in cash rather than in specific securities.
Negotiated Transactions: The Funds will generally purchase and sell options traded on a national securities or options exchange. Where options are
not readily available on such exchanges, a Fund may purchase and sell options in negotiated transactions. A Fund effects negotiated transactions only with investment dealers and
other financial institutions deemed creditworthy by the Adviser. Despite the Adviser’s best efforts to enter into negotiated options transactions with only creditworthy parties, there is always a risk that the opposite party to the transaction may default in
its obligation to either purchase or sell the underlying security at the agreed upon time and price, resulting in a possible
loss by the Fund. This risk is described more
completely in the section of this SAI entitled, “Risks of Transactions in Options and Futures.”
Options written or purchased by a Fund in negotiated transactions may be illiquid and there is no assurance that a Fund will be able to effect a closing purchase or closing sale transaction at a time when the Adviser believes it would be
advantageous to do so. In the event the Fund is unable to effect a closing transaction with the holder of a call option written by the Fund, the Fund may not sell the security underlying the option until the call written by the Fund expires or is
exercised.
Closing Transactions: The Funds may dispose of options that they have written by entering into “closing purchase transactions.” Those
Funds may dispose of options that they have purchased by entering into “closing sale transactions.” A closing transaction terminates the rights of a holder, or the
obligation of a writer, of an option and does not result in the ownership of an option.
A Fund realizes a profit from a closing purchase transaction if the
premium paid to close the option is less than the premium received by the Fund from writing the option. The Fund realizes a loss if the premium paid is more than the premium received. The Fund may not enter into a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has written after
it has been notified of the exercise of such option.
A Fund realizes a profit from a closing sale transaction if the premium received to close out the option is more than the premium paid for the option. A Fund realizes a loss if the premium received is less than the premium paid.
Financial Futures and Options on Futures
Selling Futures Contracts: The Funds may sell financial futures contracts (“futures contracts”) as a hedge against adverse movements in
the prices of securities in these Funds. Such contracts may involve futures on items such as U.S. Government Treasury bonds, notes and bills; specified interest rates;
mortgage-backed securities; corporate and municipal bonds; stocks; and indices of any of the foregoing. A futures contract sale creates an obligation for the Fund, as seller, to deliver the specific type of instrument called for in the contract (or cash) at a specified future time for a specified price. In selling a futures contract, the Fund would realize a gain on the contract if, during the contract period, the price of the securities underlying the futures contract decreased. Such a gain would be expected to approximately offset the decrease
in value of the same or similar securities in the Fund. The Fund would realize a loss if the price of the securities underlying the contract increased. Such a loss would be
expected to approximately offset the increase in value of the same or similar securities in the Fund.
Futures contracts have been designed by and are traded on boards of trade that have been designated “contract markets” by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). These boards of trade, through their clearing corporations,
guarantee performance of the contracts. Although the terms of some financial futures contracts specify actual delivery or receipt of securities, in most instances these contracts are closed out before the settlement due date without the making or
taking of delivery of the securities. Other financial futures contracts, such as futures contracts on a securities index, by their terms call for cash settlements. The closing out
of a futures contract is effected by entering into an offsetting purchase or sale transaction.
When a Fund sells a futures contract, or a call option on a futures
contract, it is required to make payments to the commodities broker which are called “margin” by commodities exchanges and brokers.
The payment of “margin” in these transactions is different than purchasing securities “on margin.” In purchasing securities “on margin” an investor pays part of the purchase price in cash and receives an extension of credit from the broker, in the form of a loan secured by the securities, for the unpaid balance. There are two categories of “margin” involved in these transactions: initial margin and variation margin. Initial margin does not represent a loan between a Fund and its broker,
but rather is a “good faith deposit” by a Fund to secure its obligations under a futures contract or an option. Each day
during the term of certain futures transactions, a
Fund will receive or pay “variation margin” equal to the daily change in the value of the position held by the Fund.
Buying Futures Contracts: The Funds may purchase financial futures contracts as a hedge against adverse
movements in the prices of securities they intend to purchase. The Funds may buy futures contracts for a number of reasons, including: (1) to manage its exposure to changes in securities prices and foreign currencies as an efficient means of
adjusting their overall exposure to certain markets in an effort to enhance income; and (2) to protect the value of portfolio securities.
A futures contract purchase creates an obligation by a Fund, as buyer, to take delivery of the specific type of instrument called for in the contract (or cash) at a specified future time for a specified price. In purchasing a futures contract, a Fund would realize a gain if, during the contract period, the price of the investments underlying the futures contract increased.
Such a gain would approximately offset the increase in cost of the same or similar investments that a Fund intends to purchase. A Fund would realize a loss if the price of the investments underlying the contract decreased. Such a loss would
approximately offset the decrease in cost of the same or similar investments that a Fund intends to purchase.
Options on Futures Contracts: The Funds may also sell (“write”) and purchase covered call and put options on futures contracts in connection
with the above strategies. An option on a futures contract gives the buyer of the option, in return for the premium paid for the option, the right to assume a position in the
underlying futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put). The writing of a call option on a futures contract constitutes a
partial hedge against declining prices of securities underlying the futures contract to the extent of the premium received for the option. The purchase of a put option on a futures contract constitutes a hedge against price declines below the
exercise price of the option and net of the premium paid for the option. The purchase of a call option constitutes a hedge, net of the premium, against an increase in cost of securities that a Fund intends to purchase.
Currency Futures Contracts and Options: The Funds may also sell and purchase currency futures contracts (or options thereon) as a hedge against changes in
prevailing levels of currency exchange rates. Such contracts may be traded on U.S. or foreign exchanges. The Fund will not use such contracts or options for leveraging
purposes.
Limitations: The Funds may engage in futures transactions, and transactions involving options on futures, only on regulated commodity
exchanges or boards of trade. In instances involving the purchase of futures contracts or call options thereon, a Fund will maintain liquid securities, cash, or cash equivalents in
an amount equal to the market value of such contracts.
The Funds may enter into swap transactions, including, but not limited to, credit default,
total return and interest rate swap agreements, and may purchase or sell caps, floors and collars. A credit default swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange the credit risk of a particular issuer or reference entity. In a credit default swap transaction, a buyer pays
periodic fees in return for payment by the seller which is contingent upon an adverse credit event occurring in the underlying issuer or reference entity. The seller collects periodic fees from the buyer and profits if the credit of the
underlying issuer or reference entity remains stable or improves while the swap is outstanding, but the seller in a credit default swap contract would be required to pay an agreed upon amount to the buyer in the event of an adverse credit event in
the reference entity. A buyer of a credit default swap is said to buy protection whereas a seller of a credit default swap is said to sell protection. There may be times, however,
when a Fund buys a credit default swap, without owning the underlying reference entity or entities, as a potential means of enhancing the Fund’s investment returns. A total
return swap is an agreement in which one party makes payments based on a set rate, either fixed or variable, while the other party makes payments based on the return of an underlying asset plus any capital gains and losses over the payment period.
The underlying asset is typically an index, loan or a basket of assets. Total return swaps provide the Funds with the additional flexibility of gaining exposure to a market or
securities index by using the most cost-effective vehicle available. An interest rate swap involves the exchange by a Fund with another party of their respective commitments to
pay or receive interest. The purchase of an
interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a contractually-based
principal amount from the party selling the interest rate cap. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a contractually-based principal
amount from the party selling the interest rate floor. An interest rate collar combines the elements of purchasing a cap and selling a floor. The collar protects against an interest rate rise above the maximum amount but foregoes the benefit of an
interest rate decline below the minimum amount.
Such transactions include market risk, risk of default by the other party to the
transaction, risk of imperfect correlation and manager risk and may involve commissions or other costs. Swaps generally do not involve delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of
payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make, or in the case of the other party to a swap defaulting, the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. If there is a default by the counterparty, the Fund
may have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. Caps, floors and collars are more recent innovations for which standardized documentation has not yet been fully developed and, accordingly, they are less
liquid than swaps.
Currency Forward Contracts
The Funds may also sell and purchase currency forward contracts as a hedge against changes in
prevailing levels of currency exchange rates. A currency forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative that represents an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, at a price set at the time of the contract and for a period agreed upon
by the parties which may be either a window of time or a fixed number of days from the date of the contract. A Fund may lose money on currency forward contracts if changes in currency rates do not occur as anticipated or if the Fund’s
counterparty to the contract were to default. A Fund will not use such forward contracts for leveraging purposes.
Central Clearing and Trade Execution Regulations
The Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”) and related regulations enacted by the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) may require a Fund to clear certain derivative contracts (including swaps) through a clearinghouse or central counterparty (a “CCP”). At the present time, only certain interest rate swaps and credit default index swaps are subject to mandatory clearing. To clear a derivative with the CCP, the Funds submit the derivative to, and
post margin with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) that is a clearinghouse member. If a Fund must centrally clear a derivative transaction, the CFTC’s regulations may also require that the Fund enter into (or “execute”) that derivative over a market facility known as a swap execution facility (or “SEF”). The Funds may enter into the swap or other derivative with a financial institution other than the FCM (the “Executing Dealer”) and arrange for the transaction to be transferred to the FCM for clearing. It may also enter into the trade with the FCM itself. The CCP, the FCM, SEF and the Executing Dealer are
all subject to regulatory oversight by the CFTC. A default or failure by a CCP or an FCM, or the failure of a swap to be transferred from a SEF or an Executing Dealer to the FCM
for clearing, may expose the Fund to losses, increase its costs, or prevent the Fund from entering or exiting swap positions, accessing collateral or margin, or fully implementing
its investment strategies. It is likely that in the future the CFTC will require additional types of derivatives to be traded on a SEF. The regulatory requirement to clear certain contracts or execute the contracts over a SEF could, either temporarily or
permanently, reduce the liquidity of the derivatives or increase the costs of entering into those derivatives.
Exclusion from Regulation as a Commodity Pool Operator
Pursuant to a notice of eligibility claiming exclusion from the definition of commodity pool operator filed with the CFTC and
the National Futures Association, neither the Adviser nor any Fund is deemed to be a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA, which, through the CFTC, regulates investments in futures, options on futures and swaps. Accordingly, neither the
Trust nor the Adviser is subject to registration or regulation as such under the CEA. Under CFTC Rule 4.5 as currently
in effect, each Fund will limit its trading
activity in futures, option on futures and swaps (excluding activity for “bona fide hedging purposes,” as defined by the CFTC) such that it meets one of the following
tests:
•
Aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish its futures, options on futures and
swap positions do not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on such positions; or
•
Aggregate net notional value of its futures, options on futures and swap positions does not
exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on such positions.
Risks of Transactions in Options and Futures
There are certain risks involved in the use of futures contracts, options on securities and securities index options, and
options on futures contracts, as hedging devices. There is a risk that the movement in the prices of the index or instrument underlying an option or futures contract may not correlate perfectly with the movement in the prices of the assets being
hedged. The lack of correlation could render a Fund’s hedging strategy unsuccessful and could result in losses. The loss from investing in futures transactions is potentially unlimited.
There is a risk that Thrivent Asset Mgt. could be incorrect in its expectations about the
direction or extent of market factors such as interest rate movements. In such a case, a Fund would have been better off without the hedge. In addition, while the principal purpose of hedging is to limit the effects of adverse market movements, the attendant expense may cause a
Fund’s return to be less than if hedging had not taken place. The overall effectiveness of hedging, therefore, depends on the expense of hedging and Thrivent Asset Mgt.’s accuracy in predicting the future market factors, such as changes in
interest rate levels and securities price movements.
A Fund will generally purchase and sell options traded on a national securities or options
exchange. Where options are not readily available on such exchanges, a Fund may purchase and sell options in negotiated transactions. When a Fund uses negotiated options transactions, it will seek to enter into such transactions involving only those options and futures
contracts for which there appears to be an active secondary market.
There is, nonetheless, no assurance that a liquid secondary market, such as an exchange or
board of trade, will exist for any particular option or futures contract at any particular time. If a futures market were to become unavailable, in the event of an adverse movement, a Fund would be required to continue to make daily cash payments of maintenance margin if it could
not close a futures position. If an options market were to become unavailable and a closing transaction could not be entered into, an option holder would be able to realize profits
or limit losses only by exercising an option, and an option writer would remain obligated until exercise or expiration.
In addition, exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for options and futures contracts, and may halt trading if
a contract’s price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible for a Fund to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the secondary market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and potentially could require a Fund to continue to hold a
position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value, which may result in losses to a Fund.
When conducting negotiated options transactions there is a risk that the opposite party to the transaction may default in its
obligation to either purchase or sell the underlying security at the agreed upon time and price. In the event of such a default, a Fund could lose all or part of the benefit it would otherwise have realized from the transaction, including the
ability to sell securities it holds at a price above the current market price or to purchase a security from another party at a price below the current market price.
Finally, if a broker or clearing member of an options or futures clearing corporation were
to become insolvent, a Fund could experience delays and might not be able to trade or exercise options or futures purchased through that broker or
clearing member. In addition, a Fund could have
some or all of its positions closed out without its consent. If substantial and widespread, these insolvencies could ultimately impair the ability of the clearing corporations
themselves.
It is not possible to predict fully the effects of current or future regulation. It is possible that developments in government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, or limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which the Funds
engage in derivative transactions, may limit or prevent a Fund from using or limit a Fund’s use of these instruments effectively as a part of its investment strategy, and could adversely affect a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment
objective. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to a Fund, may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and cost of doing business.
Leverage risk is created when an investment, (which includes, for example, an investment in a
futures contract, option, or swap) exposes a Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify a Fund’s risk of loss and potential for gain. Investments can have these same results if their returns are based on a multiple of a specified index, security, currency, or other benchmark. Funds that invest in derivatives have various
degrees of leverage risk.
Initial Public Offerings (“IPOs”)
The Funds may invest a portion of their assets in securities of companies offering shares in IPOs. IPOs may have a magnified
performance impact on a Fund with a small asset base. The impact of IPOs on a Fund’s performance likely will decrease as the Fund’s asset size increases, which could
reduce the Fund’s total returns. IPOs may not be consistently available to a Fund for investing, particularly as the Fund’s asset base grows. Because IPO shares
frequently are volatile in price, a Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of a Fund and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. By selling shares, a Fund may realize
taxable gains it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. In addition, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive for extended periods of time. The limited
number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for a Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Holders of IPO shares (including the Funds) can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their
shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.
A Fund’s investment in IPO shares may include the securities of unseasoned companies (companies with less than three
years of continuous operations), which present risks considerably greater than common stocks of more established
companies. These companies may have limited operating histories and their prospects for profitability may be uncertain. These companies may be involved in new and evolving businesses and may be vulnerable to competition and changes in
technology, markets and economic conditions. These companies may also be more dependent on key managers and third
parties and may have limited product lines.
Other Investment Companies
The Funds may invest in government money market funds and other exchange-traded funds, which
represent interests in professionally managed portfolios that may, in the case of exchange-traded funds, invest in any type of instrument. Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying
instruments but may involve additional expenses at the investment company-level, such as portfolio management fees and operating expenses which would result in the Fund paying its proportionate share. Certain other investment companies may
utilize financial leverage. The Funds will not invest in other investment companies for the purpose of gaining control of the investment company. The extent to which a Fund can
invest in other investment companies is limited by federal securities laws.
Exchange Traded Funds
ETFs, such as the Funds, are investment companies that typically are registered under the
1940 Act as open-end funds (as is each Fund’s case) or unit investment trusts (UITs). ETFs are actively traded on national securities exchanges and may be based on specific domestic and foreign market indices. Shares of an ETF may be bought and sold throughout the day at
market prices, which may be higher or lower than the shares’ net asset value. Market prices of ETF shares will fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and materially, in response to
various factors including changes in the ETF’s net asset value, the value of ETF holdings, and supply of and demand for ETF shares. Although the creation/redemption feature
of ETFs generally makes it more likely that ETF shares will trade close to their net asset value, market volatility, lack of an active trading market for ETF shares, disruptions at market participants (such as Authorized Participants or market makers) and any
disruptions in the ordinary functioning of the creation/redemption process may result in ETF shares trading significantly above (at a “premium”) or below (at a
“discount”) their net asset value. An ETF’s investment results are based on the ETF’s daily net asset value. Investors transacting in ETF shares in the
secondary market, where market prices may differ from net asset value, may experience investment results that differ from results based on the ETF’s daily net asset value. An “index-based ETF” seeks to track the performance of an index by holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a representative sample of the securities in the index. Because ETFs are based on an underlying basket of
stocks or an index, they are subject to the same market fluctuations as these types of securities in volatile market swings. ETFs, like mutual funds, have expenses associated with their operation, including advisory fees. When a Fund invests in an
ETF, in addition to directly bearing expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses. As with any exchange listed security,
ETF shares purchased in the secondary market are subject to customary brokerage charges.
Certain Funds may invest in exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”). ETNs are generally
notes representing debt of the issuer, usually a financial institution. ETNs combine both aspects of bonds and ETFs. An ETN’s returns are based on the performance of one or more underlying assets, reference rates or indexes, minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are
listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN’s maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return
linked to the performance of the specific asset, index or rate (“reference instrument”) to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees and expenses. Unlike regular
bonds, ETNs do not make periodic interest payments, and principal is not protected.
The value of an ETN may be influenced by, among other things, time to
maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, the performance of the reference instrument, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the reference instrument. An ETN that is tied to a reference instrument may not replicate the performance of the reference
instrument. ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable reference instrument. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Levered ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. While leverage allows for greater potential
return, the potential for loss is also greater. Additional losses may be incurred if the investment loses value because, in addition to the money lost on the investment, the loan still needs to be repaid.
Because the return on the ETN is dependent on the issuer’s ability or willingness to
meet its obligations, the value of the ETN may change due to a change in the issuer’s credit rating, despite no change in the underlying reference instrument. The market value of ETN shares may differ from the value of the reference instrument. This difference in price may be due to
the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the assets underlying the
reference instrument that the ETN seeks to track.
There may be restrictions on a Fund’s right to redeem its investment in an ETN, which are generally meant to be held until maturity. A Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. An investor in an ETN could lose some or all of the amount invested.
Defensive Investing
In response to market, economic, political or other conditions, a Fund may invest without
limitation in cash, preferred stock, or investment grade debt securities that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies. If a Fund does this, different factors could affect the Fund’s performance and it may not achieve its investment objective.
U.S. and global markets have experienced significant volatility in recent years. The Funds are subject to investment and
operational risks associated with financial, economic, regulatory and other global market developments and disruptions, including those arising from war, terrorism, social unrest, market manipulation, government interventions, defaults and
shutdowns, political changes or diplomatic developments, public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious diseases, pandemics and epidemics) and natural/environmental disasters, which can all negatively impact the securities
markets and cause the Funds to lose value. These events can also impair the technology and other operational systems upon which the Funds’ service providers, including the Adviser, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the Funds’ service providers’ ability to fulfill their obligations to the Funds.
The foregoing could lead to a significant economic downturn or recession, increased market volatility, a greater number of
market closures, higher default rates and adverse effects on the values and liquidity of securities or other assets. Such impacts, which may vary across asset classes, may adversely affect the performance of the Funds. In certain cases, an
exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities or even the entire market, which may result in the Funds being, among other things, unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments or to accurately price
its investments. These and other developments may adversely affect the liquidity of the Funds’ holdings.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
On each Business Day, prior to the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, each Fund
publicly discloses its entire portfolio holdings via its website (thriventETFs.com/individual) and the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and, typically, the composition of an in-kind creation basket and the in-kind redemption basket via the NSCC that it will
accept in respect of a creation or redemption of a Creation Unit. The holdings of each Fund will also be disclosed in quarterly filings with the Commission on Form N-PORT as of the end of the first and third quarters of the Funds’ fiscal year and on Form N-CSR as of the second and fourth quarters of the Funds’ fiscal year.
Portfolio holdings of a Fund may generally be made available more frequently and
prior to their public availability (i) to Authorized Participants, market makers and liquidity providers (e.g., in the course of negotiating a custom basket), (ii) to service providers of the Funds or the Adviser, including outside legal counsel, an accounting or auditing firm, an
administrator, custodian, principal underwriter, pricing service, proxy voting service, financial printer, third party that delivers analytical, statistical or consulting services, ratings or rankings agency or other third party that may require such
information to provide services for the benefit of the Fund; (iii) to current or prospective Fund shareholders (including shareholders of record of indirect investments in a Fund through another Fund) and their consultants or agents; (iv) as
required by law; and (v) for any other legitimate business purpose.
The Funds maintain policies and procedures relating to disclosure of portfolio securities.
These policies and procedures are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information where necessary to the operation of the Funds or useful to the Funds’ shareholders without compromising the integrity or performance of the Funds. Except when there are
legitimate business purposes for selective disclosure and other conditions (designed to protect the Funds and their shareholders) are met, the Funds do not provide or permit others to provide information about a Fund's portfolio holdings on
a selective basis. Under no circumstances may the Funds, Adviser or their affiliates receive any consideration or compensation for disclosing portfolio holdings information.
Before any non-public disclosure of information
about a Fund's portfolio holdings is permitted, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer or Chief Legal Officer must determine that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for
providing the portfolio holdings information, that the release of this information, including the frequency and time lag, will not disadvantage the Fund, that the disclosure is in the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders, and that the recipient
agrees or has a duty (i) to keep the information confidential and (ii) not to trade directly or indirectly based on the information.
In accordance with these policies and procedures, the Fund has ongoing arrangements with the following service providers to provide the Fund’s portfolio holdings information:
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Donnelley
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FactSet
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Personal Trading System Vendor |
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Proxy Voting & Class Action Services Vendor |
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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
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Corporate Action Solutions |
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Marketing Collateral System |
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As part of the annual review of the compliance policies and procedures of the Funds, the
Chief Compliance Officer will discuss the operation and effectiveness of this policy and any changes to the policy that have been made or recommended with the Board.
Investment Limitations
The fundamental investment restrictions for the Funds are set forth below. These fundamental
investment restrictions may not be changed by a Fund except by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act. (Under the 1940 Act, a “vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the vote, at a meeting of security holders duly called, (i) of 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting if the holders
of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy or (ii) of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities, whichever is less.) Under these restrictions, each Fund:
1.
May not borrow money, except that the Fund may borrow money (through the issuance of debt
securities or otherwise) in an amount not exceeding one-third of the Fund’s total assets immediately after the time of such borrowing.
2.
May not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act or any exemptive order
or rule issued by the SEC.
3.
Will not (except as noted below), with respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase securities
of an issuer (other than the U.S. government, its agencies, instrumentalities or authorities or repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. government securities, and other investment companies) if (a) such purchase would, at the time, cause
more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets taken at market value to be invested in the securities of such issuer; or (b) such purchase would, at the time, result in more than
10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer being held by the Fund. This restriction does not apply to Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF, which is “non-diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act.
4.
May not buy or sell real estate, except that the Fund may (i) acquire or lease office space for
its own use, (ii) invest in securities of issuers that invest in real estate or interests therein, (iii) invest in mortgage-related securities and other securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, and (iv) hold and sell real estate acquired by
the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.
5.
May not purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may purchase
and sell derivatives (including but not limited to options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts) whose value is tied to the value of a financial index or a financial instrument or other asset (including, but not limited to, securities
indexes, interest rates, securities, currencies and physical commodities).
6.
May not make loans,
except that the Fund may (i) lend portfolio securities, (ii) enter into repurchase agreements, (iii) purchase all or a portion of an issue of debt securities, bank loan
participation interests, bank certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, debentures or other securities, whether or not the purchase is made upon the original issuance of the securities, and (iv) participate in an interfund lending program with other registered investment
companies.
7.
Will not underwrite the securities of other issuers, except where the Fund may be deemed to be
an underwriter for purposes of certain federal securities laws in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities; with investments in other investment companies; and with loans that the Fund may make pursuant to its fundamental investment
restriction on lending.
8.
Will not purchase a security if, after giving effect to the purchase, 25% or more of its total
assets would be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, except that this restriction does not apply to U.S. Government securities (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act).
The following non-fundamental investment restrictions may be changed without shareholder approval. Under these
restrictions:
1.
The Funds currently do not intend to purchase securities on margin, except that a Fund may
obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on
margin.
2.
The fundamental
investment restriction with respect to diversification (number 3 above) will be applied so securities issued by U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities, or authorities will be
eligible for the exception only if those securities qualify as a “Government security” under the 1940 Act.
3.
The exception for exemptive orders in the fundamental investment restriction with respect to
senior securities (number 2 above) will be applied only for exemptive orders issued to a Fund.
With respect
to the fundamental investment restriction above about industry concentration, the Adviser defines industries according to any one or more widely recognized third-party providers
and/or as defined by the Adviser. Third-party industry lists may include the Bloomberg Classification System and the Standard and Poor’s Global Industry Classification
Standard (GICS) (industry level). The Adviser will also have broad authority to make exceptions from third-party industry lists and determine for each Fund how to classify issuers within or among industries based on such issuer’s
characteristics and subject to applicable law.
Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act defines a “senior security” as any bond,
debenture, note, or similar obligation constituting a security and evidencing indebtedness. Section 18(f)(1) of the 1940 Act prohibits an open-end investment company from issuing senior securities but permits borrowings from a bank if immediately after the borrowing there is asset coverage of
at least 300% and provided further that, in the event that such asset coverage falls below 300%, the investment company will, within 3 days (not including Sundays and holidays), reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset
coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%.
Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum
percentage of a Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, that percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the Fund’s acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the Fund’s
investment policies and limitations. For purposes of the Funds’ policies discussed above, any actions taken or omitted or investments made in reliance on, or in accordance with, exemptive relief, no action relief, interpretive guidance or other
regulatory or governmental action or guidance, shall be considered to have been taken, made, or omitted in accordance with applicable law.
Management of the Funds
Board of Trustees and Officers
The Board is responsible for the oversight of the Funds’ business affairs and for
exercising all powers except those reserved to the shareholders. Each Trustee also serves as:
•
Trustee of Thrivent Mutual Funds, a registered investment company consisting of 22
funds.
•
Director of Thrivent Series Fund, Inc., a registered investment company consisting of 30 funds
that serve as underlying funds for variable contracts issued by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (“Thrivent”) and separate accounts of insurance companies not affiliated with Thrivent.
•
Trustee of
Thrivent Cash Management Trust, a registered investment company consisting of one fund that serves as a cash collateral fund for a securities lending program sponsored by
Thrivent.
•
Trustee of Thrivent Core Funds, a registered investment company consisting of five funds that
are established solely for investment by Thrivent entities.
The Trust, Thrivent Mutual Funds,
Thrivent Series Fund, Inc., Thrivent Cash Management Trust, and Thrivent Core Funds are collectively referred to as the “Fund Complex.”
The following table provides biographical information about the Trustees and officers of the Funds.
| |
Position with Trust and Length |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
|
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years |
Other Directorships Held Currently and within Past Five Years |
Michael W. Kremenak (1978) |
President since 2023; Trustee since 2022 |
|
Senior Vice President, President – Thrivent Funds and Investment Products, Thrivent since 2025; Senior Vice President and Head of Mutual Funds, Thrivent from 2020 to 2025 |
Trustee of Thrivent Church Loan and
Income Fund from 2020 to 2023 |
| |
Trustee and Chief Investment Officer since 2022 |
|
Chief Financial Officer, Thrivent since 2022; Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, Thrivent since 2017; President, Mutual Funds from 2015 to 2023 |
Currently, Board
Member of Thrivent Bank and Advisory
Board Member of Twin Bridge Capital Partners; Trustee of Thrivent Church
Loan and Income Fund from 2018 to
2023; Director of Thrivent Trust
Company from 2020 to 2022 |
Independent Trustees (4)
| |
Position with Trust and Length |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
|
Principal Occupation During the Past 5 Years |
Other Directorships Held Currently and within Past Five Years |
| |
|
|
|
Independent Director and member of the
Audit Committee and Governance and
Nominating Committee at MN8
Energy LLC and MN8 Energy
Holdings, LLC since 2023 |
| |
|
|
Founder of Chersi Services LLC (consulting firm) since 2014 |
Lead Independent
Director since 2019 and Director and
Audit Committee Chair at Acadian
Asset Management Inc.
since 2016 |
| |
|
|
Deputy to the Chairman for External Affairs, FDIC in 2021; Chief Operating Officer and Deputy to the Chairman, FDIC from 2018 to 2021 |
Board of Directors, Combined Federal
Campaign of the National Capital Area since 2021; Board of Directors, University of Texas Alumni
Association since 2021; Board of
Directors, University of Texas Law School Foundation since
2021 |
| |
|
|
Portfolio Manager for U.S. private real estate and equity and global public equity portfolios, hedge funds and currency of IBM Retirement Funds from 1997 to 2022 |
|
Name, Address and Year of Birth
(2) |
Position with Trust and Length of Service
(3) |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Principal Occupation During the Past 5 Years |
Other Directorships Held Currently and within Past Five Years |
| |
|
|
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, The Kresge Foundation from 2007 to 2022 |
Board Member of
Bedrock Manufacturing
Company since 2014; Board Member
of Sustainable Insight Capital
Management LLC from 2013 to 2022 |
| |
|
|
President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Credit Unions (formerly Credit Union National Association) from 2014 to November 2025; Director of Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRAA) since 2010; CEO of The Nussle Group LLC (consulting firm) since 2009 |
|
| |
|
|
Co-Founder and CEO of Ed Advancement since 2017 |
Board Member of
Follett Higher Education since
2022; Board Member of ECMC Group
since 2021; Director and Audit Committee Chair of Class
Acceleration Corporation from
2021 to 2022 |
Constance L. Souders (1950) |
|
|
|
|
| |
Position with the Trust and Length |
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years |
Michael W. Kremenak (1978) |
President since 2023; Trustee since 2022 |
SVP, President – Thrivent Funds and Investment Products, Thrivent since 2025; Senior Vice President and Head of Mutual Funds, Thrivent from 2020 to 2025 |
Name, Address and Year of Birth
(2) |
Position with the Trust and Length of Service
(3) |
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years |
| |
Trustee and Chief Investment Officer since 2022 |
Chief Financial Officer, Thrivent since 2022; Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, Thrivent since 2017; President, Mutual Funds from 2015 to 2023 |
Sarah L. Bergstrom
(1977) |
Treasurer and Principal Accounting Officer since 2022 |
Vice President, Thrivent Funds Treasurer and Chief Operations Officer, Thrivent since 2025; Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer/ Treasurer - Mutual Funds, Thrivent from 2022 to 2025; Head of Mutual Fund Accounting, Thrivent from 2017 to 2022 |
| |
Chief Compliance Officer since 2022 |
Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer – Thrivent Funds, Thrivent since 2018 |
| |
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer since 2022 |
Senior Counsel, Thrivent since 2017 |
| |
Privacy Officer since 2022 |
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Thrivent since 2018; Privacy Officer, Thrivent since 2011 |
| |
Anti-Money Laundering Officer since 2022 |
Director, Compliance and Anti-Money Laundering Officer of the Financial Crimes Unit, Thrivent since 2019 |
| |
Vice President since 2022 |
Vice President, Mutual Funds Marketing & Distribution, Thrivent since 2015 |
| |
Vice President since 2022 |
Vice President, Operations, New Business, Underwriting, and Mutual Funds, Thrivent since 2025; Vice President, Operations Development and Relations, Thrivent from 2023 to 2025; Director of Strategic Partnerships, Thrivent from 2021 to 2023; Director, Client Relations, SS&C/DST Systems, Inc. from 2016 to 2021 |
| |
Assistant Secretary since 2022 |
Senior Counsel, Thrivent since 2017 |
| |
Assistant Treasurer since 2022 |
Director, Fund Accounting and Valuation, Thrivent since 2022; Manager, Mutual Fund Accounting Operations, Thrivent from 2011 to 2022 |
Taishiro A. Tezuka
(1985) |
Assistant Treasurer since 2023 |
Director, Fund Administration, Thrivent since 2023; Director, Asset Wealth Management, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP from 2020 to 2022 |
(1)“Interested person” of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act by virtue of a position with Thrivent. Mr. Kremenak and Mr. Royal are considered interested persons because of their principal occupations with Thrivent.
(2)Unless otherwise noted, the address for each Trustee and Officer is 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500, Minneapolis, MN
55402-3211.
(3)Each Trustee generally serves an indefinite term until her or his successor is duly elected and qualified. Officers
generally serve at the discretion of the Board until their successors are duly appointed and qualified.
(4)The Trustees, other than Mr. Kremenak and Mr. Royal, are not “interested persons” of the Trust and are referred to as “Independent Trustees.”
(5)The address for this officer is 4321 North Ballard Road, Appleton, WI 54913.
(6)The address for this officer is 600 Portland Avenue S., Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN
55415-4402.
Additional Information on Trustees
The Board has concluded, based on each Trustee’s experience, qualifications,
attributes or skills, on an individual basis and in combination with those of other Trustees, that each Trustee is qualified to serve on the Board. The qualifications that may be considered include, but are not limited to experience on other boards, occupation, business experience,
education, knowledge regarding investment matters, diversity of experience, personal integrity and reputation and
willingness to devote time to attend and prepare for Board and committee meetings. No one factor is controlling, either with respect to the group or any individual. Among the attributes or skills common to all Trustees are their ability to review
critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with each of the other Trustees, the Adviser, counsel, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, and to exercise effective and independent business judgment in the performance of their duties as Trustees. Each Trustee’s
ability to perform his or her duties effectively has been attained through the Trustee’s business, consulting, public service or academic positions and through experience from service as a board member of the Trust and other funds in the Fund
Complex, another fund complex, public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations as set forth below. The following is a summary of each Trustee’s particular professional and other experience that qualifies each person to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.
Michael W. Kremenak has served as a Trustee on the Board of the Fund Complex since 2021. He is currently
the President of the Fund Complex and previously served as Senior Vice President from 2020 to 2023 and as Secretary and Chief Legal Officer from 2015 to 2020. He served as a Trustee and Senior Vice President of Thrivent Church Loan and Income
Fund from 2020 to 2023. Mr. Kremenak joined Thrivent in 2013 and is currently Senior Vice President, President of Thrivent Funds and Investment Products. Before joining Thrivent,
Mr. Kremenak worked in the legal department of a large asset management firm. Mr. Kremenak serves on the board of a non-profit organization and the investment committees of two non-profit organizations.
David S. Royal has served as a Trustee on the Board of the Fund Complex since 2015. He is currently the Chief Investment Officer of the
Fund Complex, and he previously served as President from 2015 to 2023 and as Secretary and Chief Legal Officer until 2015. He has served as Chief Financial Officer of Thrivent
since 2022 and as Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer of Thrivent since 2017. Prior to his current position at Thrivent, Mr. Royal was Deputy General Counsel of Thrivent. He served as Trustee and President of Thrivent Church Loan and Income Fund from 2018 to 2023.
Before joining Thrivent, Mr. Royal was a partner at an international law firm based in Chicago. Mr. Royal also has experience serving on the boards of directors of non-profit
organizations.
Janice B. Case has served as a Trustee on the Board of the Fund Complex since 2011 and as Chair of the
Governance and Nominating Committee since 2012. She has over 40 years of experience in the electric utilities industry, including ten years as an executive officer of a Florida-based electric utility and holding company. She is currently an Independent
Director and serves on the Audit Committee and the Governance and Nominating Committee for MN8 Energy LLC and
MN8 Energy Holdings, LLC. Since leaving full-time corporate employment, Ms. Case gained mutual fund industry
experience as a former director on the board of another fund complex. Ms. Case has also served as a director on several public corporate and non-profit boards.
Robert J. Chersi has served as a Trustee on the Board of the Fund Complex and as Chair of the Audit Committee since 2017. He also has been
determined by the Board to be an Audit Committee financial expert. Mr. Chersi has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and is the founder of Chersi
Services LLC, a financial consulting firm. He is currently the Lead Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair at Acadian Asset Management Inc. (formerly
BrightSphere Investment Group plc). Mr. Chersi is
also the Executive Director of the Center for Global Governance, Reporting and Regulation of the Lubin School of Business at Pace University. He served as a Director of E*TRADE
Bank and E*TRADE Financial Corporation from 2019 to 2020.
Arleas Upton Kea has served as a Trustee on the Board of the Fund Complex since 2022 and as Chair of the Ethics and Compliance Committee
since 2024. She retired after more than 35 years of government experience at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) where she served in various roles, including as the
Deputy to the Chairman for External Affairs; Chief Operating Officer and Deputy to the Chairman; Director, Administration; Ombudsman; and in the Legal Division, including as Acting Deputy General Counsel. As a member of FDIC’s leadership team, she served on the
operating committee and the compensation committee and led initiatives in strategic planning, risk management, crisis management, business continuity planning, public policy, external affairs, human resources, and diversity, equity and
inclusion. She has gained experience as a director on the board of several non-profit organizations.
Paul R. Laubscher has served as a Trustee on the Board of the Fund Complex since 2009 and as Chair of the
Board since 2019. He also previously served as Chair of the Investment Committee from 2010 through 2018 and during a period in 2022. He is a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and has over 25 years of experience as a portfolio
manager. Mr. Laubscher was formerly a senior investment manager of the retirement fund of a large public technology company.
Robert J. Manilla has served as a Trustee on the Board of the Fund
Complex since 2022 and as Chair of the Investment Committee since 2023. He has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, including from 2007 to 2022 as Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of the Kresge Foundation, a private, national foundation that works to expand
opportunities in America's cities through grantmaking and social investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services and community development in Detroit.
Mr. Manilla spent 20 years in the auto industry where he held management roles in product development, sales and marketing, manufacturing, international operations, capital markets and asset management. He has experience as a member on the board of several private, public, and
non-profit organizations.
James A. Nussle has served as a Trustee on the Board of the Fund Complex since 2011 and as Chair of the
Ethics and Compliance Committee from 2022 to 2024. He has more than 20 years of public service experience, including serving as a Representative from Iowa in the House of Representatives from 1991 through 2007 and as Director of the U.S. Office of
Management and Budget. Mr. Nussle served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Credit Unions (formerly the Credit Union National Association), a national trade association for credit unions, from 2014 through 2025.
Mr. Nussle has gained experience as a director on the advisory board of a private equity firm and on the board of several non-profit organizations.
James W. Runcie has served as a Trustee on the Board of the Fund Complex since 2022, as Chair-elect of the Contracts Committee in 2025, and
as Chair of the Contracts Committee since 2026. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Ed Advancement, a not-for-profit organization that provides institutional capacity building
support to mission-focused colleges and universities. Mr. Runcie previously served at the US Department of Education as Chief Operating Officer of Federal Student Aid. Prior to his government service, Mr. Runcie was an investment banking executive at several firms including UBS
Investment Bank, Bank of America, and Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette. Mr. Runcie currently serves on the boards of several for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.
Constance L. Souders has served as a Trustee on the Board of the Fund Complex since 2007 and as Chair of
the Contracts Committee from 2010 through 2025. She also served as the Audit Committee financial expert from 2010
through 2016. Ms. Souders has over 20 years of experience in the mutual fund industry, including eight years as the former Treasurer of a mutual fund complex and registered investment adviser and the Financial and Operations General
Securities Principal of a mutual fund broker-dealer.
Leadership Structure and Oversight
Responsibilities
Overall responsibility for oversight of the Trust and its
Funds rests with the Board. The Board has engaged Thrivent Asset Mgt. to manage the Funds on a day-to-day basis. The Board is responsible for overseeing Thrivent Asset Mgt. and
other service providers in the operation of the Trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, applicable provisions of Massachusetts law, other applicable laws and the Trust’s charter documents. The Board is currently composed of ten
members, including eight Independent Trustees and two Interested Trustees. An “Independent Trustee” is not an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust, while an “Interested Trustee” is. The Board conducts regular meetings four times a year. In addition, the Board holds special in-person or virtual meetings or informal meetings to
discuss specific matters that may arise or require action between regular meetings. The Independent Trustees have
engaged independent legal counsel and an industry consultant to assist them in performance of their oversight
responsibilities.
The Board has appointed an Independent Trustee to serve in the role of Chair. The
Chair’s role is to preside at all meetings of the Board and to act as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Trustees generally between meetings. The Chair may also perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Board from time to time. Except
for duties specified herein or pursuant to the Trust’s charter documents, the designation of Chair does not impose on such Independent Trustee any duties, obligations or
liability that are greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Board generally. The Board has established five standing committees
(described in more detail below) to assist the Board in the oversight and direction of the business and affairs of the Trust, and from time to time may establish informal working groups or ad hoc committees to review and address the policies and
practices of the Trust with respect to certain specified matters. The Board believes that the Board’s current leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to exercise informed and independent judgment over matters under its
purview, and it allocates areas of responsibility among committees of the Trustees and the full Board in a manner that enhances effective oversight. The leadership structure of the
Board may be changed at any time and in the discretion of the Board, including in response to changes in circumstances or the characteristics of the Trust.
The Trust and the Funds are subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, operational, and valuation
risks, among others. Day-to-day risk management functions are subsumed within the responsibilities of Thrivent Asset Mgt. and other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk), which carry out the Funds’ investment
management and business affairs. Each of Thrivent Asset Mgt. and other service providers have their own, independent interest in risk management, and their policies and methods of carrying out risk management functions will depend, in part,
on their individual priorities, resources and controls.
Risk oversight forms part of the Board’s general oversight of the Trust and the Funds and is addressed as part of various Board and committee activities. The Board recognizes that it is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect a
Fund or to develop processes and controls to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. As part of its regular oversight of the Trust, the Board, directly or through a committee, interacts with and reviews reports from, among others,
Thrivent Asset Mgt. (including in its role as Liquidity Risk Management Program Administrator and Valuation Designee), the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust, the Derivatives Risk Manager of the Trust, the independent registered public
accounting firm for the Trust, and internal auditors for Thrivent Asset Mgt., as appropriate, regarding risks faced by the Trust and its Funds, and Thrivent Asset Mgt.’s risk management functions.
With respect to liquidity risk, the Board or one of its committees reviews, no less
frequently than annually, a written report prepared by the Liquidity Program Administrator that addresses the operation of the Liquidity Program and assesses its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation. With respect to valuation risk, the Board oversees the Adviser in its role as
Valuation Designee and reviews periodic reporting addressing valuation matters with respect to the Funds, including the Valuation Designee's annual assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the Valuation Designee's process for determining
the fair value of the designated portfolio of securities. With respect to derivatives risk, the Board or one of its committees reviews reports received from the Derivatives Risk
Manager on an annual and interim (if necessary) basis that address the operation and effectiveness of the Derivatives Risk Management Program.
The Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer
who oversees the implementation and testing of the Funds’ compliance program and reports to the Board and the Ethics and Compliance Committee regarding compliance matters
for the Funds and their principal service providers. In addition, as part of the Board’s annual review of the Trust’s advisory and other service provider agreements, the Board considers risk management aspects of these entities’ operations and
the functions for which they are responsible. The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts its risk oversight role.
Committees of the Board of Trustees
The Board conducts oversight of the Trust with the assistance of five committees, which
are Audit, Ethics and Compliance, Investment, Contracts, and Governance and Nominating. Each committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees. The responsibilities of each committee are described below.
Audit Committee. The Audit Committee oversees management of financial risks and controls and is responsible for recommending the engagement
or retention of the Trust’s independent auditors. The Audit Committee serves as the channel of communication between the independent auditors of the Trust and the Board with
respect to financial statements and financial reporting processes, systems of internal control, and the audit process, including permitted non-audit services. A representative of business risk management, which functions as the Adviser’s internal audit group, meets
with the Audit Committee and provides reports to the Audit Committee on an as-needed basis (but at least annually). The Audit Committee met four times during the past fiscal year.
Ethics and Compliance Committee. The Ethics and Compliance Committee monitors ethical and compliance risks and oversees the legal and regulatory compliance
matters of the Funds. The Ethics and Compliance Committee meets with and receives reports from the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Legal Officer, Privacy Officer,
Anti-Money Laundering Officer and other Adviser personnel on matters relating to the compliance program and other regulatory and ethics matters. The Ethics and Compliance Committee met four times during the past fiscal year.
Investment Committee. The Investment Committee is designed to review investment strategies and risks in conjunction with its review of the
Funds’ performance. The Investment Committee assists the Board in its oversight of the investment performance of the Funds; the Funds’ consistency with their investment
objectives and styles; management’s selection of benchmarks, peer groups and other performance measures for the Funds; and the range of investment options offered to investors in the Funds. The Investment Committee met four times in the past fiscal year.
Contracts Committee. The Contracts Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its duties with respect to the review and approval of contracts
between the Trust and other entities, including entering into new contracts and the renewal of existing contracts. The Contracts Committee considers investment advisory,
distribution, transfer agency, administrative service and custodial contracts, and such other contracts as the Board deems necessary or appropriate for the continuation of operations of each Fund. The Contracts Committee met five times in the past fiscal year.
Governance and Nominating Committee. The Governance and Nominating Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its duties with respect to the governance of the
Trust, including the review and evaluation of the composition and operation of the Board and its committees, the annual self-assessment of the Board and its committees and periodic
review and recommendations regarding compensation of the Independent Trustees. The Governance and Nominating Committee makes recommendations regarding nominations for Trustees and will consider nominees suggested by shareholders sent to the
attention of the President of the Trust. The Governance and Nominating Committee met four times during the past fiscal year.
Beneficial Interest in the Fund by Trustees
The following tables provide information, as of December 31, 2025, regarding the dollar range of beneficial ownership by
each Trustee in the Funds. The dollar range shown in the third column reflects the aggregate amount of each Trustee’s beneficial ownership in all registered investment companies within the investment company complex that are overseen by
the Trustee. For Independent Trustees only, the
second and third columns include each Trustee’s deferred compensation, which is effectively invested in the Thrivent Mutual Funds. Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF and Thrivent
Securitized Income ETF had not commenced operations as of December 31, 2025. For more information on the deferred compensation plan, see “Compensation of Trustees and Officers” below.
| |
Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership in the Funds |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership in
All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by the
Trustee in the Family of Investment Companies |
| |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
|
| |
Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership in the Funds |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership in
All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by the
Trustee in the Family of Investment Companies |
| |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
|
| |
Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF |
|
|
| |
Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership in the Funds |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership in
All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by the
Trustee in the Family of Investment Companies |
| |
Thrivent Securitized Income ETF |
|
|
Compensation of Trustees and Officers
The Trust makes no payments to any of its officers for services performed for the Trust. The Independent Trustees are paid
an annual base compensation of $265,000 to serve on the Boards of the Fund Complex. Each Trustee also receives $10,000 for each quarterly Board meeting and any in-person special
meeting attended. The Board Chair is compensated an additional $120,000 per year; the Chair of the Audit Committee, who also serves as the Audit Committee Financial Expert, is compensated an additional $50,000 per year; the Chair of the Contracts Committee, the Chair of the Investment
Committee, the Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee and the Chair of the Ethics and Compliance
Committee are each compensated an additional $30,000 per year. Independent Trustees are reimbursed by the Trust for any expenses they may incur by reason of attending Board meetings or in connection with other services they may perform in
connection with their duties as Trustees of the Trust. The Trustees receive no pension or retirement benefits in connection with their service to the Trust.
The following table provides the amounts of compensation paid to the Trustees either directly or in the form of payments
made into a deferred compensation plan for one year ended September 30, 2025:
| |
Aggregate Compensation from Trust for One
Year Ending September 30, 2025 |
Total Compensation Paid by Trust and Fund
Complex for One Year Ending September 30, 2025(1)
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
(1)The Trust has adopted a deferred compensation plan for the benefit of the Independent Trustees of the Trust who wish to
defer receipt of a percentage of eligible compensation which they otherwise are entitled to receive from the Fund Complex. Compensation deferred is effectively invested in the
Thrivent Mutual Funds, the allocation of which is determined by the individual Trustee. The Trustees participating in the deferred compensation plan do not actually own shares of the Thrivent Mutual Funds through the plan, since deferred compensation is a general liability of the Thrivent
Mutual Funds. However, a Trustee’s return on compensation deferred is economically equivalent to an investment in the applicable Thrivent Mutual Funds. For compensation paid during the one year ended September 30, 2025, the total amount of
deferred compensation payable was $100,000 to Ms. Kea, $20,312 to Mr. Manilla, and $251,835 to Mr. Runcie.
(2)Mr. Runcie’s total compensation from the Trust and Fund Complex includes an additional $10,000 for serving as
Chair-elect of the Contracts Committee in 2025.
Significant Shareholders
Control Persons and Principal Holders
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or is known by the Trust to own
beneficially 5% or more of any class of a Fund’s outstanding shares. A control person is any person who beneficially owns, either directly or through controlled companies, 25% or more of a Fund’s outstanding shares. A shareholder who beneficially owns more than 25% of
a Fund’s shares is presumed to “control” the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, and may have a significant impact on matters submitted to a
shareholder vote. A shareholder who beneficially owns more than 50% of a Fund’s outstanding shares may be able to approve proposals, or prevent approval of proposals, without
regard to votes by other Fund shareholders. As of [ ], 2026, no shares of the Funds were owned because the Funds had not yet commenced operations. An Authorized Participant may hold of record more than 25% of the outstanding shares of a Fund. From time
to time, Authorized Participants may be a beneficial and/or legal owner of a Fund, may be deemed to have control of a Fund and/or may be able to affect the outcome of matters presented for a vote of the shareholders of a
Fund.
As of the date of this SAI, the officers and Trustees as a group beneficially owned less than 1% of each class of shares of
a Fund.
Material Transactions with Independent Trustees
No Independent Trustee of the Trust or any immediate family member of an Independent Trustee has had, during the two most
recently completed calendar years, a direct or indirect interest in the Adviser or the principal underwriter for the Funds, or in any person directly or indirectly controlling,
controlled by or under common control with the Adviser or the principal underwriter for the Funds, exceeding $120,000. In addition, no Independent Trustee of the Trust or any of
their immediate family members has had, during the two most recently completed calendar years, a direct or indirect material interest in any transaction or series of similar transactions in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and to which one
of the parties was the Trust; an officer of the Trust; an investment company or an officer of any investment company having the same Adviser or principal underwriter as the Funds
or having an Adviser or principal underwriter that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by or under common control with the Adviser or principal underwriter of the Funds;
the Funds’ Adviser or principal underwriter; an officer of the Funds’ Adviser or principal underwriter; or a person or an officer of a person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser or the principal
underwriter of the Funds (an “Associated Person”). No Independent Trustee of the Trust or a member of the immediate family of an Independent Trustee has had, in the two most recently completed calendar years, a direct or indirect
relationship with any Associated Person involving an amount in excess of $120,000 and which involved: payments for property or services to or from any Associated Person; provision of legal services to any Associated Person; provision of
investment banking services to any Associated Person, other than as a participating underwriter in a syndicate; or, any consulting or other relationship that is substantially similar in nature and scope to these types of relationships.
Investment Adviser and Portfolio
Managers
The Funds’ investment adviser, Thrivent Asset Mgt., was organized as a Delaware
limited liability company on September 23, 2005. It is a subsidiary of Thrivent Financial Holdings, Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent. Thrivent Financial Holdings, Inc. owns 100% of Thrivent Asset Mgt.’s membership interests. The officers and directors of
Thrivent Asset Mgt. who are affiliated with the Trust are set forth below under “Affiliated Persons.” Thrivent Asset Mgt. is located at 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211.
Investment decisions for the Fund are made by Thrivent Asset Mgt., subject to the
overall direction of the Board. Thrivent Asset Mgt. also provides investment research and supervision of the Fund’s investments and conducts a continuous program of investment evaluation and appropriate disposition and reinvestment of these assets.
Thrivent Asset Mgt. Portfolio Managers
In addition to the Funds, the portfolio managers may manage other accounts. The
following table provides information about other accounts managed by the portfolio managers as of January 31, 2026, unless otherwise noted.
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Other Registered Investment Companies: |
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Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: |
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Other Registered Investment Companies: |
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Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: |
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Other Registered Investment Companies: |
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Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: |
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Other Registered Investment Companies: |
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(1)The Other Registered Investment Companies represent series of Thrivent Mutual Funds, Thrivent Series Fund,
Inc., and Thrivent Core Funds.
Compensation
Each portfolio manager of Thrivent Asset Mgt. is compensated by an annual base salary and
an annual bonus, in addition to the various benefits that are available to all employees of Thrivent. The annual base salary for each portfolio manager is a fixed amount that is determined annually according to the level of responsibility and performance. The annual bonus
provides for a variable payment that is attributable to the relative performance of each fund or account managed by the portfolio manager measured for one-, three-, and five-year periods against the median performance of other funds in the same
peer group, as classified by Morningstar, or an index constructed with comparable criteria. Portfolio managers of private funds and/or proprietary accounts may receive an
allocation of performance-based compensation. In addition, some portfolio managers are also eligible to participate in one or more of the following:
Long-Term Incentive Plan. Thrivent’s long-term incentive plan provides for an additional variable payment based on the extent to which Thrivent
met corporate goals during the previous three-year period.
Deferred Compensation Plan. Thrivent’s deferred compensation
plan allows for the deferral of salary and bonus into certain affiliated and unaffiliated mutual funds up to an annual dollar limit.
Key Employee Restoration Plan. Thrivent’s key employee restoration plan allows for the company to
make a contribution to the plan on behalf of each participant.
The Adviser and its respective affiliates will be subject to certain conflicts of
interest with respect to the services provided to the Funds. These conflicts will arise primarily, but not exclusively, from the involvement of the Adviser and the portfolio
managers in other activities that from time to time conflict with the activities of the Funds. Portfolio managers at Thrivent Asset Mgt. typically manage multiple accounts. These accounts may include, among others, mutual funds, private funds,
proprietary accounts and separate accounts (assets managed on behalf of pension funds, foundations and other
investment accounts).
Managing and providing research to multiple accounts can give rise to potential
conflicts of interest if the accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as the portfolio manager must allocate his time and investment ideas across multiple accounts. Certain portfolio managers of the Funds and other individuals employed by the Adviser may
receive compensation based on the performance of accounts managed by the Adviser. Managing an account that charges a performance-based fee could give a portfolio manager an
incentive to favor that account over accounts such as the Funds that don’t charge performance-based fees. In addition, the side-by-side management of these funds and accounts may raise potential conflicts of interest relating to cross trading, the allocation of investment opportunities and
the aggregation and allocation of trades. Thrivent Asset Mgt. seeks to provide best execution of all securities transactions and aggregate and then allocate securities to client accounts in a fair and timely manner. Portfolio managers and other
investment personnel may also encounter conflicts of interest related to the sharing of ideas or investment opportunities with other employees of the Adviser. To manage and mitigate conflicts of interest related to side-by-side management and
sharing of investment opportunities, the Adviser has developed compliance policies and procedures. Additional
information about potential conflicts of interest is set forth in the Form ADV of the Adviser. A copy of Part 1 and Part 2A of the Adviser’s Form ADV is available on the SEC’s website (adviserinfo.sec.gov).
The following table provides information as of September 30, 2025 on the dollar range of
beneficial ownership by each portfolio manager for each Fund he or she manages.
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The following officers of the Trust are affiliated with the Adviser in the capacities
listed:
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Position with Thrivent Asset Mgt. |
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Trustee and Chief Investment Officer |
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Treasurer and Principal Accounting Officer |
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Secretary and Chief Legal Officer |
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Laundering Officer |
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Elected
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The advisory agreement provides that Thrivent Asset Mgt. provides overall investment
supervision of the assets of each Fund. Thrivent Asset Mgt. furnishes and pays for all office space and facilities, equipment and clerical personnel necessary for carrying out the Adviser’s duties under the advisory agreement. The Adviser also pays all compensation of
Trustees, officers and employees of the Trust who are the Adviser’s affiliated persons. All ordinary operating expenses of the Fund are paid by the Adviser under the advisory agreement, unless expressly assumed by the Funds. Such costs and
expenses paid by the Funds under the advisory agreement include: (a) advisory fees; (b) expenses that the Trust agrees to bear in any distribution agreement or in any plan adopted by the Trust pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act; (c) interest
expense or other costs of a Fund’s borrowing(s) or financing activities; (d) taxes and governmental fees; (e) acquired fund fees and expenses; (f) broker’s commissions and any other transaction- or investment-related expenses incurred by a
Fund; (g) costs related to meetings of shareholders; (h) litigation expenses, (i) indemnification expenses, (j) fees or expenses payable or other costs incurred in connection with securities lending, (k) expenses which are capitalized in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, (l) extraordinary expenses, and (m) such other expenses as approved by a majority of the Board.
The advisory agreement will continue in effect from year to year only so long as such
continuances are specifically approved at least annually by the Board. The vote for approval must include the approval of a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the Act). The advisory agreement terminates automatically upon assignment. With
respect to a particular Fund, the advisory agreement is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board on 60 days written notice to the Adviser or by the vote of a majority of
the outstanding shares of such Fund. The Adviser may terminate the agreement on 60 days written notice to the Trust.
Advisory Fees
For the Adviser’s services to the Funds, the Funds have agreed to pay the following
management fee expressed as an annual rate of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
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Thrivent
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The Trust and Thrivent Asset Mgt. have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to the
requirements of the 1940 Act and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Under the Codes of Ethics, personnel are only permitted to engage in personal securities transactions in accordance with certain conditions relating to such person’s position, the identity of the security, the timing of the transaction, and similar factors. Transactions in securities that may be held by the Funds are permitted,
subject to compliance with applicable provisions of the Code. Personal securities transactions must be reported quarterly and broker confirmations of such transactions must be provided for review.
The Board has delegated to the Adviser the responsibility for voting any proxies with
respect to the Funds in accordance with the proxy voting policies adopted by the Adviser. The Adviser’s proxy voting policy is included in Appendix A. Information about how the Trust voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended
June 30 is updated each year by August 31 and is available without charge by calling 800-847-4836, at thriventETFs.com/prospectus, and at SEC.gov where it is filed on Form N-PX.
Underwriting and Distribution
Services
The Funds’ principal underwriter and distributor, ALPS
Distributors, Inc., is a Colorado corporation (the “Distributor”). Distributor is located at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, Colorado 80203. No officers or directors
of Distributor are affiliated with the Trust. Under a Distribution Agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”), Distributor sells shares of the Funds as agent for the Trust. The Distribution Agreement continues in effect from year to year so long as its continuance is
approved at least annually by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Funds through the Distributor only in
large blocks of shares, typically 10,000 shares, called creation units (“Creation Units”), as described in the Funds’ prospectus. Shares in less than Creation
Units are not distributed by the Distributor.
Distributor began serving as the Funds’ principal underwriter and distributor at the
Funds’ inception. The Distributor has not received any underwriting commissions as of the date of this SAI.
The Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan and Agreement pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “12b-1 Plan”) with respect to the Funds (other than Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF). Pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan, the Trust, on behalf of the
Funds (other than Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF), may pay Distributor a distribution fee and shareholder servicing fee in connection with the promotion and distribution of Fund shares and the provision of services to shareholders. Such services
include advertising, compensation to underwriters, dealers and selling personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current Fund shareholders, and the printing
and mailing of sales literature. No distribution or service fees are currently paid by the Funds, however, and there are no current plans to impose these fees. Future payments may be made under the 12b-1 Plan without any further shareholder approval. In the event Rule 12b-1 fees are
charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in the Fund.
Distributor may pay all or a portion of the fees to any broker-dealer, financial
institution or any other person who renders assistance in distributing or promoting the sale of shares, or who provides certain shareholder services, pursuant to a written agreement subject to the requirements of the 12b-1 Plan. To the extent not so paid by Distributor, it may retain
such amounts.
The 12b-1 Plan provides that it may not be amended to increase materially the costs which a
Fund may bear pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan without approval by a majority vote of Fund shareholders. The 12b-1 Plan also provides that other material amendments of the 12b-1 Plan must be approved by the Trustees, and by the Independent Trustees, by a vote cast in person at
a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments.
While the 12b-1 Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the Independent Trustees of the Trust has been committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees, and any person who acts as legal counsel for the Independent
Trustees must be an independent legal counsel. The 12b-1 Plan shall continue with respect to the Funds (other than Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF) from year to year, provided that such continuance is approved at least annually by the Board and
by the Independent Trustees.
The Adviser may make arrangements for the Funds to make payments, directly or through the Adviser or its affiliates, to
selected financial intermediaries (such as brokers or third party administrators) for providing certain shareholder services, including sub-transfer agency and related administrative services including, without limitation, the following services:
processing and mailing monthly statements, prospectuses, annual reports, semiannual reports, and shareholder
notices and other SEC-required communications;
capturing and processing tax data; issuing and mailing dividend checks to shareholders who have selected cash distributions; preparing record date shareholder lists for proxy
solicitations; collecting and posting distributions to shareholder accounts; and establishing and maintaining systematic withdrawals and automated investment plans and shareholder account registrations. The Funds may pay a fee for these services, directly or
through the Adviser or its affiliates, to financial intermediaries selected by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. The actual services provided, and the fees paid for such services,
may vary from firm to firm.
The Adviser has entered into an agreement with the Distributor under which it makes payments to the Distributor in consideration for its services under the Distribution Agreement. The payments made by the Adviser to the Distributor do not
represent an additional expense to the Funds or their shareholders. The Adviser has also entered into an agreement with Thrivent Distributors, LLC (“Thrivent
Distributors”), pursuant to which the Adviser pays (from its own resources, not the resources of the Funds) for services relating to the promotion, offering, marketing or
distribution of the Funds and/or retention of assets maintained in the Funds. Compensation paid by the Adviser to Thrivent Distributors and its sales personnel may vary depending on certain factors as agreed upon from time to time.
In addition, the Adviser and Thrivent Distributors make payments, out of their own
resources, to financial intermediaries that sell shares of the Funds in order to promote the distribution and retention of Fund shares. Such payments are made for a variety of purposes or services, including, without limitation, marketing and/or fund promotion activities and
presentations, educational training programs, events or conferences (including sponsorships of such events by the
Adviser), data analytics and support, printing and mailing costs, and the development of technology platforms and
reporting systems. In addition, the Adviser makes payments (through Thrivent Distributors) to certain intermediaries that promote or make shares of the Funds available to their clients and to intermediaries for activities that the Adviser and
Thrivent Distributors believe facilitate investment in the Funds. This compensation, often referred to as revenue sharing, is in addition to any compensation paid by the Funds through the 12b-1 Plan or for administrative, sub-transfer agency,
networking, recordkeeping, and/or other shareholder support services. Currently, payments made to intermediaries are generally 0.10% on assets for each intermediary. However, these payments are expected to vary year to year and may differ
depending on the intermediary. The Adviser may make arrangements at other rates with certain intermediaries.
These payments create an incentive for the financial intermediary or its financial representatives to recommend or offer
shares of the Funds to you. The Adviser could make payments (through Thrivent Distributors) based on any number of metrics, including payments in fixed amounts, amounts based upon an intermediary’s services at defined levels, amounts
based on the intermediary’s net sales of a Fund or one or more Thrivent funds in a year or other period, or calculated in basis points based on average net assets attributed to the intermediary, any of which arrangements may include an
agreed-upon minimum or maximum payment, or any combination of the foregoing. Payments to an intermediary may be
significant and may create conflicts of interest for the intermediary.
Revenue sharing arrangements are separately negotiated between the Adviser and/or its
affiliates and the recipients of these payments. Revenue sharing payments are not made by the Funds and are not reflected as additional expenses in the fee table in the Funds’ prospectus.
As of the date of this SAI, the Adviser or its affiliates have agreements in place to pay
the following intermediaries for the sale of Fund shares or related services:
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
Pershing, LLC
Other Services
The custodian for the Funds is [name, street, city, state, zip]. The custodian is responsible
for safeguarding the Funds’ assets held in the United States and for serving as the Funds’ foreign custody manager.
Transfer Agent and Related Shareholder Services
The transfer agent for the Funds is [name] (the “Transfer Agent”), [street, city, state, zip]. The Transfer Agent provides transfer agency and dividend payment services necessary to the Funds.
In addition, pursuant to an agreement between the Adviser and Thrivent Financial Investor
Services Inc. (“TFISI”), TFISI provides certain related shareholder services that [name] has not been retained to perform and would not cause TFISI to fall within the meaning of a transfer agent under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”). Fees for the services provided by TFISI are paid by the Adviser and not borne by the Funds.
[name, street, city, state, zip] provides both administrative and accounting services to the
Funds under an Administrative Services Agreement. Fees payable to [name] for administrative and accounting services are paid by the Adviser and not borne by the Funds.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
[name, street, city, state, zip], serves as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, providing professional services including audits of the Funds’ annual financial statements, assistance and consultation in connection with
Securities and Exchange Commission filings, and review and signing of the annual income tax returns filed on behalf of the Funds.
As the Funds are newly formed and have not yet commenced operations, they have not entered into a contract with a securities
lending agent and are not engaged in securities lending.
Continuous Offering
The Funds offer and issue shares at their NAV only in Creation Units. The method by which
Creation Units are created and trade may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Funds on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”), may occur.
Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may,
depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the 1933 Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory
underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Funds’ Transfer Agent, breaks them down into constituent shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving
solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the 1933 Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the
activities that could lead to categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters”
but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a
result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of the Funds are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the 1933 Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of
the 1933 Act owed to an exchange member in connection with the sale on an exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the exchange upon request. The
prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.
Brokerage Allocation and Other
Practices
In connection with the management of the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the
Funds, the advisory agreement authorizes Thrivent Asset Mgt., acting by its own officers, directors or employees to select the brokers or dealers that will execute purchase and sale transactions for the Funds. In executing portfolio transactions and selecting
brokers or dealers, if any, Thrivent Asset Mgt. will use reasonable efforts to seek on behalf of the Funds the best overall terms available.
In assessing the best overall terms available for any transaction, Thrivent Asset Mgt. will consider all factors it deems relevant, including:
(1) the breadth of the market in and the price of the security,
(2) the financial condition and execution capability of the broker or
dealer, and
(3) the reasonableness of the commission, if any (for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis).
In evaluating the best overall terms available, and in selecting the
broker or dealer, if any, to execute a particular transaction, Thrivent Asset Mgt. may also consider the brokerage and research services (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, as amended) provided to any other accounts over which Thrivent Asset Mgt., or an affiliate of
Thrivent Asset Mgt., exercises investment discretion. Thrivent Asset Mgt. may pay to a broker or dealer who provides such brokerage and research services a commission for executing
a portfolio transaction which is in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if, but only if, Thrivent Asset
Mgt. determines in good faith that such commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided. To the extent applicable, the provisions of the European Union’s second Markets in Financial
Instruments Directive, known as MiFID II, could have an impact on the allocation of brokerage transactions and the receipt and compensation for research services by Thrivent Asset Mgt.
To the extent that the receipt of the above-described services may supplant services for
which Thrivent Asset Mgt. might otherwise have paid, it would, of course, tend to reduce the expenses of Thrivent Asset Mgt.
The research obtained by Thrivent Asset Mgt. from a broker or dealer may be used to benefit all accounts managed or advised
by Thrivent Asset Mgt., including the Funds, and may not directly benefit the particular accounts that generated the brokerage commissions used to acquire the research product or
service, including the Funds.
In certain cases, Thrivent Asset Mgt. may obtain products or services from a broker that have both research and non-research
uses. Examples of non-research uses are administrative and marketing functions. These are referred to as “mixed use” products. In each case, Thrivent Asset Mgt. makes a
good faith effort to determine the proportion of such products or services that may be used for research and non-research purposes. The portion of the costs of such products
or services attributable to research usage may be defrayed by Thrivent Asset Mgt., as the case may be, through
brokerage commissions generated by transactions of its clients, including the Funds. Thrivent Asset Mgt. pays the
provider in cash for the non-research portion of its use of these products or services.
Thrivent Asset Mgt. may obtain third-party research from
broker-dealers or non-broker dealers by entering into a commission sharing arrangement (a “CSA”). Under a CSA, the executing broker-dealer agrees that part of the
commissions it earns on certain equity trades will be allocated to one or more research providers as payment for research. CSAs allow Thrivent Asset Mgt. to direct broker-dealers to pool commissions that are generated from orders executed at that
broker-dealer, and then periodically direct the broker-dealer to pay third-party research providers for research.
The investment decisions for the Funds are and
will continue to be made independently from those of other investment companies and accounts managed by Thrivent Asset Mgt. or its affiliates. Such other investment companies and
accounts may also invest in the same securities as the Funds. When purchases and sales of the same security are made at substantially the same time on behalf of such other investment companies and accounts, transactions may be averaged as to
the price and available investments allocated as to the amount in a manner which Thrivent Asset Mgt. and its affiliates believe to be equitable to each investment company or
account, including the Funds. In some instances, this investment procedure may affect the price paid or received by the Funds or the size of the position obtainable or sold by
the Funds.
As the Funds are newly formed and have not yet commenced operations, they paid no brokerage commissions for each of the last
three fiscal years.
Regular Brokers or Dealers
The Funds are newly formed and have not yet commenced operations, they have not purchased securities issued by any
“regular broker or dealer,” as that term is defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940
Act.
The rate of portfolio turnover in the Funds will not be a limiting factor when Thrivent Asset Mgt. deems changes in a
Fund’s portfolio appropriate in view of its investment objectives. As a result, while a Fund will not purchase or sell securities solely to achieve short term trading profits, a Fund may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of
time held if consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. A higher degree of equity portfolio activity will increase brokerage costs to a Fund. The portfolio turnover rate is computed by dividing the dollar amount of securities purchased or
sold (whichever is smaller) by the average value of securities owned during the year. Short-term investments such as commercial paper and short-term U.S. Government securities are
not considered when computing the turnover rate.
As the Funds are newly formed and have not yet commenced operations, they do not have portfolio turnover rates to report.
Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of
Shares
Unlike mutual funds, the Funds offer and issue shares at their NAV to
broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries who are participants in the NSCC and who have signed an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor, and accepted by the Transfer Agent, only in Creation Units, generally in exchange for a basket of securities and/or instruments
(the “Deposit Securities”), together with a deposit of a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”). The Funds may, in certain circumstances, issue Creation Units solely in exchange for a specified all-cash payment (“Cash Deposit”). Shares of the Funds are likewise redeemable by the Funds only in Creation Units, generally in exchange for a basket of
securities and instruments (“Redemption Securities”), together with a Cash Component. As with the offer and sale of Creation Units, the Funds may, in certain circumstances, redeem Creation Units in exchange for a specified all-cash payment.
Shares trade in the secondary market and elsewhere at market prices that may be at, above or below NAV. The Funds may decide to use a “custom basket” to reduce costs,
to increase trading or tax efficiency or for other reasons.
Each Fund charges creation/redemption transaction fees for each creation and redemption to cover the cost to the Fund of processing the transaction. In all cases, transaction fees are limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC
applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities.
Each Fund offers, issues and sells its shares only in Creation Units on a continuous
basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form as described in the Authorized Participant Agreement, on any Business Day.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Fund may, but is not required to, permit orders until
4:00 p.m., Eastern time, or until the market close (in the event the exchange on which the relevant Fund’s Shares are listed closes early). A “Business Day” with respect to a Fund is each day the Fund is open, including any day that a Fund is required to be open under
Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act, which excludes weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and
Christmas Day. Orders to create or redeem Creation Units will be accepted by the Transfer Agent, and subject to the approval of the Distributor, only from the Authorized Participants. As noted below, on certain Business Days, underlying
markets in which the Funds invest will be closed. On those days, the Funds may be unable to purchase or sell securities in such markets.
The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the Exchange is stopped at a time other than its regularly scheduled closing
time. Each Fund reserves the right to reprocess creation and redemption transactions that were initially processed at any NAV other than the Fund’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from
(or distribute amounts to) Authorized Participants based on the official closing NAV.
The consideration for purchase of Creation Units generally consists of Deposit Securities and
the Cash Component, or, as permitted by a Fund, the Cash Deposit. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute a “Fund Deposit” or “basket” as that term is used in Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act. The Fund Deposit represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of any Fund. Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any
adjustments as described below, to purchases of Creation Units of shares of a given Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available.
The function of the Cash Component is to compensate for any differences between the NAV per
Creation Unit and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares (per Creation Unit) and the “Deposit Amount,” which is an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit
Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the Deposit Amount), the
Authorized Participant will deliver the Cash
Component to the Funds. If the Cash Component is a negative number (the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the Deposit Amount), the Authorized Participant will receive the Cash
Component from the Funds. 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, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized
Participant. In addition to above, the Cash Component may also include a “Dividend Equivalent Payment,” which enables the Funds to make a complete distribution of dividends on the next dividend payment date, and is an amount equal, on a per
Creation Unit basis, to the dividends on all the securities held by a Fund with ex-dividend dates within the accumulation period for such distribution (the “Accumulation
Period”), net of expenses and liabilities for such period, as if all of the securities had been held by a Fund for the entire Accumulation Period. The Accumulation Period
begins on the ex-dividend date for a Fund and ends on the next ex-dividend date.
[ ], each Fund’s Transfer Agent and custodian, through the NSCC, makes available on
each Business Day, prior to the opening of business (subject to amendments) on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the identity and the required number of each Deposit Security and the amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Deposit
(based on information at the end of the previous Business Day).
The Deposit Securities and Cash Component are subject to any adjustments, as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Funds until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities and
Cash Component is made available.
The Funds may also permit the substitution of an amount of cash (a
“cash-in-lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security. In determining whether a Fund will issue Creation Units entirely or partially on a cash or in-kind basis
(whether for a given day or a given order), the key consideration is the benefits that would accrue to the Fund and its investors. For example, in light of anticipated purchases of different portfolio securities, a Fund may wish to receive additional cash as
part of a Fund Deposit, or may wish to receive a Cash Deposit. In addition, the Funds may permit an Authorized
Participant to deposit cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Securities in a Fund Deposit because such instruments are not eligible for trading by the Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting.
Other circumstances in which a Fund may permit the substitution of a “cash in-lieu” amount include, but are not limited to, Deposit Securities that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery, that may not be eligible for trading by a
Participating Party (defined below), that may not be permitted to be re-registered in the name of a Fund as a result of an in-kind creation order pursuant to local law or market convention, or that may not be eligible for transfer through the
systems of the Depository Trust Company (the “DTC”) or the Clearing Process (as discussed below), or the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury securities. The Funds also reserves the right to permit a “cash-in-lieu” amount where the delivery of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under the
securities laws or where the delivery of Deposit Securities from an investor to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws, and in
certain other situations at the discretion of the Funds. In each case, the amount of cash contributed will be equivalent to the price of the instrument listed as a Deposit Security.
“Cash-in-lieu” amounts will only be used in the creation and redemption process
when the use is consistent with applicable law.
Procedures for Creating Creation Units
To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a Creation Unit of the
Funds, an entity must be: (i) 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 (ii) a participant of DTC (“DTC Participant”) and must have entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the
Distributor, and accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (“Authorized Participant Agreement”) (discussed below). All shares of the Funds, however created, will be entered on the records of the DTC in the name of its nominee for the account of a DTC Participant.
Except as described below, and in all cases
subject to the terms of the applicable Authorized Participant Agreement and any creation and redemption procedures adopted by the Funds and provided to all Authorized Participants,
to initiate a creation order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable order to purchase shares in proper form to the Transfer Agent at the close of regular trading on the Exchange, typically 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time on each
Business Day for creation of Creation Units to be effected based on the NAV of shares of the Funds on that Business Day. The date on which an order to create Creation Units (or an
order to redeem Creation Units, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant via the
electronic order entry system, by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the
Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized
Participant.
All investor orders to create Creation Units shall be placed with an Authorized Participant in the form required by such Authorized Participant. In addition, an Authorized Participant may request that an investor make certain representations or
enter into agreements with respect to an order (to provide for payments of cash). Investors should be aware that their particular broker-dealer may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and, therefore, orders to create Creation
Units of the Funds will have to be placed by the investor’s broker-dealer through an Authorized Participant. In such cases, there may be additional charges to such
investor.
Creation Units may be created in advance of the receipt by the Funds of all or a portion of a Fund Deposit. In such cases,
the Authorized Participant will remain liable for the full deposit of the missing portion(s) of a Fund Deposit and will be required to post collateral with a Fund consisting of cash up to 115% of the marked-to-market value of such missing
portion(s). The Funds may use such collateral to buy the missing portion(s) of a Fund Deposit at any time and will subject such Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Funds of purchasing such securities and
the value of such collateral. The Funds will have no liability for any such shortfall. The Funds will return any unused portion of the collateral to the Authorized Participant once the entire Fund Deposit has been properly received by the
Custodian and deposited into the Fund. Orders for Creation Units that are effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the DTC Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the Clearing
Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker-dealer or depository
institution effectuating such transfer of Deposit Securities and Cash Component.
Orders to create Creation Units of the Funds may be placed through the Clearing
Process utilizing procedures applicable for domestic securities (see “Placement of Creation Orders Using the Clearing Process”) or outside the Clearing Process utilizing the procedures applicable for foreign securities (see “Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing
Process”). In the event that a Fund includes both domestic and foreign securities, the time for submitting orders as stated in the “Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process” section below shall operate.
Placement of Creation Orders Using the Clearing Process
Fund Deposits created through the Clearing Process, if available, must be delivered
through a Participating Party that has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement.
The Authorized Participant Agreement authorizes the Custodian to
transmit to NSCC on behalf of the Participating Party such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the Participating Party’s creation order. Pursuant to such trade
instructions from the Custodian to NSCC, the Participating Party agrees to transfer the requisite Deposit Securities (or contracts to purchase such Deposit Securities that are expected to be delivered in a “regular way” manner within two Business Days; and the Cash Component to the Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the
Transfer Agent and the Distributor as set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. An order to create Creation Units of the Funds through the Clearing Process is deemed
received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on each Business Day on such Transmittal Date and
(ii) all
other procedures set forth in the Authorized
Participant Agreement are properly followed. All orders are subject to acceptance by the Funds and the Distributor in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Authorized
Participant Agreement.
Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process
The Distributor will inform the Transfer Agent, the Adviser and the Custodian upon receipt of
a creation order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate sub-custodian. The Custodian will cause the sub-custodian of the Funds to maintain an account into which the Deposit Securities (or the cash value of all or part of such securities, in
the case of a permitted or required cash purchase or “cash-in-lieu” amount) will be delivered. Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local custodian. The Funds must also receive, on or before the
contractual settlement date, immediately available or same day funds estimated by the Custodian to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component next determined after receipt in proper form of the purchase order, together with the creation
transaction fee described below.
Once a creation order is accepted by the Funds and the Distributor, the Transfer Agent will
confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit of the Funds against receipt of payment, at such NAV as will have been calculated after receipt in proper form of such order. The Transfer Agent will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance of such order.
Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to
the Funds of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian, the
Distributor and the Adviser will be notified of such delivery and the Transfer Agent will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units.
Acceptance of Creation Orders
The Funds reserve the right to reject or revoke a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor or its agent in respect to the Funds for any legally permissible reason, including, but not limited to, the following circumstances: (i) the order is not
in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of a Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the identity and number of shares specified, as
described above; (iv) acceptance of a Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; or (v) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Funds, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor or the Adviser make it for all practical
purposes impossible to process creation orders. 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, facsimile and
computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting a Fund, the Adviser, the Distributor, DTC, the Clearing Process, Federal Reserve, the Transfer
Agent or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a
Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Funds, Transfer Agent, and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or
irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.
All questions as to the number of shares of Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit
of any securities to be delivered and the amount and form of the Cash Component, as applicable, shall be determined by the Funds, and a Fund’s determination shall be final and binding.
All persons purchasing Creation Units are expected to incur a transaction fee to cover the
estimated cost to the Funds of processing the transaction, including estimated trading costs of converting a Fund Deposit into the desired portfolio
composition, and the costs of clearance and
settlement charged to a Fund by NSCC or DTC. A fixed creation transaction fee of $[ ], charged by and payable to the Custodian is imposed on each in-kind creation transaction ($100
for cash creations) regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased in the transaction. In the case of cash creations or where a Fund permits a creator to substitute cash in lieu of depositing a portion of the Deposit Securities, the creator may be
assessed an additional variable charge of up to [ ]% for Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF and up to [ ]% for Thrivent
Securitized Income ETF, based on the value of a Creation Unit, to compensate the Funds for the costs associated with purchasing the applicable securities (see “Fund Deposit” section above). As a result, in order to seek to replicate the in-kind creation order process, the Funds expect to purchase, in the secondary market or otherwise gain exposure to, the
portfolio securities that could have been delivered as a result of an in-kind creation order pursuant to local law or market convention, or for other reasons (“Market Purchases”). In such cases where a Fund makes Market Purchases, the
Authorized Participant will reimburse the Fund for, among other things, any difference between the market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were purchased by the Fund and the cash in lieu amount (which amount, at the
Adviser’s discretion, may be capped), applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain taxes. The Adviser may adjust the transaction fee to the extent the composition of the creation securities changes or cash in lieu is added to
the Cash Component to protect ongoing shareholders. Creators of Creation Units are responsible for the costs of
transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Fund.
Redemption of Creation Units
Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at the NAV next determined after receipt of a
redemption request in proper form on a Business Day and only through a Participating Party or DTC Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. The Funds will not redeem shares in amounts less than Creation Units (except a Fund may redeem shares
in amounts less than a Creation Unit in the event the Fund is being liquidated). Beneficial owners must accumulate enough shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation
Unit in order to have such shares redeemed by the Funds. 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. Authorized Participants should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in
connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit. All redemptions are subject to the procedures contained in the applicable Authorized Participant Agreement.
Each Fund may publish a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of
such securities for which cash may be substituted) that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (the “Fund Securities” or “Redemption Basket”), and an amount of cash (each subject to possible amendment or correction) as applicable, in order to effect redemptions of Creation Units of a Fund until
such time as the next announced composition of the Fund Securities and cash amount is made available. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units.
Redemption Baskets may differ and the Fund may accept “custom baskets.” See “Custom Baskets” below.
Except as described below, and in all cases subject to the terms of the applicable Authorized Participant Agreement and any
creation and redemption procedures adopted by the Funds and provided to all Authorized Participants, to initiate a redemption order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant
must submit an irrevocable order to redeem shares in proper form to the Transfer Agent at the close of regular trading on the Exchange, typically 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time on each Business Day for redemption of Creation Units to be effected based on the NAV of shares of the Fund on that Business
Day.
Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant via the electronic order entry system, by telephone or other
transmission method acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the
Authorized Participant Agreement. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication
failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Unless cash only redemptions are available or specified for a Fund,
the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will generally consist of Fund Securities – as announced on the Business Day of the request for a redemption order received
in proper form – plus cash in an amount
equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities, less the
redemption transaction fee and variable fees described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Fund may substitute a “cash-in-lieu” amount to replace any Fund Security in certain limited circumstances. “Cash-in-lieu” amounts will only be used in the redemption process when the use is consistent with applicable law. The amount of cash paid out in such cases will be
equivalent to the value of the instrument listed as a Fund Security. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference will be included in the Cash
Component required to be delivered by an Authorized Participant. In determining whether a Fund will redeem Creation Units entirely or partially on a cash or in-kind basis (whether for a given day or a given order), the key consideration is the benefits that would accrue to a Fund and its investors. Cash redemptions typically require selling portfolio instruments,
which may result in adverse tax consequences for the remaining Fund shareholders that would not occur with an in-kind redemption. As a result, tax considerations may favor use of in-kind redemptions. See “Taxes” below. In addition, as with purchases of Creation Units, the Funds may permit an Authorized Participant to receive cash in lieu of some or all of the
Fund Securities because such instruments are not eligible for trading by the Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting.
Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable
U.S. federal and state securities laws, and the Funds reserve the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that a Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering Fund Securities under such laws. An
Authorized Participant, or a beneficial owner of shares for which it is acting, subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the redemption of a Creation Unit may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. This would
specifically prohibit delivery of Fund Securities that are not registered in reliance upon Rule 144A under the 1933 Act to a redeeming beneficial owner of shares that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming beneficial owner of the shares to complete an order
form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to
the Funds: (i) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of
which disposal by a Fund of securities it owns or determination of the Fund’s NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as permitted by the SEC.
If a Fund determines, based on information available to the Fund when a redemption request
is submitted by an Authorized Participant, that (i) the short interest of the Fund in the marketplace is greater than or equal to 100% and (ii) the orders in the aggregate from all Authorized Participants redeeming fund shares on a Business Day represent 25% or more
of the outstanding shares of the Fund, such Authorized Participant will be required to verify to the Fund the accuracy of its representations that are deemed to have been made by
submitting a request for redemption.
If, after receiving notice of the verification requirement, the Authorized Participant does not verify, with respect to any
portion of the shares of a Fund requested to be redeemed, the accuracy of the Authorized Participant’s representations that are deemed to have been made by submitting a redemption request, the Fund reserves the right to reject that portion of
the redemption request.
Deliveries of redemption proceeds by a Fund are generally made within one Business Day (i.e., “T+1”). Each Fund
reserves the right to settle redemption transactions on a basis other than T+1, if necessary or appropriate under the circumstances. Delayed settlement may occur due to a number of different reasons, including, without limitation, settlement
cycles for the underlying securities, unscheduled market closings, an effort to link distribution to dividend record dates and ex-dates and newly announced holidays. For example,
the redemption settlement process may be extended beyond T+1 because of the occurrence of a holiday in the U.S. bond market that is not a holiday observed in the U.S. equity market.
Redemption Transaction Fee
All persons redeeming Creation Units are expected to incur a transaction fee to offset
transfer and other transaction costs that may be incurred by the relevant Fund. The basic in-kind redemption transaction fee of $[ ] for Thrivent Large Cap Stock ETF and $[ ] for Thrivent Securitized Income ETF ($[100] for cash redemptions), charged by and payable to the
Custodian, is the same no matter how many Creation Units are being redeemed pursuant to any one redemption request. An additional variable charge for cash redemptions or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are permitted or
required for a Fund) may also be imposed to compensate the Fund for the costs associated with selling the applicable securities. As a result, in order to seek to replicate the in-kind redemption order process, the Funds expect to sell, in the
secondary market, the portfolio securities or settle any financial instruments that may not be permitted to be re-registered in the name of the Participating Party as a result of an in-kind redemption order pursuant to local law or market
convention, or for other reasons (“Market Sales”). In such cases where a Fund makes Market Sales, the Authorized Participant will reimburse the Fund for, among other things, any difference between the market value at which the securities
and/or financial instruments were sold or settled by the Fund and the cash in lieu amount (which amount, at the Adviser’s discretion, may be capped), applicable registration
fees, brokerage commissions and certain taxes (“Transaction Costs”). The Adviser may adjust the transaction fee to the extent the composition of the redemption
securities changes or cash in lieu is added to the Cash Component to protect ongoing shareholders. In no event will fees charged by the Fund in connection with a redemption exceed 2% of the value of each Creation Unit. Investors who use the services of a
broker-dealer or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. To the extent a Fund cannot recoup the amount of Transaction Costs incurred in connection with a redemption from the redeeming shareholder because of the 2% cap or
otherwise, those Transaction Costs will be borne by the Fund’s remaining shareholders and negatively affect a Fund’s performance.
Placement of Redemption Orders Using the Clearing Process
Orders to redeem Creation Units of a
Fund through the Clearing Process, if available, must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed the Authorized Participant Agreement. An order to
redeem Creation Units of the Funds using the Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Transfer Agent by
2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on each Business Day on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement are properly followed; such order will be effected based on the NAV of a Fund as next determined. All orders must be accepted by the Distributor in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. An order to redeem Creation Units of the Funds using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by a Fund after 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on each Business Day will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. The requisite Fund Securities (or contracts to purchase such Fund Securities which are expected to be delivered in a “regular way” manner) and the applicable cash payment will be transferred within two Business Days following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received.
Placement of Redemption Orders Outside the Clearing Process
Arrangements satisfactory to a Fund must be in place for the Participating Party to transfer the Creation Units through the DTC on or before the settlement date. Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with
applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and the Funds (whether or not it otherwise permits or requires cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that a Fund could not lawfully deliver
specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering a Fund Securities under such laws.
In connection with taking delivery of shares for Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder
or entity acting on behalf of a redeeming 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. If neither the redeeming shareholder nor the
entity acting on behalf of a redeeming shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect
deliveries of the Fund Securities in such
jurisdictions, a Fund may, in its discretion, exercise its option to substitute a “cash-in-lieu” amount for such Fund Securities, and the redeeming shareholder will be
required to receive its redemption proceeds with respect to such Fund Securities in cash.
Creation and redemption baskets may differ and the Funds may in the future accept
“custom baskets.” A custom basket may include any of the following: (i) a basket that is composed of a selection of a Fund’s portfolio holdings rather than all
Fund holdings; (ii) a representative basket that is different from the initial basket used in transactions on the same business day; or (iii) a basket that contains bespoke cash substitutions for a single Authorized Participant. Each Fund has
adopted policies and procedures that govern the construction and acceptance of baskets. Such policies and procedures provide the parameters for the construction and acceptance of custom baskets that are in the best interests of a Fund and
its shareholders, establish processes for revisions to, or deviations from, such parameters, and specify the titles and roles of the employees of the Adviser who are required to review each custom basket for compliance with those parameters. In
addition, when constructing custom baskets for redemptions, the tax efficiency of a Fund may be taken into account.
In connection with each Fund's launch, the Fund was seeded through the sale of one or more Creation Units by the Fund to one
or more initial investors. Initial investors participating in the seeding of a Fund or that purchase Creation Units after a Fund's launch may be Authorized Participants or a lead
market maker, other third-party investors or affiliates of the Fund or the Adviser purchasing from an Authorized Participant. Each such initial investor and any other affiliate of
a Fund or the Adviser may sell some or all of the shares underlying the Creation Unit(s) held by them pursuant to the registration statement for a Fund (each, a “Selling Shareholder”), which shares have been registered to permit the resale from time to time after purchase. A Fund will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale by the Selling Shareholders of these
shares. Selling Shareholders may sell shares owned by them directly or through broker-dealers, in accordance with
applicable law, on any national securities exchange on which the shares may be listed or quoted at the time of sale, through trading systems, in the over-the-counter market or in transactions other than on these exchanges or systems at fixed
prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected through
brokerage transactions, privately negotiated trades, block sales, entry into options or other derivatives transactions or through any other means authorized by applicable law.
Selling Shareholders may redeem the shares held in Creation Unit size by them through an Authorized Participant. Any Selling Shareholder and any broker-dealer or agents participating in the distribution of shares may be deemed to be
“underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the 1933 Act, in connection with such sales. Any Selling Shareholder and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to any applicable provisions of the 1934
Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Net Asset Value
The net asset value per share is generally determined at the close of regular trading on the
Exchange, or any other day as provided by Rule 22c-1 under the 1940 Act. Determination of NAV may be suspended when the Exchange is closed or if certain emergencies have been determined to exist by the SEC, as allowed by the 1940 Act. If the Exchange has an unscheduled
early close but certain other markets remain open until their regularly scheduled closing time, the NAV may be determined as of the regularly scheduled closing time of the
Exchange. If the Exchange and/or certain other markets close early due to extraordinary circumstances (e.g., weather, terrorism, etc.), the NAV may be calculated as of the early
close of the Exchange and/or other markets. The NAV generally will not be determined on days when, due to
extraordinary circumstances, the Exchange and/or certain other markets do not open for
trading.
The NAV is determined by adding the market or appraised value of all securities and other assets; subtracting liabilities;
and dividing the result by the number of shares outstanding.
The market value of portfolio securities is determined at the close of regular trading of the Exchange on each day the
Exchange is open. The value of portfolio securities is determined in the following manner:
•
Exchange Traded Securities that are traded on U.S. exchanges or included in a national market
system, including options, shall be valued at the last sale price on the principal exchange as of the close of regular trading on such exchange or the official closing price of the national market system. If there have been no sales and the exchange traded
security is held long, the latest bid quotation is used. If the exchange traded security is held short, the latest ask quotation is used.
•
Over-the-counter securities held long for which reliable quotations are available shall be
valued at the latest bid quotations. If the over-the-counter security is held short, it shall be valued at the latest ask quotation.
•
Fixed income securities traded on a national securities exchange will be valued at the last
sale price on such securities exchange that day. If there have been no sales, the latest bid quotation is used.
•
Because market quotations are generally not “readily available” for many debt
securities, foreign and domestic debt securities held by the Funds may be valued by an Approved Pricing Service (“APS”), using the evaluation or other valuation methodologies used by the APS. If quotations are not available from the APS, the Adviser’s Valuation
Committee shall make a fair value determination.
•
The Funds may value debt securities with a remaining maturity of 60 days or less at amortized
cost.
Prices provided by independent pricing services may be determined without relying exclusively on quoted prices and may consider institutional trading in similar groups of securities, yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading
characteristics and other market data employed in determining valuation for such securities.
Securities and assets for which there is not a readily available
market quotation will be appraised at fair value by the Adviser’s Valuation Committee pursuant to written procedures.
Generally, trading in foreign securities, as well as U.S. Government securities, money market instruments and repurchase
agreements, is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the Exchange. The values of such securities used in computing the NAV of shares of a Fund are determined as of such times. Foreign currency exchange rates
are also generally determined prior to the close of the Exchange. Occasionally, events affecting the value of such securities and exchange rates may occur between the times at
which they are determined and the close of the Exchange, which will not be reflected in the computation of NAV. If events occur during such periods that materially affect the value
of such securities, the securities will be valued at their fair market value.
For purposes of determining the NAV of shares of a Fund all assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies (if any) will be converted into U.S. dollars based upon an exchange rate quoted by a major bank that is a regular
participant in the foreign exchange market or on
the basis of a pricing service that takes into account the quotes provided by a number of such major banks.
Tax Status
Federal Tax Information for the Funds
This discussion of federal income tax consequences is based on the Internal Revenue 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.
It is each Fund’s policy to qualify for taxation as a “regulated investment
company” (RIC) by meeting the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. By qualifying as a RIC, each Fund expects to eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal income tax to which it is subject. If a Fund does not qualify as a RIC under the Internal Revenue
Code, it will be subject to federal income tax on its net investment income and any net realized capital gains. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains,
pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC.
Each Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes. Each Fund has elected and intends to qualify as a
RIC so that it will be relieved of federal income tax on that part of its income that is distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify for treatment as a RIC, a Fund must, among
other requirements, distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, net investment income plus the excess, if
any, of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt income. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from
dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, and 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 or securities or currencies and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership; (ii) at the close of each
quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other
securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund’s assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (iii) at the close of
each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, not more than 25% of the value of its assets may be invested in securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers and which are
engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses if the Fund owns at least 20% of the voting power of such issuers, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.
Certain master limited partnerships may qualify as “qualified publicly traded
partnerships” for purposes of the Subchapter M diversification rules described above. To do so, the master limited partnership must satisfy two requirements during the
taxable year. First, the interests of such partnership either must be traded on an established securities market or must be readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof). Second, the partnership must meet the 90%
gross income requirements for the exception from treatment as a corporation with gross income other than income consisting of dividends, interest, payments with respect to
securities loans, or gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in
such stock securities or currencies.
The Internal Revenue Code imposes a non-deductible excise tax on RICs that do not
distribute in a calendar year (regardless of whether they otherwise have a non-calendar taxable year) an amount equal to 98% of their “ordinary income” (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) for the calendar year plus 98.2% of their net capital gain for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year, plus any undistributed amounts from prior years. The non-deductible
excise tax is equal to 4% of the deficiency. For the foregoing purposes, each Fund is treated as having distributed any amount on which it is subject to income tax for any taxable
year ending in such calendar year and certain amounts with respect to which estimated taxes are paid in such calendar year. Each Fund may in certain circumstances
be required to liquidate its investments to make
sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in
such circumstances may affect a Fund’s ability to satisfy the requirements for qualification as a RIC.
Dividends and interest received from a Fund’s holding of foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such
taxes. If a Fund meets certain requirements, which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consists
of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, then the Fund should be eligible to file an election with the IRS that may enable shareholders, in effect, to receive either the
benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction, but not both, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to this election, the Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its
shareholders. Each such shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax
directly. The shareholder may then, subject to certain limitations, either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use
the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit the shareholder may be entitled to use against such shareholder’s federal income tax. If a Fund makes this
election, the Fund will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Fund’s income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions.
Each Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts
will be subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., 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 a 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 a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. Each Fund intends to
monitor its transactions, intends to make the appropriate tax elections, and intends to make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any foreign currency
or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of the Fund as a RIC and minimize the imposition of income and
excise taxes.
If a Fund owns shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as “passive
foreign investment companies” or “PFICs,” the Fund will be subject to one of the following special tax regimes: (i) the Fund is liable for U.S. federal income
tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any “excess distribution” from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the Fund as a dividend to its
shareholders; (ii) if the Fund was able and elected to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” or “QEF,” the Fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements
set forth above, the Fund’s pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the passive foreign investment company, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the Fund; or (iii) the Fund may be entitled to
mark-to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above.
Each Fund’s transactions in futures contracts, forward contracts, foreign currency
exchange transactions, options and certain other investment and hedging activities may be restricted by the Internal Revenue Code and are subject to special tax rules. In a given case, these rules may accelerate income to a Fund, defer its losses, cause adjustments in the holding
periods of the Fund’s assets, convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses or otherwise affect the character of the Fund’s income. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to
shareholders. Each Fund will endeavor to make any available elections pertaining to these transactions in a manner believed to be in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders.
Under Section 988 of the Internal Revenue Code,
special rules are provided for certain transactions in a foreign currency other than the taxpayer’s functional currency (i.e., unless certain special rules apply, currencies
other than the U.S. dollar). In general, foreign currency gains or losses from forward contracts, from futures contracts that are not “regulated futures contracts,” and from unlisted options will be treated as ordinary income or loss under Section 988 of the Internal Revenue Code. Also, certain foreign exchange gains or losses derived with respect to foreign fixed income securities are also
subject to Section 988 treatment. In general, therefore, Section 988 gains or losses will increase or decrease the amount of a Fund’s investment company taxable income available to be distributed to shareholders as ordinary income, rather
than increasing or decreasing the amount of the Fund’s net capital gain.
Each Fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as
income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from futures and options contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked-to-market will
be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. A Fund may be required to
defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts, options contracts and swaps to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the Fund. It is
anticipated that any net gain realized from the closing out of futures or options contracts will be considered gain from the sale of securities and therefore will be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% requirement described above. Each Fund distributes to
shareholders at least annually any net capital gains which have been recognized for federal income tax purposes,
including unrealized gains at the end of the Fund’s fiscal year on futures or options transactions. Such distributions are combined with distributions of capital gains realized on the Fund’s other investments and shareholders are advised on the nature of the distributions.
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (net capital losses) are not permitted to be
deducted against a Fund’s net investment income. Instead, potentially subject to certain limitations, each Fund may carry net capital losses from any taxable year forward to subsequent taxable years to offset capital gains, if any, realized during such subsequent taxable
years. Capital loss carryforwards are reduced to the extent they offset current-year net realized capital gains, whether the Fund retains or distributes such gains. Capital loss carryforwards will be carried forward to one or more subsequent taxable
years without expiration to offset capital gains realized during such subsequent taxable years; any such carryforward losses will retain their character as short-term or
long-term.
Federal Income Tax Information for Shareholders
The discussion of federal income taxation presented below supplements the discussion in each Fund’s prospectus and
only summarizes some of the important federal tax considerations generally affecting shareholders of the Funds.
Accordingly, prospective investors (particularly those not residing or domiciled in the United States) should consult their own tax advisors regarding the consequences of investing in a Fund.
Any dividends declared by a Fund in October, November or December and paid the following
January are treated, for tax purposes, as if they were received by shareholders on December 31 of the year in which they were declared. In general, distributions by a Fund of investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains), if any, whether
received in cash or additional shares, will be taxable to you as ordinary income. A portion of these distributions may be treated as qualified dividend income (eligible for the reduced rates to individuals as described below) to the extent that a
Fund receives qualified dividend income. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations (e.g., foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States
or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the
extent that (i) the shareholder has not held the shares of the Fund on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the shares of the Fund become
ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (and the Fund also satisfies those holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends distributed to the shareholder), (ii) the shareholder is under an obligation
(whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related
property, or (iii) the shareholder elects to treat
such dividend as investment income under section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Dividends received by a Fund from a REIT or another RIC may be treated as qualified
dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT or RIC. It is expected that dividends received by a Fund from a REIT and distributed to a shareholder generally will be taxable
to the shareholder as ordinary income.
Distributions from net capital gain (if any) that are reported as capital gains dividends are taxable as long-term capital
gains without regard to the length of time the shareholder has held shares of a Fund. However, if you receive a capital gains dividend with respect to Fund shares held for six months or less, any loss on the sale or exchange of those shares
shall, to the extent of the capital gains dividend, be treated as a long-term capital loss. The maximum individual rate applicable to “qualified dividend income” and long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20% depending on
whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts. The IRS and the Department of the Treasury have issued regulations that impose special rules in respect of capital gain dividends received through partnership interests
constituting “applicable partnership interests” under Section 1061 of the Internal Revenue Code.
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain
distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such
person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a
threshold amount.
At the beginning of every year, each Fund will provide shareholders with a tax reporting statement containing information
detailing the estimated tax status of any distributions that the Funds paid during the previous calendar year. REITs in which a Fund invests often do not provide complete and final tax information to the Fund until after the time that the Fund
issues the tax reporting statement. As a result, a Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary,
the Fund will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting
statement in completing your tax returns.
Each Fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends and capital gain
distributions, if any, at the time they are paid and will advise you of its tax status for federal income tax purposes, including what portion of the distributions will be qualified dividend income, shortly after the close of each calendar year.
If a Fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the
Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the
shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, and thereafter, as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.
To the extent that a return of capital distribution exceeds a shareholder’s adjusted basis, the distribution will be treated as gain from the sale of shares.
For corporate investors in a Fund, dividend distributions the Fund reports as dividends received from qualifying domestic
corporations will be eligible for the 50% corporate dividends-received deduction to the extent they would qualify if the Fund were a regular corporation.
Distributions by a Fund also may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes, which may
differ from the federal income tax treatment described above.
A sale of shares in a Fund 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 the shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. The maximum
individual tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the
individual’s income exceeds certain
threshold amounts. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any
long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased within 30
days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
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 (or minus) the amount of cash paid (or received) 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 aggregate market value of any securities received plus (or minus) the amount of any cash received (or paid) for such
Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing
“wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon the exchange of securities for 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 comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less will be treated as a 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). Authorized Participants who are dealers
in securities are subject to the tax rules applicable to dealers, which may result in tax consequences to such Authorized Participants different from those described herein.
Each Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon
obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such
securities on the date of deposit. Each Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
Authorized Participants exchanging securities for Creation Units or redeeming Creation Units should consult with their own tax adviser.
Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement
accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (UBTI). Under current law, each Fund generally serves to block UBTI from
being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund where, for
example, (i) the Fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) or (ii) its shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed
property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisors. There are no restrictions
preventing the Funds from holding investments in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs, and the Funds may do so.
Non-corporate taxpayers generally may deduct 20% of “qualified business income” derived either directly or through
partnerships or S corporations. For this purpose, “qualified business income” generally includes ordinary REIT dividends and income derived from MLP investments. Each Fund is permitted to pass through to shareholders the character of ordinary
REIT dividends so as to allow non-corporate shareholders to claim this deduction. There currently is no mechanism for a Fund to pass through to non-corporate shareholders the
character of income derived from MLP investments. It is uncertain whether future legislation or other guidance will enable the Funds to pass through to non-corporate shareholders the ability to claim this deduction with respect to income derived from MLP investments.
Backup Withholding. Each Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at the applicable withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury
the withheld amount of taxable dividends and redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty
of perjury; (2) is subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he
or she is not subject to “backup withholding;” or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited
against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability.
Disclosure for Non-U.S. Shareholders. Distributions by the Fund to shareholders that are not “U.S. persons” within the meaning of the Internal
Revenue Code (“foreign shareholders”) properly reported by the Fund as (1) Capital Gain Dividends, (2) short-term capital gain dividends, and (3) interest-related
dividends, each as defined and subject to certain conditions described below, generally are not subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax.
In general, the Internal Revenue Code defines (1) “short-term capital gain
dividends” as distributions of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses and (2) “interest-related dividends” as distributions from
U.S.-source interest income of types similar to those not subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign shareholder, in each case to the extent such distributions are properly reported as such by each Fund in a written notice to
shareholders. The exceptions to withholding for Capital Gain Dividends and short-term capital gain dividends do not apply to (A) distributions to an individual foreign shareholder
who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution and (B) distributions attributable to gain that is
treated as effectively connected with the conduct by the foreign shareholder of a trade or business within the United States, under special rules regarding the disposition of “U.S. real property interests” (“USRPIs”) as described below. The exception to withholding for interest-related dividends does not apply to distributions to a foreign shareholder (A) that has not provided
a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (B) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign shareholder is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (C) that is
within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (D) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign shareholder and the foreign
shareholder is a controlled foreign corporation.
If a Fund invests in a RIC that pays Capital Gain Dividends, short-term capital gain dividends or interest-related dividends
to the Fund, such distributions retain their character as not subject to withholding if properly reported when paid by the Fund to foreign shareholders. Each Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as interest-related and/or
short-term capital gain dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so.
In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if a Fund reports all or a portion of a payment as an interest-related or short-term capital gain dividend to shareholders. Foreign shareholders should contact
their intermediaries regarding the application of these rules to their accounts.
Foreign shareholders with respect to whom income from a Fund is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the foreign shareholder within the United States will in general be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the
income derived from the Fund at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents or domestic corporations, whether such income is received in cash or reinvested in shares of a Fund and, in the case of a foreign corporation, may
also be subject to a branch profits tax. If a foreign shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States. More generally, foreign shareholders who are
residents in a country with an income tax treaty with the United States may obtain different tax results than those described herein, and are urged to consult their tax advisors.
Distributions by the Fund to foreign shareholders other than Capital Gain Dividends, short-term capital gain dividends, and interest-related dividends (e.g. dividends attributable
to dividend and foreign-source interest income or to short-term capital gains or U.S. source interest income to which the exception from withholding described above does not apply) are generally subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax
at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate).
A foreign shareholder is not, in general, subject
to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of a Fund unless (i) such gain is effectively connected with the
conduct by the foreign shareholder of a trade or business within the United States, (ii) in the case of a foreign shareholder that is an individual, the shareholder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the
year of the sale and certain other conditions are met, or (iii) the special rules relating to gain attributable to the sale or exchange of USRPIs apply to the foreign shareholder’s sale of shares of the Fund (as described below).
Special rules would apply if a Fund were a qualified investment entity (“QIE”) because it is either a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of certain exceptions to the definition of USRPIs described below. Very generally, a USRPHC is a domestic corporation that holds USRPIs the fair market value of which
equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the corporation’s USRPIs, interests in real property located outside the United States, and other trade or
business assets. USRPIs are generally defined as any interest in U.S. real property and any interest (other than solely as a creditor) in a USRPHC or, very generally, an entity
that has been a USRPHC in the last five years. A Fund that holds, directly or indirectly, significant interests in REITs may be a USRPHC. Interests in domestically controlled QIEs, including REITs and RICs that are QIEs, not-greater-than 10% interests in
publicly traded classes of stock in REITs and not-greater-than-5% interests in publicly traded classes of stock in RICs generally are not USRPIs, but these exceptions do not apply
for purposes of determining whether the Fund is a QIE. If an interest in a Fund were a USRPI, the Fund would be required to withhold U.S. tax on the proceeds of a share redemption by a greater-than-5% foreign shareholder, in which case such foreign shareholder generally would also be required
to file U.S. tax returns and pay any additional taxes due in connection with the redemption.
If a Fund were a QIE, under a special “look-through” rule, any distributions by the Fund to a foreign shareholder (including, in certain cases, distributions made by the Fund in redemption of its shares) attributable directly or indirectly to (i)
distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier RIC or REIT that the Fund is required to treat as USRPI gain in its hands, and (ii) gains realized on the disposition of USRPIs by the Fund would retain their character as gains realized from
USRPIs in the hands of the Fund's foreign shareholders and would be subject to U.S. tax withholding. In addition, such distributions could result in the foreign shareholder being required to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax on the distributions at regular U.S. federal income tax rates. The consequences to a foreign shareholder, including the rate of such withholding
and character of such distributions (e.g., as ordinary income or USRPI gain), would vary depending upon the extent of the foreign shareholder’s current and past ownership of
a Fund.
Foreign shareholders of a Fund also may be subject to
“wash sale” rules to prevent the avoidance of the tax-filing and -payment obligations discussed above through the sale and repurchase of Fund shares.
Each Fund generally does not expect its shares to be considered USRPIs. Foreign
shareholders should consult their tax advisers and, if holding shares through intermediaries, their intermediaries, concerning the application of these rules to their investment in a Fund.
In order to qualify for any exemptions from withholding described above or for lower withholding tax rates under income tax
treaties, or to establish an exemption from backup withholding, a foreign shareholder must comply with special certification and filing requirements relating to its non-U.S. status
(including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E or substitute form). Foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisers in this regard.
Special rules (including withholding and reporting requirements) apply to foreign
partnerships and those holding a Fund’s shares through foreign partnerships. Additional considerations may apply to foreign trusts and estates. Investors holding a Fund’s shares through foreign entities should consult their tax advisers about their particular situation.
A foreign shareholder may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate
tax in addition to the U.S. federal income tax referred to above.
Reportable Transactions. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of at least $2 million in any single taxable year or $4
million in any combination of taxable years for an individual shareholder or $10 million in any single taxable year or $20 million in any combination of taxable years for a
corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC such as the Funds are not
excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. 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.
Dividends and Distributions
Dividends
Dividends of the Funds, if any, are generally declared and paid annually. Income dividends are derived from investment income, including dividends, interest, and certain foreign currency gains, if any, received by the Funds. Capital gains distributions, if any, usually will be declared and paid in December for the prior twelve-month period ending
October 31.
Financial Statements
Because the Funds had not yet commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, the Funds
do not have financial statements.
Appendix A—Proxy Voting
Policy
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and
Thrivent Asset Management, LLC
Proxy Voting Policies and
Procedures and Voting Guidelines Summary
Introduction
Responsibility to Vote
Proxies
Overview. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Asset Management, LLC (collectively, in their capacity as investment advisers,
“Thrivent”) have adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (“Policies and Procedures”) for the purpose of establishing formal policies and procedures for performing and documenting Thrivent’s fiduciary
duty with regard to the voting of client proxies, including investment companies which it sponsors and for which it serves as investment adviser (“Thrivent Funds”) and by institutional accounts who have requested that Thrivent be
involved in the proxy process.
Fiduciary Considerations. It is the policy of Thrivent that decisions with respect to proxy issues will be made primarily in
light of the anticipated impact of the issue on the desirability of investing in the portfolio company. Thrivent seeks to vote proxies solely in the interests of the client, including Thrivent Funds, and in a manner consistent with its fiduciary
obligations and responsibilities. Logistics involved may make it impossible at times, and at other times disadvantageous, to vote proxies in every instance.
The
procedural requirements contained in these Policies and Procedures do not apply in the case of requests for consents related to investments in private funds. With respect to private fund investments, the procedures described below under
“Consents Related to Private Investments” apply.
Administration of Policies and Procedures
Thrivent has formed a committee that is responsible for establishing positions with respect to corporate governance and other proxy issues, among other oversight
functions related to Thrivent’s responsible investment processes (“Committee”). Annually, the Committee reviews the Policies and Procedures, including in relation to recommended changes reflected in applicable benchmark
policies and voting guidelines of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”). As discussed below, Thrivent may, with the approval of the Committee, vote proxies other than in accordance with the applicable voting guidelines
in the Policies and Procedures.
How Proxies are Reviewed, Processed and Voted
Proxy Voting Process Overview
Thrivent’s proxy voting process is
designed to act in the best interests of the Thrivent Funds and other accounts it manages, adhering to legal and fiduciary standards. This process involves a careful evaluation of management and shareholder proposals pursuant to Thrivent’s
Proxy Voting Guidelines, incorporating a wide range of factors that are financially material to portfolio companies’ and Thrivent clients’ objectives. Thrivent’s global approach is informed by various sources, including
management’s recommendation, the recommendation of proxy voting advisory firms, and internal assessments. Thrivent’s Proxy Voting Guidelines are crafted to help clients and portfolio companies understand its voting rationale, maintaining
flexibility to adapt to individual situations.
1
Thrivent expects to vote proxies on behalf of clients in many cases in accordance with the Voting Guidelines. Thrivent
retains the discretion, however, to vote any proxy on behalf of all or one or more clients in a manner inconsistent with the Voting Guidelines if Thrivent determines that doing so is in each applicable client’s best interest. In making such a
determination, Thrivent may consider any information it deems relevant, including each applicable client’s investment objectives, strategies and processes. In such cases, the person requesting to diverge from the Voting Guidelines or process
is required to document in writing the rationale for their vote and submit all written documentation to the Committee for review and approval. In determining whether to approve any particular request, the Committee will determine that the request is
not influenced by any conflict of interest and is in the best interests of the applicable client(s). As a result, there may be instances when, with respect to a particular proxy vote item, Thrivent votes proxies on behalf of some clients in a manner
that differs from how Thrivent votes proxies for other clients.
Notwithstanding any of the above, Thrivent may also vote proxies in any matter as directed by a
client.
Retention of a Third Party Proxy Adviser
In order to
facilitate the proxy voting process, Thrivent has retained ISS, an unaffiliated third-party proxy service provider, to provide proxy voting-related services, including custom vote recommendations, research, vote execution, reporting, auditing and
consulting assistance for the handling of proxy voting responsibilities. ISS specializes in providing a variety of fiduciary-level proxy advisory and voting services. ISS analyzes each proxy vote of Thrivent’s client accounts and prepares a
recommendation and/or materials for Thrivent’s consideration which reflect ISS’s application of the Policies and Procedures.
In determining how to vote
proxies, Thrivent’s Proxy Voting Guidelines leverage the ISS Benchmark Proxy Voting Guidelines (“Benchmark Guidelines”) where applicable. For certain proposal types, Thrivent will provide standing instructions to ISS to vote
proxies based on the recommendation of the Benchmark Guidelines; for other proposal types, Thrivent’s investment and/or other personnel, as the circumstances warrant, may leverage research and recommendations issued pursuant to the Benchmark
Guidelines as part of the determination process.
The Benchmark Guidelines can be found at https://www.issgovernance.com/policy-gateway/voting-policies/.
Thrivent utilizes ISS’s voting agent services for notification of upcoming shareholder meetings of portfolio companies held in client accounts and to transmit
votes on behalf of Thrivent’s clients. ISS provides comprehensive summaries of proxy proposals, publications discussing key proxy voting issues, and specific vote recommendations regarding portfolio company proxies to assist in the proxy
voting process. The final authority and responsibility for proxy voting decisions remains with Thrivent, unless otherwise directed by a client. Decisions with respect to proxy matters are made primarily in light of the anticipated impact of the
issue on the desirability of investing in the company from the viewpoint of our respective clients, while adhering to legal and fiduciary standards to maximize shareholder value.
Shareholder Proposals
For shareholder proposals where Thrivent uses
research and recommendations issued pursuant to the Benchmark Guidelines and a voting determination is made by investment and/or other Thrivent personnel, Thrivent has developed evaluation frameworks designed to thoroughly assess each proposal,
ensuring alignment with the best interests of company shareholders. Aspects of these frameworks may also be used for other proposals where Thrivent uses research and recommendations issued pursuant to the Benchmark Guidelines and a voting
determination is made by investment and/or other Thrivent personnel.
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Supplement Applicable to Quantitative/Index Strategies
Certain of Thrivent’s client accounts are accounts (or a portion thereof) that employ a quantitative strategy that relies on factor-based models or an
index-tracking approach rather than primarily on fundamental security research and analyst coverage that an actively managed portfolio using fundamental research would typically employ (“Quantitative/Index Accounts”); often,
Quantitative/Index Accounts hold a high number of positions. Accordingly, in light of the considerable time and effort that would be required to review ISS research and recommendations and the differing strategies for these accounts, absent client
direction, for securities held only in Quantitative/Index Accounts, for certain categories of proposals, Thrivent uses a different process to review and determine a voting outcome that is used for other accounts. For these categories of proposals,
Thrivent provides, consistent with the best interest of its clients, standing instructions to ISS to vote proxies for Quantitative/Index Accounts based on the recommendation of ISS pursuant to the Benchmark Guidelines. When securities are also held
in accounts (or a portion thereof) that rely on fundamental security research and analyst coverage, the Quantitative/Index Accounts will generally vote in accordance with the voting determination of those fundamental account(s), subject to any
exceptions that may arise consistent with these guidelines and policies.
Monitoring and Resolving Conflicts of Interest
The Committee is responsible for monitoring and resolving possible material conflicts between the interests of Thrivent and those of its clients with respect to proxy
voting. Examples of situations where conflicts of interest can arise are when i) the issuer is a vendor whose products or services are material to Thrivent’s business; ii) the issuer is an entity participating to a material extent in the
distribution of proprietary investment products advised, administered or sponsored by Thrivent; iii) an Access Person1 of Thrivent also serves as a director or officer of the issuer; and iv) there
is a personal conflict of interest (e.g., familial relationship with company management). Other circumstances or relationships can also give rise to potential conflicts of interest.
All material conflicts of interest will be resolved in the interests of the clients. Application of the Policies and Procedures’ applicable voting guidelines to
vote client proxies is generally relied on to address possible conflicts of interest since the voting guidelines are pre-determined by the Committee. Where there is discretion in the voting guidelines, voting
as recommended under an ISS policy may be relied on to address potential conflicts of interest.
In cases where Thrivent is considering overriding these Policies
and Procedures’ applicable voting guidelines, or in the event there is discretion in determining how to vote (for example, where or the guidelines provide for a case by case internal review) matters presented for vote are not governed by such
guidelines, the Committee will follow these or other similar procedures:
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Compliance will conduct a review to seek to identify potential material conflicts of interest. If no material conflict of
interest is identified, the proxy will be voted as determined by the Committee or the appropriate Thrivent personnel under these policies and procedures. The Compliance review process for identifying potential conflicts of interest will be reviewed
by the Committee and may include a review of factors indicative of a potential conflict of interest or a determination that voting in accordance with ISS’s recommendation(s) can reasonably be relied on to address potential conflicts of
interest. |
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If a material conflict of interest is identified, the Committee will be apprised of that fact and the Committee will
evaluate the proposed vote in order to ensure that the proxy ultimately is voted in what Thrivent believes to be the best interests of clients, and without regard for the conflict of interest. The Committee will document its vote determination,
including the nature of the material conflict, the Committee’s analysis of the matters submitted for proxy vote, and the reasons why the Committee determined that the votes were cast in the best interests of clients.
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“Access Person” has the meaning provided under the current Thrivent Code of Ethics. |
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Certain Thrivent Funds (“top tier fund”) may own shares of other Thrivent Funds (‘‘underlying
fund”). If an underlying fund submits a matter to a shareholder vote, the top tier fund will generally vote its shares in the same proportion as the other shareholders of the underlying fund. If there are no other shareholders in the
underlying fund (or no other shareholders other than Thrivent-advised accounts), Thrivent may vote the accounts invested in the underlying fund in what Thrivent believes to be the client’s best interest.
Shareblocking
Shareblocking is the practice in certain foreign countries of
“freezing” shares for trading purposes in order to vote proxies relating to those shares. Thrivent generally refrains from voting shares in shareblocking countries unless the matter has compelling economic consequences that outweigh the
loss of liquidity in the blocked shares.
Applying Proxy Voting Policies to non-U.S. Companies
Thrivent applies a two-tier approach to determining and applying global proxy voting policies. The first tier establishes
baseline policy guidelines for the most fundamental issues, which apply without regard to a company’s domicile. The second tier takes into account various idiosyncrasies of different countries, making allowances for standard market practices,
as long as they do not violate the fundamental goals of good corporate governance. The goal is to enhance shareholder value through effective use of the shareholder franchise, recognizing that applying policies developed for U.S. corporate
governance may not be appropriate for all markets.
Securities Lending
From time to time, certain clients may participate in a securities lending program. Thrivent will not have the right to vote shares on loan as of record date. Thrivent
will generally not seek to recall shares on loan in order to vote, unless it determines that a vote would have a material effect on an investment in such loaned security. Thrivent will use reasonable efforts to recall securities. The ability to vote
recalled shares is subject to administrative considerations, including the feasibility of a timely recall prior to record date. Thrivent may also restrict lending of securities in consideration of individual account and/or aggregate client
investment in a company, or other criteria established from time to time.
Oversight, Reporting and Record Retention
Retention of Proxy Service Provider and Oversight of Voting
In overseeing
proxy voting generally and determining whether or not to retain the services of ISS, Thrivent performs the following functions, among others, to determine that Thrivent continues to vote proxies in the best interest of its clients: i) periodic
sampling of proxy votes; ii) periodic reviews of Thrivent’s Policies and Procedures to determine they are adequate and have been implemented effectively, including whether they continue to be reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are
voted in the best interest of Thrivent’s clients; iii) periodic due diligence on ISS designed to monitor ISS’s a) capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues, including the adequacy and quality of its staffing and
personnel, as well as b) its methodologies for developing vote recommendations and ensuring that its research is accurate and complete; and iv) periodic reviews of ISS’s procedures regarding their capabilities to identify and address conflicts
of interest.
Proxy statements and solicitation materials of issuers (other than those which are available on the SEC’s EDGAR database) are kept by ISS in its
capacity as voting agent and are available upon request. Thrivent retains documentation on shares voted differently than the Thrivent Policies and Procedures voting guidelines, and any document which is material to a proxy voting decision such as
the Thrivent Policies and Procedures voting guidelines and the Committee meeting materials.
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ISS provides Vote Summary Reports for each Thrivent Fund. The report specifies the company, ticker, other applicable
identifier (e.g., Cusip, SEDOL, etc.), meeting dates, proxy proposals, and votes which have been cast for the Thrivent Fund during the period, the position taken with respect to each issue and whether the Thrivent Fund voted with or against company
management.
Copies of Voting Records and Policies
A copy of Thrivent’s
detailed voting guidelines and the voting records of client accounts are available to Thrivent’s clients upon request.
Consents Related to Private
Investments
From time to time, the Thrivent Funds or other clients may invest in private investments. When these private investments request consent to change the
terms or other conditions of their securities, Thrivent will promptly review these solicitations. Thrivent is committed to voting in the best interests of its clients, taking into account any potential conflicts of interest. The responsibility to
vote on consents is delegated to certain of the Investment Personnel, as defined in the Thrivent Code of Ethics, of the Private Investments Group. The Private Investments Group, alongside the Chief Compliance Officer, or his or her designee, will
document and assess any potential conflicts of interest related to the consent voting process. If a conflict is deemed material by the Chief Compliance Officer, or his or her designee, the Committee will be apprised. The Committee will then
determine the best way to manage the conflict, ensuring votes serve the clients’ best interests.
Thrivent’s Proxy Voting Guidelines
Specific voting guidelines have been adopted by the Committee for regularly occurring categories of management and shareholder proposals. The detailed voting guidelines
are available to Thrivent’s clients upon request. The following is a summary of significant Thrivent policies, which are generally consistent with the Benchmark Guidelines referenced above.
Board of Directors and Corporate Governance
Voting on Director Nominees in
Uncontested Elections
Generally, Thrivent votes for director nominees, except under specific circumstances.
Four fundamental principles apply when determining votes on director nominees:
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Accountability: Boards should be sufficiently accountable to shareholders, including through transparency of the
company’s governance practices and regular board elections, by the provision of sufficient information for shareholders to be able to assess directors and board composition, and through the ability of shareholders to remove directors. It is
expected that boards will engage in critical self-evaluation of themselves and of individual members. Individual directors, in turn, are expected to devote significant amounts of time to their duties and to limit the number of directorships they
accept. |
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Responsiveness: Directors should respond to investor input, such as that expressed through significant opposition
to management proposals, significant support for shareholder proposals (whether binding or non-binding), and tender offers where a majority of shares are tendered. |
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Composition: Companies should ensure that directors add value to the board by having sufficient time and
commitment to serve effectively. Boards should be of a size appropriate to accommodate expertise and independence, while ensuring active and collaborative participation by all members. |
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Independence: Thrivent believes boards are expected to have a majority of directors independent of management. The
independent directors are expected to organize much of the |
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board’s work, even if the chief executive officer also serves as chairperson of the board. Key committees (audit, compensation, and nominating/corporate governance) of the board are
expected to be entirely independent of management. |
Circumstances under which Thrivent may abstain, vote against or withhold votes from directors,
pursuant to the Benchmark, include:
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Independence-related issues such as non-independent directors on a board with <
50% independence. |
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Composition-related issues such as low attendance or overboarding. |
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Responsiveness-related issues such as poor responsiveness to a low say-on-pay vote. |
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Accountability-related issues such as problematic takeover defenses, capital structure, and/or governance structure
(including poison pill, unequal voting rights, classified board, removal of shareholder discretion, problematic governance structure, unilateral bylaw/charter amendments, restrictions on shareholder proposals, director performance evaluations,
problematic audit practices, pledging, climate accountability, other governance failures). |
Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections
Thrivent votes case-by-case on the election of directors in contested
elections.
Other Proposals Related to Board Structure & Accountability
Thrivent believes boards should be sufficiently accountable to shareholders, including through transparency of the company’s governance practices and regular
board elections, by the provision of sufficient information for shareholders to be able to assess directors and board composition, and through the ability of shareholders to remove directors.
Thrivent may vote case-by-base on proposals related to age & term limits,
proposals to establish or amend director qualifications, proposals to establish a new board committee, proposals to separate the board chair and CEO position, proposals related to director and officer indemnification, liability protection, and
exculpation, and other proposals related to routine/standard board-related items.
Thrivent votes against management efforts to stagger board member terms because a
staggered board may act as a deterrent to takeover proposals. For the same reason, Thrivent votes against proposals to eliminate cumulative voting and votes for proposals that seek to fix the size of the board.
Ratification of Auditors
Thrivent votes for proposals to ratify auditors,
unless an auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company, and is therefore not independent; there is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the
company’s financial position; non-audit fees paid represent 50 percent or more of the total fees paid to the auditor; or poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a serious level of
concern.
Executive and Director Compensation
Well-designed incentive
programs play a crucial role in guiding executive management decisions towards long-term value enhancement. Conversely, incentive programs with unsuitable performance targets or design flaws can hinder the alignment between management’s
incentives and the interests of investors. We believe that as proactive investors, it’s our duty to comprehend the compensation structures of the companies in our portfolio and to offer constructive feedback — via our proxy voting and
direct interactions — whenever we identify areas of concern.
Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say on Pay)
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Shareholder votes to approve executive compensation — generally votes of an advisory nature — have become
common in markets around the world. It is challenging to apply a rules-based framework to compensation votes because every pay program is a unique reflection of the company’s performance, industry, size, geographic mix, and competitive
landscape. Additionally, factors such as executives’ individual performance, achievement of goals, experience, tenure, skills, and leadership should be taken into account in evaluating the overall compensation context. For these reasons,
Thrivent votes on executive and director compensation proposals following a case-by-case evaluation. Generally, Thrivent opposes compensation packages that provide what
we view as excessive awards to a few senior executives or that contain excessively dilutive stock option grants based on a number of criteria such as the costs associated with the plan, plan features, and dilution to shareholders.
Factors considered in our evaluation of “Say on Pay” votes includes an annual
pay-for-performance analysis for companies in the S&P 1500, Russell 3000 or Russell 3000E Indices, conducted by ISS. This evaluation includes two primary factors:
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Peer Group Alignment: This assesses the relationship between the company’s total shareholder return (TSR) rank and
the CEO’s total pay rank within a peer group, measured over five years. It also considers the CEO’s pay multiple relative to the peer group median. |
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Absolute Alignment: This examines the alignment between the trend in CEO pay and company TSR over the previous five fiscal
years. |
If this analysis indicates significant misalignment, Thrivent may include qualitative factors for a deeper evaluation, such as the ratio
of performance- to time-based incentives, the rigor of performance goals, and transparency of pay program disclosures. Additionally, Thrivent scrutinizes problematic pay practices on a
case-by-case basis, focusing on practices that contravene global pay principles.
Thrivent generally votes for holding annual advisory votes on compensation, which provide the most consistent and clear communication channel for shareholder concerns
about companies’ executive pay programs.
Equity-Based and Other Incentive Plans
We believe long-term equity plans, used appropriately, provide strong alignment of interests between executives and investors. These plans can be effective in linking
executives’ pay to the company’s performance as well as attracting and retaining management talent.
We evaluate requests to approve or renew equity
plans on a case-by-case basis, taking into account a combination of certain plan features and equity grant practices, where positive factors may counterbalance negative
factors, and vice versa, as evaluated using an “Equity Plan Scorecard” (EPSC) approach with three pillars:
Plan Cost: The total
estimated cost of the company’s equity plans relative to industry/market cap peers, measured by the company’s estimated Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT) in relation to peers and considering both:
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SVT based on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants, plus outstanding unvested/unexercised grants; and
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SVT based only on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants. |
Plan Features:
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Quality of disclosure around vesting upon a change in control (CIC); |
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Discretionary vesting authority; |
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Liberal share recycling on various award types; |
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Lack of minimum vesting period for grants made under the plan; |
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Dividends payable prior to award vesting. |
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Disclosure of non-employee directors’ cash-denominated award limits. |
Grant Practices:
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The company’s three year burn rate relative to its industry/market cap peers; |
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Vesting requirements in CEO’S recent equity grants (3-year look-back);
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The estimated duration of the plan (based on the sum of shares remaining available and the new shares requested, divided by the average
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The proportion of the CEO’s most recent equity grants/awards subject to performance conditions; |
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Whether the company maintains a sufficient claw-back policy; |
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Whether the company maintains sufficient post exercise/vesting share-holding requirements. |
Negative Overriding Factor: If the plan lacks sufficient positive features under the Plan Features pillar, despite an overall passing score.
Other Compensation Plans
Thrivent has varying approaches for evaluating
other compensation-related proposals, guided by a set of principles aimed at ensuring fair and effective compensation practices.
Capital Structure and
Incorporation
Thrivent generally votes on a case-by-case basis on proposals
related to capital structure and incorporation and seeks to vote in a way that protects shareholders’ value in the companies in which the Thrivent funds invest. When voting on capital structure issues, Thrivent considers the dilutive impact to
shareholders and the effect on shareholder rights.
Thrivent will evaluate reincorporation proposals on a case-by-case basis. Considerations include:
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Regulations of both states or countries |
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Increases in Common Stock
Thrivent’s policy for voting on proposals
to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock is nuanced and case-by-case, guided by specific criteria. For general corporate purposes, the policy is to
vote for an increase in authorized shares depending on the percentage of share usage: up to 50% increase if less than 50% of current shares are used, up to 100% if usage is between 50% and 100%, and up to the current share usage if it exceeds the
authorized shares. However, Thrivent generally votes against increases, even within these parameters, if the proposal or the company’s use of shares is problematic, such as seeking to increase shares with superior voting rights or having a non-shareholder approved poison pill. Exceptions are made for increases beyond these ratios in cases where non-approval poses severe risks, like imminent bankruptcy or
requirements by government bodies. In states allowing unilateral capital increases without shareholder approval, Thrivent may vote against all nominees if the increase doesn’t conform to these policies. For specific authorization requests
linked to transactions (like acquisitions or SPAC transactions), the policy is generally to vote for the increase, with the allowable increase being the greater of twice the amount needed for the transactions or the calculated increase for general
issuances.
Multi-Class Share Structures
Thrivent generally recommends
voting against proposals to create a new class of common stock, except in specific circumstances where the company provides a compelling rationale for a dual-class capital structure. Such exceptions include situations where the company’s
auditor expresses substantial doubt about the company’s ongoing viability, or when the new share class is intended to be temporary. Additionally, Thrivent may support the creation of a new class if it is aimed at financing purposes with
minimal or no short-term and long-term dilution to current shareholders, and it is not structured to preserve or enhance the voting power of insiders or significant shareholders. The policy underscores a
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cautious approach to changes in capital structure that could impact shareholder rights and company governance.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Thrivent votes on mergers and acquisitions on a case-by-case basis, taking into account and balancing the following: anticipated financial and operating benefits, including the opinion of the financial advisor, market
reaction, offer price (cost vs. premium) and prospects of the combined companies; how the deal was negotiated; potential conflicts of interest between management’s interests and shareholders’ interests; and changes in corporate
governance and their impact on shareholder rights.
Anti-takeover and Shareholder Rights Plans
Thrivent adopts a nuanced approach towards voting on anti-takeover provisions, with a policy anchored in the principles of flexibility, fairness, and transparency in
corporate governance. This approach involves critical evaluation of various factors, including the dilutive impact of capital structure changes, the balance of authority between the board and shareholders, especially in amending bylaws, and the
careful scrutiny of provisions related to control share acquisitions, fair price, and poison pills. Thrivent also assesses the implications of litigation rights, voting disclosure, and mechanisms that empower shareholders, such as the ability to act
by written consent or call special meetings. We believe in maintaining a market for corporate control that functions without undue restrictions, as it often leads to acquisitions that increase shareholder value. Consequently, Thrivent typically
votes against the adoption of anti-takeover provisions like shareholder rights plans (poison pills), which can lead to management entrenchment and reduced board accountability, aiming to support proposals that enhance shareholder value and rights
and oppose those that restrict or harm these interests.
Shareholders Rights Plans (“poison pills”)
For shareholder proposals requesting the submission of a poison pill to a vote or its redemption, Thrivent generally votes in favor, except when there is an existing
shareholder-approved poison pill or a policy that allows the board to adopt a pill under specific conditions, including immediate shareholder ratification. Such pills must be put to a shareholder vote within 12 months of adoption or they will
expire.
In cases where management proposes ratification of a poison pill, Thrivent’s vote is
case-by-case, focusing on the rights plan’s attributes like a trigger no lower than 20%, a maximum term of three years, the absence of features that limit a future
board’s ability to redeem the pill, and a shareholder redemption feature. The company’s rationale for adopting the pill is also critically assessed, along with its governance structure, including board independence and existing defenses.
When it comes to poison pills aimed at preserving Net Operating Losses (NOLs), Thrivent votes against proposals if the term exceeds the shorter of three years or
the exhaustion of the NOLs. For management proposals to ratify NOL pills with a shorter term, the vote is case-by-case, considering factors like the ownership threshold,
the value of the NOLs, shareholder protection mechanisms, the company’s governance structure, and other relevant factors.
Shareholder Ability to Call a
Special Meeting & Act by Written Consent
Thrivent’s policy regarding shareholder rights to act by written consent and to call special meetings
is focused on maintaining and enhancing shareholder participation and influence in corporate governance. Generally, Thrivent votes against any proposals that seek to restrict or prohibit shareholders’ ability to act by written consent. We
generally support proposals that enable shareholders to act by written consent, considering factors such as the existing rights, consent thresholds, any exclusionary language, the investor ownership structure, and the history of shareholder support
and management responses to related proposals.
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When it comes to shareholders’ ability to call special meetings, Thrivent typically votes against proposals that
restrict or prohibit this right. We generally support management or shareholder proposals that facilitate the ability of shareholders to call special meetings, paying attention to current rights, the minimum ownership threshold necessary for calling
meetings (with a preference for a 10% threshold), any prohibitive language in the proposals, the investor ownership structure, and the track record of both shareholder support and management’s responses to past proposals.
Voting Requirements
Thrivent generally supports management proposals to
adopt a majority of votes cast standard for directors in uncontested elections.
Thrivent generally opposes proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote
and generally supports proposals to reduce supermajority vote requirements. However, for companies with shareholder who have significant ownership levels, Thrivent may vote
case-by-case, taking into account: Ownership structure; Quorum requirements; and Vote requirements.
Thrivent generally votes case-by-case on proposals regarding proxy voting mechanics,
taking into consideration whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder rights. Specific issues include, but are not limited to, confidential voting of individual proxies and ballots, confidentiality of running
vote tallies, and the treatment of abstentions and/or broker non-votes in the company’s vote-counting methodology.
Environmental and Social Management Proposals
Thrivent will generally vote
in accordance with the ISS Benchmark recommendations with regard to management proposals relating to environmental and social topics, such as those related to approval of political donations.
Shareholder Proposals
At Thrivent, we evaluate shareholder proposals with the
overarching goal of aligning our voting decisions with the best interests of shareholders and maximizing long-term value. Shareholder proposals are reviewed on a
case-by-case basis starting with thoughtful and consistent framework processes that consider the materiality of the issue to the company’s business, the
company’s current practices and disclosures, the context and credibility of the proposal and its proponent, alignment with shareholder interests, and the proposal’s prescriptiveness.
We recognize that proposals can vary significantly in scope and impact, and our evaluation process reflects this diversity. While our actively managed fundamental
strategies apply a detailed, research-driven approach to voting decisions, our quantitative and index strategies with investments not also held by actively managed fundamental strategies rely on processes that balance efficiency with shareholder
value considerations. This distinction ensures that each proposal is assessed in a manner consistent with the strategy and objectives of the portfolios holding the security.
Environmental and Social Shareholder Proposals
When evaluating
environmental and social proposals, we adopt a case-by-case analysis that balances the specific circumstances of each company with the broader context of market norms
and regulatory requirements. The starting point of our evaluation is a framework that involves analyzing the relevance of a proposal in terms of its direct relation to the company’s business activities, strategies, and performance.
The framework considers the potential material impact of the proposal on the company’s long-term value with a focus on financial performance or valuation.
Additionally, Thrivent examines the company’s current practices, policies, and disclosures relevant to the proposal, while considering industry-standard practices
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and trends (market norms) to provide a benchmark for evaluation. Understanding the legal and regulatory landscape, including existing laws and future regulatory trends, forms a part of this
evaluation. The framework also encompasses identifying the proposal’s proponents to understand their motivations and potential implications, as well as considering the proposal’s potential reputational impact on the company. Assessing
the reasonableness of the proposal in terms of practicality, feasibility, and logic, and evaluating its persuasiveness based on clarity, logic, and evidence, are also integral components of the process.
By leveraging this structured framework, Thrivent ensures that our voting decisions are informed and consider long-term value creation for shareholders.
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Consideration |
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Explanation |
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Materiality |
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Does the resolution address an issue that is material for this company? Does the proposal reflect an industry-specific,
materiality-driven approach? |
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The relevance of the resolution is crucial in determining if it aligns with the core business and operations of
the company. Materiality is key to understanding if the issue can significantly impact the company’s long-term value. |
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Current Practice |
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Does the proposal address a current shortcoming? Has the company already announced intentions to address the shortcoming? |
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Current practices and disclosures are reviewed to check if the company has already taken steps to address the
issue. Market norms provide context by showing industry standards and peer responses. |
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Context |
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Who are the proponents of the resolution, and are they tied to any particular interest groups? Do the proponent’s interests
align with ours? |
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Understanding the proponent helps identify their motivations and alignment with the company’s objectives.
The reasonableness and persuasiveness of the proposal are essential to ensure it is practical and effectively communicated. |
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Shareholder
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Are shareholders the optimal stakeholders to address the core issue that is the subject of the resolution? Does the proposal add
value for shareholders? Does the proposal address substantive matters that may impact shareholders’ interests, including shareholders’ rights? |
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This involves assessing whether the issue falls within shareholder influence or if it’s better addressed
through regulatory compliance and legal mandates. |
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Prescriptiveness |
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Is the proposal NOT overly prescriptive? Do the proposal’s demands NOT unreasonably restrict management from conducting its
business? |
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The reasonableness of the proposal is evaluated to ensure it is not excessively demanding. The company’s
current practices and disclosures are reviewed to determine if there is already a framework addressing the issue. |
Other Shareholder Proposals
Thrivent’s approach to evaluating other shareholder proposals reflects our commitment to responsible investment stewardship and alignment with shareholder value.
Recognizing the wide range of issues addressed by these proposals—such as governance structures, shareholder rights, executive compensation, and operational practices—we apply a consistent and thorough framework as a starting point to
ensure decisions are in the best interests of shareholders.
These shareholder proposals are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, balancing company-specific circumstances with broader governance standards and market practices. Our evaluation framework considers the materiality of the proposal, its relevance to the
company’s business strategy, and its
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potential to create or protect shareholder value. In addition, we assess the company’s current practices and policies to identify any governance shortcomings the proposal seeks to address.
The context and credibility of the proposal and its proponents are critical components of our analysis, helping to understand the proponents’ motivations and
whether they are aligned with shareholder interests. We also evaluate whether the proposal enhances shareholder rights, better aligns management and shareholder objectives, and avoids unnecessary prescriptiveness that could hinder the
company’s ability to operate effectively.
By leveraging this structured framework, Thrivent ensures that our voting decisions are informed and consider
long-term value creation for shareholders.
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Consideration |
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Explanation |
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Materiality |
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Is the issue material to the company’s business? Does the proposed action have the potential to materially impact the
company? |
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The relevance of the proposal is essential to ensure it addresses core business operations and aligns with
shareholder value creation. Materiality highlights the issue’s potential impact on financial and strategic outcomes. |
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Current Practice |
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Does the proposal remedy a governance weakness? Has the company already announced intentions to address the shortcoming? |
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Reviewing current practices and disclosures helps identify existing efforts to address the issue. Governance
improvements may align with industry standards or address peer comparisons. |
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Context |
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Who are the proponents of the resolution, and are they tied to any particular interest groups? Do the proponent’s interests
align with ours? |
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Understanding the proponents’ motivations ensures alignment with shareholder objectives. Proposals should be
reasonable and communicated effectively. |
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Shareholder
Alignment |
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Does the proposal enhance shareholder rights or create value for shareholders? Does the proposal have the potential to better align
executive and/or directors’ interests with those of shareholders? |
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Evaluating shareholder alignment ensures the proposal strengthens governance practices, improves shareholder
rights, and aligns interests with long-term value creation. |
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Prescriptiveness |
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Is the proposal NOT overly prescriptive? Does the proposal’s demands NOT unreasonably restrict management from conducting its
business? |
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Proposals should not impose excessive restrictions on management. They must balance practicality and flexibility
with achieving the intended objectives. |
Disclosure-Related Proposals
In assessing
proposals that request enhanced disclosure, Thrivent focuses on several critical factors, such as the company’s current level of disclosure, its compliance with relevant regulations and guidelines, and any significant controversies or fines
that might have arisen.
Thrivent’s policy is to vote on a case-by-case basis
on shareholder proposals seeking greater disclosure, as well as any associated risks and liabilities. The goal is to ensure that disclosures effectively balance the needs and interests of various stakeholders and are not overly onerous, diverting
resources from core business operations.
Action-Related Proposals
Regarding proposals that require a company to take a certain action, our policy is to carefully scrutinize requests for the adoption of specific targets, goals, or
changes in business practices. We acknowledge
12
that while shareholders may not always have the intricate knowledge of a company’s strategic operations, there are instances where such proposals can highlight areas needing improvement.
Thrivent assesses each proposal based on the nature of the company’s business, the practicality and feasibility of implementing the proposed actions, and how
these actions align with the company’s overall strategy and operational capabilities. In considering these proposals, Thrivent pays close attention to the company’s ability to address the issues raised in the proposal, the
proposal’s prescribed timetable and methods for implementation, and how the company’s practices compare with those of its industry peers.
Copies of
Voting Records and Policies
A copy of Thrivent’s detailed voting guidelines and the voting records of client accounts are available to Thrivent’s
clients upon request.
13
THRIVENT ETF TRUST
PART C: OTHER INFORMATION
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Reference is made to Article V of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust. |
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Amendment No. 4 to Investment Advisory Agreement, to be filed by subsequent amendment. |
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Amendment No. 4 to Distribution Agreement, to be filed by subsequent amendment. |
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Amendment, dated [ ], 2026, to Master Custodian Agreement, to be filed by subsequent amendment. |
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Amendment, dated [ ], to Administration Agreement, to be filed by subsequent amendment. |
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Amendment, dated [ ], to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, to be filed by subsequent amendment. |
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Amendment, dated [ ], to Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Procedures Supplement to Transfer Agency
and Service Agreement, to be filed by subsequent amendment. |
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Opinion and Consent of Ropes & Gray LLP, to be filed by subsequent amendment. |
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Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, to be filed by subsequent amendment. |
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Item 29.
Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant
Registrant is an open-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts
business trust on September 2, 2021. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (“Thrivent”), the parent company of the Registrant’s investment adviser, is a fraternal benefit society organized under the laws of the State of Wisconsin and is owned by and operated for
its members. It has no stockholders and is not subject to the control of any affiliated persons.
The following list shows the persons directly or indirectly controlled by Thrivent.
Financial statements of Thrivent will be presented on a consolidated basis.
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Fraternal benefit society offering financial services and products |
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Thrivent Financial Holdings, Inc.1
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Holding company with no independent operations |
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North Meadows Investment Ltd.2 |
Real estate development and investment corporation |
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Thrivent Advisor Network, LLC2 |
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Thrivent Asset Management, LLC2 |
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Thrivent Distributors, LLC2 |
Limited purpose broker-dealer |
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Thrivent Financial Investor Services Inc.2 |
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Thrivent Insurance Agency Inc.2 |
Life and health insurance agency |
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Newman Financial Services, LLC3 |
Long-term care insurance agency |
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Thrivent Investment Capital Advisors, LLC2 |
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Thrivent Investment Management Inc.2
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Broker-dealer and investment adviser |
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Federally chartered limited purpose trust bank |
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Thrivent Education Funding, LLC1
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White Rose CFO 2023 Holdings, LLC1
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White Rose CFO 2023, LLC4 |
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BADGER FBN 2025 HOLDINGS, LLC1 |
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Castle Lending Enterprises, LLC6
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College Avenue Student Loans, LLC7
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College Ave Student Loan Servicing LLC8
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College Ave Administrator LLC8 |
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College Ave Depositor, LLC8 |
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College Ave Residual Holdings, LLC8
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College Ave Holdings 2019-A, LLC8
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Thrivent White Rose GP II, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Fund II Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP III, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Fund III Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP IV, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Fund IV Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP V, LLC10 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund V Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP VI, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Fund VI Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP VII, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Fund VII Equity Direct, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund VII Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP VIII, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Fund VIII Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP IX, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Fund IX Equity Direct, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund IX Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP X, LLC10 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund X Equity Direct, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund X Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP XI, LLC9 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XI Equity Direct, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XI Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP XII, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XII Equity Direct, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XII Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP XIII, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XIII Equity Direct, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XIII Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP XIV, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XIV Equity Direct, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XIV Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP XV Fund of Funds, LLC10 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XV Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Feeder XV Fund of Funds, LLC12 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP XV Equity Direct, LLC10 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XV Equity Direct, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Feeder XV Equity Direct, LLC12 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP XVI Fund of Funds, LLC10 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XVI Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Feeder XVI Fund of Funds, LLC12 |
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Thrivent White Rose GP XVI Equity Direct, LLC10 |
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Thrivent White Rose Fund XVI Equity Direct, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Feeder XVI Equity Direct, LLC12 |
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Thrivent White Rose Opportunity Fund GP, LLC1 |
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Thrivent White Rose Opportunity Fund, LP1
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate GP, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate Fund I Fund of Funds, L.P.11 |
Private equity real estate fund |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate GP II, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate Fund II, L.P.11 |
Private equity real estate fund |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate GP III, LLC10 |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate Fund III, L.P.11 |
Private equity real estate fund |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate GP IV, LLC10 |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate Fund IV, L.P.11 |
Private equity real estate fund |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate Feeder IV, LLC12 |
Private equity real estate fund |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate GP V, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate Fund V, L.P.11 |
Private equity real estate fund |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate Feeder V, LLC12 |
Private equity real estate fund |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate GP VI, LLC10 |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate Fund VI, L.P.11 |
Private equity real estate fund |
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Thrivent White Rose Real Estate Feeder VI, LLC12 |
Private equity real estate fund |
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Thrivent White Rose Endurance GP, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Endurance Fund, L.P.11
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Thrivent White Rose Endurance GP II, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Endurance Fund II, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Endurance GP III, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Endurance Fund III, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Endurance Feeder III, LLC12 |
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Thrivent White Rose Endurance GP IV, LLC10
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Thrivent White Rose Endurance Fund IV, L.P.11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Endurance Feeder IV, LLC12 |
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Thrivent White Rose Private Credit GP I, LLC10 |
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Thrivent White Rose Private Credit Fund I Structured Note LP11 |
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Thrivent White Rose Private Credit Fund I LP11 |
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Twin Bridge Capital Partners, LLC13
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1
Wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent.
2
Wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial Holdings, Inc. Thrivent is the ultimate controlling entity.
3
Wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Insurance Agency Inc. Thrivent is the ultimate
controlling entity.
4
Wholly owned subsidiary of White Rose CFO 2023 Holdings, LLC. Thrivent is the ultimate controlling entity.
5
Wholly owned subsidiary of BADGER FBN 2025 HOLDINGS, LLC. Thrivent is the ultimate
controlling entity.
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Directly controlled by Blue Rock HoldCo LLC. Thrivent is the ultimate controlling entity.
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Directly controlled by Castle Lending Enterprises, LLC. Thrivent is the ultimate controlling
entity.
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Directly controlled by College Avenue Student Loans, LLC. Thrivent is the ultimate controlling entity.
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Directly controlled by College Ave Student Loan Servicing, LLC. Thrivent is the ultimate
controlling entity.
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Directly controlled by Thrivent Investment Capital Advisors, LLC, which is the managing member of the limited liability
company. Thrivent owns an interest in the limited liability company and is the ultimate controlling entity.
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Directly controlled by its general partner. Thrivent is the ultimate controlling entity. The
fund is a pooled investment vehicle organized primarily for the purpose of investing assets of Thrivent’s general account.
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Directly controlled by Thrivent Investment Capital Advisors, LLC, which is the managing member of the limited liability
company. The fund is a pooled investment vehicle organized as a feeder fund of the fund. Thrivent is the ultimate controlling entity.
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Directly controlled by Thrivent. Investment advisory clients include Pacific Street Fund, Twin Bridge Narrow Gate Fund, Twin
Bridge Titan Fund, and Twin Bridge Amplify Fund limited partnerships.
Article Five of the Bylaws of Registrant provides that Registrant shall indemnify each of its trustees and officers (including persons who serve at Registrant's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which
Registrant has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) who are not employees or officers of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof and its chief compliance officer, regardless of whether such person
is an employee or officer of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof, and each of its other trustees and officers (including persons who serve at Registrant's request as directors, officers or trustees of another
organization in which Registrant has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) (i.e., those who are employees or officers of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof) (Covered Persons), to the fullest extent
authorized by applicable law against all liabilities and expenses in connection with the defense or disposition of any proceeding in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved or with which such Covered Person may be or may
have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of any alleged act or omission as a trustee or officer or by reason of his or her being or having been such a Covered
Person, all as more fully set forth in the Bylaws, which are filed as an exhibit to the registration statement.
Section 17(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) provides that no
instrument pursuant to which Registrant is organized or administered shall contain any provision which protects or purports to protect any trustee or officer of Registrant against any liability to Registrant or its shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject
by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Registrant’s Declaration of Trust provides that nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect any trustee or officer against any liabilities to the Registrant or its shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of
willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office or position with or on behalf of the Registrant and the Registrant’s Bylaws provides that no indemnification will be made in violation of the provisions of the 1940 Act.
The Registrant may be party to other contracts that include indemnification provisions for the benefit of the Registrant’s trustees and officers.
The trustees and officers of the Registrant and the Registrant are insured under a directors and officers/errors and
omissions liability insurance policy.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act) may be permitted to
trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Registrant’s organizational instruments or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and, therefore, is 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 director, 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 31.
Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser
Thrivent Asset Management, LLC
is the investment adviser of Registrant. Information about Thrivent Asset Management’s financial industry activities or affiliations, as well as the business and other
connections of the directors and officers of Thrivent Asset Management, is included on the Form ADV that Thrivent Asset Management has on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (file No. 801-64988).
Item 32.
Principal Underwriters
(a)
ALPS Distributors,
Inc. acts as the distributor for the Registrant and the following investment companies:
Aberdeen Income Credit Strategies Fund
abrdn ETFs
abrdn Global Dynamic Dividend Fund
abrdn Global Premier Properties Fund
abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund
Accordant ODCE Index Fund
Alpha Alternative Assets Fund
Alternative Credit Income Fund
Apollo Diversified Credit Fund
Apollo Diversified Real Estate Fund
Arrowmark Financial Corp.
Axonic Alternative Income Fund
Bluerock High Income Institutional Credit Fund
CION Ares Diversified Credit Fund
CION Grosvenor Infrastructure Fund
Columbia Seligman Premium Technology Growth Fund, Inc.
Diameter Dynamic Credit Fund
Eagle Point Defensive Income Trust
Eagle Point Enhanced Income Trust
EA Series Trust (Cambria Series)
ETF Series Solutions (Vident Series)
Financial Investors Trust
FS Credit Opportunities Corp.
FS MVP Private Markets Fund
Gemcorp Commodities Alternative Products Fund
Goehring & Rozencwajg Investment Funds
Goldman Sachs ETF Trust II
Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded
Trust
Investment Managers Series Trust II (AXS-Advised Funds)
Investment Managers Series Trust II (Alternative Access-Advised
Fund)
Janus Detroit Street Trust
Litman Gregory Funds Trust
Longleaf Partners Funds Trust
Manager Directed Portfolios (Spyglass Growth Fund)
New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust
New York Life Investments ETF Trust
Opportunistic Credit Interval Fund
Principal Exchange-Traded Funds
RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth/DoubleLine Strategic Opportunity Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Opportunistic Municipal Income Fund,
Inc.
RiverNorth Managed Duration Municipal Income
Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income
Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Capital and Income Fund,
Inc.
RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund II,
Inc.
RiverNorth Managed Duration Municipal Income
Fund II, Inc.
State Street® SPDR® Dow
Jones® Industrial Average℠ ETF Trust
State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust
State Street® SPDR® S&P MIDCAP 400® ETF
Trust
Sphinx Opportunity Fund II
Tidal Trust II (Cambria Series)
Thornburg Investment Trust (Thornburg American Opportunities Fund ETF
Class Shares and Thornburg Focus Growth Fund ETF Class Shares)
Trust for Professional Managers (PT Asset Management Series)
USVC Venture Capital Access Fund
Wasatch Funds
(b)
To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of ALPS
Distributors, Inc., are as follows:
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Position with Underwriter |
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President, Chief Operating Officer, Director, Chief Compliance Officer |
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Vice President & Treasurer |
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Vice President, Controller and Assistant Treasurer |
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Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Assistant Secretary |
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Vice President, Managing Counsel |
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Vice President, Managing Counsel |
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* Except as otherwise noted, the principal business address for each of the above directors and executive officers is 1290
Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, Colorado 80203.
** The principal business address for Mr. Schell is 100 South Wacker Drive, 19th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606.
*** The principal business address for Mr. White is 4 Times Square, New York, NY 10036
^ The principal business address
for Mr. Theroff is 1055 Broadway Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64105.
^^ The principal business address for Mr. Girard is 80 Lamberton Road, Windsor, CT 06095
Item 33.
Location of Accounts and Records
Each account, book, or other
document required to be maintained pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rules 31a-1 to 31a-3 thereunder are maintained as follows:
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901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211 |
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4321 N. Ballard Rd.
Appleton, Wisconsin 54919 |
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Thrivent Asset Management, LLC 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211 |
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4321 N. Ballard Rd.
Appleton, Wisconsin 54919 |
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ALPS Distributors, Inc. 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000 Denver, Colorado 80203 |
Transfer Agent, Administrator, Custodian: |
State Street Bank and Trust Company One Congress Street, Suite 1 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2016 |
Item 34.
Management Services
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, as of the
27th day of July, 2026.
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John D. Jackson Secretary and
Chief Legal Officer |
Pursuant to the
requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated as of the 27th day of
July, 2026:
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Trustee and President (Principal Executive Officer) |
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Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
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John D. Jackson, by signing his name hereto, does hereby sign this document on behalf of each
of the above-named Trustees of Thrivent ETF Trust pursuant to the powers of attorney duly executed by such persons.
Dated: 27th day of July, 2026 |
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John D. Jackson
Attorney-in-Fact |
ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS
EX-99.(P)