Blueprint
Filed Pursuant to Rule
424(b)(3)
Registration No.
333-212481
Teucrium
Wheat Fund
16,350,000
Shares
Teucrium Wheat Fund (the
“Fund” or “Us” or “We”) is a
commodity pool that is a series of Teucrium Commodity Trust
(“Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust. The Fund issues
common units representing fractional undivided beneficial interests
in such Fund, called “Shares.” The Fund continuously
offers creation baskets consisting of 25,000 Shares
(“Creation Baskets”) at their net asset value
(“NAV”) to “Authorized Purchasers” (as
defined below). Authorized Purchasers, in turn, may offer to the
public Shares of any baskets they create. Authorized Purchasers
sell such Shares, which are listed on the NYSE Arca exchange
(“NYSE Arca”), to the public at per Share
offering prices that are expected to reflect, among other factors,
the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca, the NAV of the
Fund at the time the Authorized Purchaser purchased the Creation
Baskets and the NAV at the time of the offer of the Shares to the
public, the supply of and demand for Shares at the time of sale,
and the liquidity of the markets for wheat interests in which the
Fund invests. A list of the Fund’s Authorized Purchasers as
of the date of this Prospectus can be found under “Plan of
Distribution – Distributor and Authorized Purchasers,”
on page 57. The prices of Shares offered by Authorized Purchasers
are expected to fall between the Fund’s NAV and the trading
price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca at the time of sale. The
Fund’s Shares may trade in the secondary market on the NYSE
Arca at prices that are lower or higher than their NAV per Share.
Fund Shares are listed on the NYSE Arca under the symbol
“WEAT.”
The Fund’s sponsor is
Teucrium Trading, LLC (the “Sponsor”). The investment
objective of the Fund is to have the daily changes in percentage
terms of the Fund’s NAV per Share reflect the daily changes
in percentage terms of a weighted average of the closing settlement
prices for three wheat futures contracts.
This is a best efforts offering.
the distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the
“Distributor”) is not required to sell any specific
number or dollar amount of Shares, but will use its best efforts to
sell Shares. An Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to
purchase Shares. This is intended to be a continuous offering that
will terminate on July 12, 2019 unless suspended or terminated at
any earlier time for certain reasons specified in this prospectus
or unless extended as permitted under the rules under the
Securities Act of 1933. See “Prospectus Summary – The
Shares” and “Creation and Redemption of Shares –
Rejection of Purchase Orders” below.
Investing in
the Fund involves significant risks. See “What Are the Risk
Factors Involved with an Investment in the Fund?” beginning
on page 17. The Fund is not a mutual fund registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 and is not subject to regulation
under such Act.
NEITHER THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) NOR ANY
STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THE
SECURITIES OFFERED IN THIS PROSPECTUS, OR DETERMINED IF THIS
PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE
CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
THE COMMODITY
FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION HAS NOT PASSED UPON THE MERITS OF
PARTICIPATING IN THIS POOL NOR HAS THE COMMISSION PASSED ON THE
ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS DISCLOSURE
DOCUMENT.
This prospectus
is in two parts: a disclosure document and a statement of
additional information. These parts are bound together, and both
contain important information.
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Price of the
Shares*
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$6.33
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$158,250
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* Based on closing net asset
value on January 31, 2018. The price will vary based on net asset
value in effect on a particular day. No commissions or discounts
are paid to Authorized Purchasers in connection with the sale of
Creation Baskets. The Sponsor pays certain fees to the Distributor.
See “The Offering – Plan of Distribution” on page
57.
The
date of this prospectus is April 30,
2018.
COMMODITY
FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION RISK DISCLOSURE
STATEMENT
YOU SHOULD
CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHETHER YOUR FINANCIAL CONDITION PERMITS YOU TO
PARTICIPATE IN A COMMODITY POOL. IN SO DOING, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE
THAT COMMODITY INTEREST TRADING CAN QUICKLY LEAD TO LARGE LOSSES AS
WELL AS GAINS. SUCH TRADING LOSSES CAN SHARPLY REDUCE THE NET ASSET
VALUE OF THE POOL AND CONSEQUENTLY THE VALUE OF YOUR INTEREST IN
THE POOL. IN ADDITION, RESTRICTIONS ON REDEMPTIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR
ABILITY TO WITHDRAW YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE
POOL.
FURTHER,
COMMODITY POOLS MAY BE SUBJECT TO SUBSTANTIAL CHARGES FOR
MANAGEMENT, AND ADVISORY AND BROKERAGE FEES. IT MAY BE NECESSARY
FOR THOSE POOLS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO THESE CHARGES TO MAKE
SUBSTANTIAL TRADING PROFITS TO AVOID DEPLETION OR EXHAUSTION OF
THEIR ASSETS. THIS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT CONTAINS A COMPLETE
DESCRIPTION OF EACH EXPENSE TO BE CHARGED THIS POOL AT PAGE 55 AND
A STATEMENT OF THE PERCENTAGE RETURN NECESSARY TO BREAK EVEN, THAT
IS, TO RECOVER THE AMOUNT OF YOUR INITIAL INVESTMENT, AT PAGE
12.
THIS BRIEF
STATEMENT CANNOT DISCLOSE ALL THE RISKS AND OTHER FACTORS NECESSARY
TO EVALUATE YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS COMMODITY POOL. THEREFORE,
BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMMODITY POOL, YOU SHOULD
CAREFULLY STUDY THIS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT, INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION
OF THE PRINCIPAL RISK FACTORS OF THIS INVESTMENT, AT PAGE
10.
YOU SHOULD ALSO
BE AWARE THAT THIS COMMODITY POOL MAY TRADE FOREIGN FUTURES OR
OPTIONS CONTRACTS. TRANSACTIONS ON MARKETS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE
UNITED STATES, INCLUDING MARKETS FORMALLY LINKED TO A UNITED STATES
MARKET, MAY BE SUBJECT TO REGULATIONS WHICH OFFER DIFFERENT OR
DIMINISHED PROTECTION TO THE POOL AND ITS PARTICIPANTS. FURTHER,
UNITED STATES REGULATORY AUTHORITIES MAY BE UNABLE TO COMPEL THE
ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES OF REGULATORY AUTHORITIES OR MARKETS IN
NONUNITED STATES JURISDICTIONS WHERE TRANSACTIONS FOR THE
POOL MAY BE EFFECTED.
SWAPS
TRANSACTIONS, LIKE OTHER FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, INVOLVE A VARIETY
OF SIGNIFICANT RISKS. THE SPECIFIC RISKS PRESENTED BY A PARTICULAR
SWAP TRANSACTION NECESSARILY DEPEND UPON THE TERMS OF THE
TRANSACTION AND YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. IN GENERAL, HOWEVER, ALL SWAPS
TRANSACTIONS INVOLVE SOME COMBINATION OF MARKET RISK, CREDIT RISK,
COUNTERPARTY CREDIT RISK, FUNDING RISK, LIQUIDITY RISK, AND
OPERATIONAL RISK.
HIGHLY
CUSTOMIZED SWAPS TRANSACTIONS IN PARTICULAR MAY INCREASE LIQUIDITY
RISK, WHICH MAY RESULT IN A SUSPENSION OF REDEMPTIONS. HIGHLY
LEVERAGED TRANSACTIONS MAY EXPERIENCE SUBSTANTIAL GAINS OR LOSSES
IN VALUE AS A RESULT OF RELATIVELY SMALL CHANGES IN THE VALUE OR
LEVEL OF AN UNDERLYING OR RELATED MARKET
FACTOR.
IN EVALUATING
THE RISKS AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH A PARTICULAR
SWAP TRANSACTION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THAT A SWAP
TRANSACTION MAY BE MODIFIED OR TERMINATED ONLY BY MUTUAL CONSENT OF
THE ORIGINAL PARTIES AND SUBJECT TO AGREEMENT ON INDIVIDUALLY
NEGOTIATED TERMS. THEREFORE, IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR THE
COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR TO MODIFY, TERMINATE, OR OFFSET THE POOL'S
OBLIGATIONS OR THE POOL'S EXPOSURE TO THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A
TRANSACTION PRIOR TO ITS SCHEDULED TERMINATION
DATE.
TEUCRIUM WHEAT
FUND
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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4
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5
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5
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5
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5
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8
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9
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10
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12
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12
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12
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14
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17
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17
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22
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30
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31
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32
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33
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35
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35
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35
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40
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41
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45
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47
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48
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48
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50
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51
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52
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56
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56
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57
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57
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60
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61
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62
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65
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66
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67
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75
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79
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80
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80
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80
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81
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81
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81
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81
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82
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82
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82
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84
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93
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96
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96
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97
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98
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STATEMENT
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus includes
“forward-looking statements” which generally
relate to future events or future performance. In some cases, you
can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such
as “may,” “will,” “should,”
“expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,”
“believe,” “estimate,”
“predict,” “potential” or the negative of
these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements (other
than statements of historical fact) included in this prospectus
that address activities, events or developments that will or may
occur in the future, including such matters as movements in the
commodities markets and indexes that track such movements, the
Fund’s operations, the Sponsor’s plans and references
to the Fund’s future success and other similar matters, are
forward-looking statements. These statements are only
predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. These
statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the
Sponsor has made based on its perception of historical trends,
current conditions and expected future developments, as well as
other factors appropriate in the circumstances. Whether or not
actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor’s
expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of
risks and uncertainties, including the special considerations
discussed in this prospectus, general economic, market and business
conditions, changes in laws or regulations, including those
concerning taxes, made by governmental authorities or regulatory
bodies, and other world economic and political developments. See
“What Are the Risk Factors Involved with an Investment in the
Fund?” Consequently, all the forward looking statements
made in this prospectus are qualified by these cautionary
statements, and there can be no assurance that actual results or
developments the Sponsor anticipates will be realized or, even if
substantially realized, that they will result in the expected
consequences to, or have the expected effects on, the Fund’s
operations or the value of its Shares.
This is only a
summary of the prospectus and, while it contains material
information about the Fund and its Shares, it does not contain or
summarize all of the information about the Fund and the Shares
contained in this prospectus that is material and/or which may be
important to you. You should read this entire prospectus, including
“What Are the Risk Factors Involved with an Investment in the
Fund?” beginning on page 17, before making an investment
decision about the Shares. In addition, this prospectus includes a
statement of additional information that follows and is bound
together with the primary disclosure document. Both the primary
disclosure document and the statement of additional information
contain important information.
Principal Offices of the
Fund and the Sponsor
The principal office of the Trust
and the Fund is located at 115 Christina Landing Drive Unit 2004,
Wilmington, DE 19801. The telephone number is (302)
543-5977. The Sponsor’s principal office is also
located at 115 Christina Landing Drive Unit 2004, Wilmington, DE
19801, and its telephone number is also (302)
543-5977.
The amount of trading income
required for the redemption value of a Share at the end of one year
to equal the selling price of the Share, assuming a selling price
of $6.33 (the NAV per Share as of January 31, 2018), is $0.11
or1.74% of the selling price. For more information, see
“Breakeven Analysis” below.
Teucrium Wheat Fund (the
“Fund” or “Us” or “We”), is a
commodity pool that issues Shares that may be purchased and sold on
the NYSE Arca. The Fund is a series of the Teucrium Commodity Trust
(“Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on
September 11, 2009. The Fund is one of five series of the Trust
(collectively, the “Teucrium Funds”). each series
operates as a separate commodity pool. Additional series of the
Trust may be created in the future. The Trust and the Fund operate
pursuant to the Trust’s Third Amended and Restated
Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (the “Trust
Agreement”). The Fund was formed and is managed and
controlled by the Sponsor, Teucrium Trading, LLC. The Sponsor is a
limited liability company formed in Delaware on July 28, 2009 that
is registered as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) with
the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and
is a member of the National Futures Association
(“NFA”). The Sponsor registered as a Commodity Trading
Advisor (“CTA”) with the CFTC effective September 8,
2017.
The investment objective of the
Fund is to have the daily changes in percentage terms of the
Shares’ NAV reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of
a weighted average of the closing settlement prices for three
futures contracts for wheat (“Wheat Futures Contracts”)
that are traded on the Chicago Board of Trade
(“CBOT”):
WEAT
Benchmark
CBOT
Wheat Futures Contract
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Second to
expire
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35%
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Third to
expire
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30%
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December following the
third-to-expire
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35%
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(This weighted average of the
three referenced Wheat Futures Contracts is referred to herein as
the “Benchmark,” and the three Wheat Futures Contracts
that at any given time make up the Benchmark are referred to herein
as the “Benchmark Component Futures
Contracts.”)
The Fund seeks to achieve its
investment objective by investing under normal market conditions in
Benchmark Component Futures Contracts or, in certain circumstances,
in other Wheat Futures Contracts traded on the CBOT, the Kansas
City Board of Trade, the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, or the
Intercontinental Exchange (“ICE”), or on foreign
exchanges. In addition, and to a limited extent, the Fund also may
invest in exchange-traded options on Wheat Futures Contracts
in furtherance of the Fund's investment objective. Once position
limits in CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts are applicable, the Fund's
intention is to invest in contracts and instruments such as cash
settled options, forward contracts, and other over the
counter transactions that are based on the price of wheat or Wheat
Futures Contracts (collectively, “Other Wheat
Interests,” and together with Wheat Futures Contracts,
“Wheat Interests”). See “The Offering –
Futures Contracts” below.
By utilizing certain or all of
these investments, the Sponsor will endeavor to cause the
Fund’s performance to closely track that of the Benchmark.
The Sponsor expects to manage the Fund’s investments
directly, although it has been authorized by the Trust to retain,
establish the terms of retention for, and terminate third
party commodity trading advisors to provide such management. The
Sponsor is also authorized to select futures commission merchants
(“FCMs”) to execute the Fund’s transactions in
Wheat Futures Contracts.
Wheat Futures Contracts traded on
the CBOT expire on a specified day in five different months: March,
May, July, September and December. For example, in terms of the
Benchmark, in July of a given year the next-to-expire
or “spot month” Wheat Futures Contract will expire in
July of that year, and the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts
will be the contracts expiring in September of that year (the
second-to-expire contract), December of that year (the
third-to-expire contract), and December of the
following year. As another example, in November of a given year,
the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts will be the contracts
expiring in March, May and December of the following
year.
The Fund seeks to achieve its
investment objective primarily by investing in Wheat Interests such
that daily changes in the Fund’s NAV are expected to closely
track the changes in the Benchmark. The Fund’s positions in
Wheat Interests are changed or “rolled” on a regular
basis in order to track the changing nature of the Benchmark. For
example, five times a year (on the date on which a Wheat Futures
Contract expires), the second-to-expire Wheat Futures
Contract will become the next-to-expire Wheat Futures
Contract and will no longer be a Benchmark Component Futures
Contract, and the Fund’s investments will have to be changed
accordingly. In order that the Fund’s trading does not signal
potential market movements and to make it more difficult for third
parties to profit by trading ahead based on such expected market
movements, the Fund’s investments may not be rolled entirely
on that day, but rather may be rolled over a period
of
several days.
The Fund posts on its website
(www.teucriumweatfund.com)
the roll dates and the contracts into which it will roll for the
entire upcoming calendar year. This information is updated at the
beginning of the calendar year and as needed throughout the
year.
The Fund incurs certain expenses
in connection with its operations, and holds most of its assets
income producing, short-term securities for margin and
other liquidity purposes and to meet redemptions that may be
necessary on an ongoing basis. These expenses and income cause
imperfect correlation between changes in the Fund’s NAV and
changes in the Benchmark, because the Benchmark does not reflect
expenses or income. Investors should be aware that because the Fund
incurs certain expenses on an ongoing basis, they may incur a
partial or complete loss of their investment even when the
performance of the Benchmark is positive.
In seeking to achieve the
Fund’s investment objective of tracking the Benchmark, the
Sponsor may for certain reasons cause the Fund to enter into or
hold Wheat Futures Contracts other than the Benchmark Component
Futures Contracts and/or Other Wheat Interests. Other Wheat
Interests that do not have standardized terms and are not exchange
traded, referred to as
“over-the-counter” Wheat Interests, can
generally be structured as the parties to the Wheat Interest
contract desire. Therefore, the Fund might enter into multiple
over the counter Other Wheat Interests intended to
replicate the performance of each of the three Benchmark Component
Futures Contracts, or a single over the counter Other
Wheat Interest designed to replicate the performance of the
Benchmark as a whole. Assuming that there is no default by a
counterparty to an over the counter Other Wheat
Interest, the performance of the Other Wheat Interest will
necessarily correlate with the performance of the Benchmark or the
applicable Benchmark Component Futures Contract. The Fund might
also enter into or hold Wheat Interests other than Benchmark
Component Futures Contracts to facilitate effective trading,
consistent with the discussion of the Fund’s
“roll” strategy in the preceding paragraph. In
addition, the Fund might enter into or hold Wheat Interests that
would be expected to alleviate overall deviation between the
Fund’s performance and that of the Benchmark that may result
from certain market and trading inefficiencies or other reasons. By
utilizing certain or all of the investments described above, the
Sponsor endeavors to cause the Fund’s performance to closely
track that of the Benchmark.
The Fund invests in Wheat
Interests to the fullest extent possible without being leveraged or
unable to satisfy its expected current or potential margin or
collateral obligations with respect to its investments in Wheat
Interests. After fulfilling such margin and collateral
requirements, the Fund invests the remainder of its proceeds from
the sale of baskets in cash equivalents, including money-market
funds and investment grade commercial paper, and/or merely hold
such assets in cash in interest-bearing
accounts. Therefore, the focus of the Sponsor in
managing the Fund is investing in Wheat Interests and cash and/or
cash equivalents. The Fund earns interest income from
the cash equivalents that it purchases and on the cash it holds at
financial institutions.
The Sponsor endeavors to place the
Fund’s trades in Wheat Interests and otherwise manage the
Fund’s investments so that the Fund’s average daily
tracking error against the Benchmark will be less than 10 percent
over any period of 30 trading days. More specifically, the Sponsor
endeavors to manage the Fund so that A will be within plus/minus 10
percent of B, where:
●
A is
the average daily change in the Fund’s NAV for any period of
30 successive valuation days, i.e., any trading day as of which the
Fund calculates its NAV, and
●
B is
the average daily change in the Benchmark over the same
period.
The Sponsor believes that market
arbitrage opportunities will cause the Fund’s Share price on
the NYSE Arca to track the Fund’s NAV per Share. The Sponsor
believes that the net effect of this expected relationship and the
expected relationship described above between the Fund’s NAV
and the Benchmark will be that the changes in the price of the
Fund’s Shares on the NYSE Arca will track, in percentage
terms, changes in the Benchmark. This relationship may be affected
by various market factors, including but not limited to, the number
of shares of the Fund outstanding and the liquidity of the
underlying holdings.
The Sponsor employs a
“neutral” investment strategy intended to track the
changes in the Benchmark regardless of whether the Benchmark goes
up or goes down. The Fund’s “neutral” investment
strategy is designed to permit investors generally to purchase and
sell the Fund’s Shares for the purpose of investing
indirectly in the wheat market in a cost effective manner.
Such investors may include participants in the wheat industry and
other industries seeking to hedge the risk of losses in their
wheat related transactions, as well as investors seeking
exposure to the wheat market. Accordingly, depending on the
investment objective of an individual investor, the risks generally
associated with investing in the wheat market and/or the risks
involved in hedging may exist. In addition, an investment in the
Fund involves the risks that the changes in the price of the
Fund’s Shares will not accurately track the changes in the
Benchmark, and that changes in the Benchmark will not closely
correlate with changes in the price of wheat on the spot market.
Furthermore, as noted above, the Fund may also elect to invest in
cash and/or cash equivalents to meet its current or potential
margin or collateral requirements with respect to its investments
in Wheat Interests and to invest cash not required to be used as
margin or collateral. The Fund does not expect there to be any
meaningful correlation between the performance of the Fund’s
investments in cash and/or cash equivalents and the changes in the
price of wheat or Wheat Interests. While the level of interest
earned on or the market price of these investments may in some
respects correlate to changes in the price of wheat, this
correlation is not anticipated as part of the Fund’s efforts
to meet its objective. This and certain risk factors discussed in
this prospectus may cause a lack of correlation between changes in
the Fund’s NAV and changes in the price of wheat. The Sponsor
does not intend to operate the Fund in a fashion such that its per
Share NAV equals, in dollar terms, the spot price of a bushel or
other unit of wheat or the price of any particular Wheat Futures
Contract.
The Fund creates and redeems
Shares only in blocks called Creation Baskets and Redemption
Baskets, respectively. Only Authorized Purchasers may purchase or
redeem Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets. An Authorized
Purchaser is under no obligation to create or redeem baskets, and
an Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to offer to the
public Shares of any baskets it does create. Baskets are generally
created when there is a demand for Shares, including, but not
limited to, when the market price per share is at (or perceived to
be at) a premium to the NAV per Share. Similarly, baskets are
generally redeemed when the market price per share is at (or
perceived to be at) a discount to the NAV per Share. Retail
investors seeking to purchase or sell Shares on any day are
expected to effect such transactions in the secondary market, on
the NYSE Arca, at the market price per share, rather than in
connection with the creation or redemption of baskets. There are a
minimum number of baskets and associated shares specified for the
Fund. Once the minimum number of baskets is reached, there can be
no more basket redemptions until there has been a creation basket.
In such case, market makers may be less willing to purchase Shares
from investors in the secondary market, which may in turn limit the
ability of shareholders of the Fund to sell their Shares in the
secondary market. As of January 31, 2017, these minimum levels for
the Fund are 50,000 shares representing 2
baskets.
All proceeds from the sale of
Creation Baskets will be invested as quickly as practicable in the
investments described in this prospectus. The Fund’s cash and
investments are held through the Fund’s Custodian, in
accounts with the Fund’s commodity futures brokers, in demand
deposits with highly rated financial institutions, in
investment grade commercial paper, or in collateral accounts with
respect to over the counter Wheat Interests. There is
no stated maximum time period for the Fund’s operations and
the Fund will continue until all Shares are redeemed or the Fund is
liquidated pursuant to the terms of the Trust
Agreement.
There is no specified limit on the
maximum number of Creation Baskets that can be sold. At some point,
however, applicable position limits on Wheat Futures Contracts or
Other Wheat Interests may practically limit the number of Creation
Baskets that will be sold if the Sponsor determines that the other
investment alternatives available to the Fund at that time will not
enable it to meet its stated investment
objective.
Shares may also be purchased and
sold by individuals and entities that are not Authorized Purchasers
in smaller increments than Creation Baskets on the NYSE Arca.
However, these transactions are effected at bid and ask prices
established by specialist firm(s). Like any listed security, Shares
of the Fund can be purchased and sold at any time a secondary
market is open.
In managing the Fund’s
assets, the Sponsor does not use a technical trading system that
automatically issues buy and sell orders. Instead, each time one or
more baskets are purchased or redeemed, the Sponsor will purchase
or sell Wheat Interests with an aggregate market value that
approximates the amount of cash received or paid upon the purchase
or redemption of the basket(s).
Note to Secondary Market Investors:
Shares can be directly purchased from the Fund only in Creation
Baskets and only by Authorized Purchasers. Each Creation Basket
consists of 25,000 Shares and therefore requires a significant
financial commitment to purchase. Accordingly, investors who do not
have such resources or who are not Authorized Purchasers should be
aware that some of the information contained in this prospectus,
including information about purchases and redemptions of Shares
directly with the Fund, is only relevant to Authorized Purchasers.
Shares are listed and traded on the NYSE Arca under the ticker
symbol “WEAT” and may be purchased and sold as
individual Shares. Individuals interested in purchasing Shares in
the secondary market should contact their broker. Shares purchased
or sold through a broker may be subject to
commissions.
Except when
aggregated in Redemption Baskets, Shares are not redeemable
securities. There is no guarantee that Shares will trade at prices
that are at or near the per Share NAV. There are a minimum
number of baskets and associated shares specified for the Fund.
Once the minimum number of baskets is reached, there can be no more
redemptions until there has been a creation basket. As of January
31, 2018 these minimum levels for the Fund are 50,000 shares
representing 2 baskets.
The Shares are registered as
securities under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933
Act”) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
“Exchange Act”) and do not provide dividend rights or
conversion rights and there are no sinking funds. The Shares may
only be redeemed when aggregated in Redemption Baskets as discussed
under “Creation and Redemption of Shares” and holders
of Fund Shares (“Shareholders”) generally do not have
voting rights as discussed under “The Trust Agreement –
Voting Rights” below. Cumulative voting is neither permitted
nor required and there are no preemptive rights. The Trust
Agreement provides that, upon liquidation of the Fund, its assets
will be distributed pro rata to the Shareholders based upon the
number of Shares held. Each Shareholder will receive its share of
the assets in cash or in kind, and the proportion of such share
that is received in cash may vary from Shareholder to Shareholder,
as the Sponsor in its sole discretion may
decide.
The offering of Shares under this
prospectus is a continuous offering under Rule 415 of the 1933 Act
and will terminate on July 12, 2019 unless it is extended beyond
such date as permitted by applicable rules under the 1933 Act. The
offering will terminate before such date or before the end of any
extension period if all of the registered Shares have been sold.
However, the Sponsor expects to cause the Trust to file one or more
additional registration statements as necessary to permit
additional Shares to be registered and offered on an uninterrupted
basis.
This offering may also be
suspended or terminated at any time for certain specified reasons,
including if and when suitable investments for the Fund are not
available or practicable. See “Creation and Redemption of
Shares – Rejection of Purchase Orders” below. As
discussed above, the minimum purchase requirement for Authorized
Purchasers is a Creation Basket, which consists of 25,000 Shares.
The Fund does not require a minimum purchase amount for investors
who purchase Shares from Authorized Purchasers. There are no
arrangements to place funds in an escrow, trust, or similar
account.
The Fund’s Investments in
Wheat Interests
A brief description of the
principal types of Wheat Interests in which the Fund may invest is
set forth below.
●
A
futures contract is an exchange traded contract traded with
standard terms that calls for the delivery of a specified quantity
of a commodity at a specified price, on a specified date and at a
specified location. Typically, a futures contract is traded out or
rolled on an exchange before delivery or receipt of the underlying
commodity is required.
●
A
swap agreement is a bilateral contract to exchange a periodic
stream of payments determined by reference to a notional amount,
with payment typically made between the parties on a net basis. For
instance, in the case of wheat swap, the Fund may be obligated to
pay a fixed price per bushel of wheat multiplied by a notional
number of bushels and be entitled to receive an amount per bushel
equal to the current value of an index of wheat prices, the price
of a specified Wheat Futures Contract, or the average price of a
group of Wheat Futures Contracts such as the Benchmark (times the
same notional number of bushels). As is the case with futures,
swaps are financial contracts and are typically settled financially
between counterparties. Unlike futures, however, swaps may or may
not trade on an exchange and, therefore, they may be less liquid,
may be more expensive, and may take longer to settle or trade out
of.
The Fund may also invest to a
lesser extent in the following types of Wheat Interests
(“Other Wheat Interests”):
●
A
forward contract (“Forward”) is an over the
counter bilateral contract for the purchase or sale of a specified
quantity of a commodity at a specified price, on a specified date
and at a specified location. Forwards are almost always settled by
delivery of the underlying commodity. Although not impossible, it
is unusual to settle a Forward financially. therefore, Forwards are
generally illiquid.
●
An
option on a futures contract, a swap agreement, forward contract or
a commodity on the spot market gives the buyer of the option the
right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a futures contract,
swap agreement, forward contract or commodity, as applicable, at a
specified price on or before a specified date. The seller, or
writer, of the option is obligated to take a position in the
underlying interest at a specified price opposite to the option
buyer if the option is exercised. Options on futures contracts,
like the future contracts to which they relate, are standardized
contracts traded on an exchange and are regulated like futures
contracts, while all other options (except for spot options) are
considered swaps and are regulated as swaps.
Unlike exchange traded
contracts, over the counter contracts expose the Fund
to the credit risk of the other party to the contract. (As
discussed below, exchange traded contracts may expose the
Fund to the risk of the clearing broker’s and/or the exchange
clearing house(s)’ bankruptcy.) The Sponsor does not
currently intend to purchase and sell wheat in the “spot
market” for the Fund. Spot market transactions are cash
transactions in which the buyer and seller agree to the immediate
purchase and sale of a commodity, usually with a two-day
settlement period. In addition, the Sponsor does not currently
intend that the Fund will enter into or hold spot month Wheat
Futures Contracts, except that spot month contracts that were
formerly secondtoexpire contracts may be held for a
brief period until they can be disposed of in accordance with the
Fund’s roll strategy.
Although the Fund has the
ability to trade over the counter contracts and swaps,
the Sponsor anticipates that 100% of the Fund’s assets will
be used to trade futures.
A more detailed description of
Wheat Interests and other aspects of the wheat and Wheat Interest
markets can be found later in this prospectus.
As noted, the
Fund invests in Wheat Futures Contracts, including those traded on
the CBOT or its affiliates. The Fund expressly disclaims any
association with the CBOT or endorsement of the Fund by such
exchange and acknowledges that “CBOT” and
“Chicago Board of Trade” are registered trademarks of
such exchange.
Principal Investment Risks of an
Investment in the Fund
An investment in the Fund involves
a degree of risk. Some of the risks you may face are summarized
below. A more extensive discussion of these risks appears beginning
on page 17.
●
Unlike mutual funds, commodity
pools and other investment pools that manage their investments so
as to realize income and gains for distribution to their investors,
the Fund generally does not distribute dividends to Shareholders.
You should not invest in the Fund if you will need cash
distributions from the Fund to pay taxes on your share of income
and gains of the Fund, if any, or for other
purposes.
●
Investors may choose to use the
Fund as a means of investing indirectly in wheat, and there are
risks involved in such investments. The risks and hazards that are
inherent in wheat production may cause the price of wheat to
fluctuate widely. Price movements for wheat are influenced by,
among other things: weather conditions, crop failure, production
decisions, governmental policies, changing demand, the wheat
harvest cycle, and various economic and monetary events. Wheat
production is also subject to U.S. federal, state and local
regulations that materially affect operations.
●
To
the extent that investors use the Fund as a means of investing
indirectly in wheat, there is the risk that the changes in the
price of the Fund’s Shares on the NYSE Arca will not closely
track the changes in spot price of wheat. This could happen if the
price of Shares traded on the NYSE Arca does not correlate closely
with the Fund’s NAV. the changes in the Fund’s NAV do
not correlate closely with changes in the Benchmark. or the changes
in the Benchmark do not correlate closely with changes in the cash
or spot price of wheat. This is a risk because if these
correlations are not sufficiently close, then investors may not be
able to use the Fund as a cost effective way to invest
indirectly in wheat or as a hedge against the risk of loss in
wheat related transactions.
●
Only
an Authorized Purchaser may engage in creation or redemption
transactions with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of
institutions that act as Authorized Purchasers. 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 the
Fund, and no Authorized Purchaser is able or willing to step
forward to create or redeem shares of the Fund, Fund Shares may,
particularly in times of market stress, trade at a discount to the
NAV per Share and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting. In
addition, a decision by a market maker or lead market maker to step
away from activities for the Fund, particularly in times of market
stress, could adversely affect liquidity, the spread between the
bid and ask quotes for the Fund’s Shares, and potentially the
price of the Shares. The Sponsor can make no guarantees that
participation by Authorized Purchasers or market makers will
continue.
●
The
price relationship between the near month Wheat Futures Contract to
expire and the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts will vary and
may impact both the Fund’s total return over time and the
degree to which such total return tracks the total return of wheat
price indices. In cases in which the near month contract’s
price is lower than later expiring contracts’ prices (a
situation known as “contango” in the futures markets),
then absent the impact of the overall movement in wheat prices the
value of the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts would tend to
decline as they approach expiration which could cause the Benchmark
Component Futures Contracts, and therefore the Fund’s total
return, to track lower.
●
In
cases in which the near month contract’s price is higher than
later expiring contracts’ prices (a situation known as
“backwardation” in the futures markets), then absent
the impact of the overall movement in wheat prices the value of the
Benchmark Component Futures Contracts would tend to rise as they
approach expiration. In the event of a prolonged period of
contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling wheat prices,
this could have a significant negative impact on the Fund’s
NAV and total return, and you could incur a partial or total loss
of your investment in the Fund.
●
Investors, including those who
directly participate in the wheat market, may choose to use the
Fund as a vehicle to hedge against the risk of loss and there are
risks involved in hedging activities. While hedging can provide
protection against an adverse movement in market prices, it can
also preclude a hedger’s opportunity to benefit from a
favorable market movement.
●
The
Fund seeks to have the changes in its Shares’ NAV in
percentage terms track changes in the Benchmark in percentage
terms, rather than profit from speculative trading of Wheat
Interests. The Sponsor therefore endeavors to manage the Fund so
that the Fund’s assets are, unlike those of many other
commodity pools, not leveraged (i.e., so that the aggregate amount of
the Fund’s exposure to losses from its investments in Wheat
Interests at any time will not exceed the value of the Fund’s
assets). There is no assurance that the Sponsor will successfully
implement this investment strategy. If the Sponsor permits the Fund
to become leveraged, you could lose all or substantially all of
your investment if the Fund's trading positions suddenly turn
unprofitable.These movements in price may be the result of factors
outside of the Sponsor's control and may not be anticipated by the
Sponsor.
●
The
Fund may invest in Other Wheat Interests. To the extent that these
Other Wheat Interests are contracts individually negotiated between
their parties, they may not be as liquid as Wheat Futures Contracts
and will expose the Fund to credit risk that its counterparty may
not be able to satisfy its obligations to the
Fund.
●
The
Fund invests primarily in Wheat Interests that are traded or sold
in the United States. However, a portion of the Fund’s trades
may take place in markets and on exchanges outside the United
States. Some non U.S. markets present risks because they are
not subject to the same degree of regulation as their U.S.
counterparts. In some of these non U.S. markets, the
performance on a contract is the responsibility of the counterparty
and is not backed by an exchange or clearing corporation and
therefore exposes the Fund to credit risk. Trading in non
U.S. markets also leaves the Fund susceptible to increased tax
burdens and fluctuations in the value of the local currency against
the U.S. dollar.
●
The
structure and operation of the Fund may involve conflicts of
interest. For example, a conflict may arise because the Sponsor and
its principals and affiliates may trade for themselves. In
addition, the Sponsor has sole current authority to manage the
investments and operations of the Fund, including the authority of
the Sponsor to allocate expenses to and between the Funds and the
interests of the Sponsor may conflict with the Shareholders’
best interests.
●
You
will have no rights to participate in the management of the Fund
and will have to rely on the duties and judgment of the Sponsor to
manage the Fund.
●
The
Fund pays fees and expenses that are incurred regardless of whether
it is profitable.
●
The
regulation of futures markets, futures contracts, and futures
exchanges has historically been comprehensive. The CFTC and the
exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event
of a market emergency including, for example, the retroactive
implementation of speculative position limits, increased margin
requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the
suspension of trading on an exchange or a trading
facility.
●
The
regulation of commodity interest transactions in the United States
is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing
modification by governmental and judicial action. Considerable
regulatory attention has been focused on non traditional
investment pools that are publicly distributed in the United States
and that use trading in futures and options as an investment
strategy and not for hedging or price discovery purposes, therefore
altering traditional participation in futures and swaps markets.
There is a possibility of future regulatory changes within the
United States altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of
an investment in the Fund, or the ability of the Fund to continue
to implement its investment strategy. In addition, various national
governments outside of the United States have expressed concern
regarding the disruptive effects of speculative trading in the
commodities markets and the need to regulate the derivatives
markets in general. The effect of any future regulatory change on
the Fund is impossible to predict but could be substantial and
adverse.
●
Failures or breaches of the
electronic systems of the Fund, the Sponsor, the Custodian, or the
Fund’s other service providers, market makers, Authorized
Purchasers, NYSE Arca, exchanges on which Wheat Futures Contracts
or Other Wheat Interests are traded or cleared, or counterparties
to financial transactions with the Fund, have the ability to cause
disruptions and negatively impact the Fund’s business
operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to the Fund
and its shareholders. While the Fund has established business
continuity plans and risk management systems seeking to address
system breaches or failures, there are inherent limitations in such
plans and systems. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber
security plan and systems of the Custodian, Administrator or the
Fund's other service providers, market makers, Authorized
Purchasers, NYSE Arca, exchanges on which Wheat Futures Contracts
or Other Wheat Interests are traded or cleared, or
counterparties.
For additional risks, see
“What Are the Risk Factors Involved with an Investment in the
Fund?”
Financial Condition of the
Fund
The Fund’s NAV is determined
as of the earlier of the close of the New York Stock Exchange or
4:00 p.m. New York time on each day that the NYSE Arca is open for
trading.
For a glossary of defined terms,
see Appendix A.
The breakeven analysis below
indicates the approximate dollar returns and percentage returns
required for the redemption value of a hypothetical initial
investment in a single Share, assuming a selling price of $6.33
(the NAV per Share as of January 31, 2018), to equal the amount
invested twelve months after the investment was made. This
breakeven analysis refers to the redemption of baskets by
Authorized Purchasers and is not related to any gains an individual
investor would have to achieve in order to break even. The
breakeven analysis is an approximation only.
Assumed selling price
per Share
|
$6.33
|
Sponsor Fee
(1.00%)(1)
|
$0.06
|
Creation Basket
Fee(2)
|
$0.01
|
Estimated Brokerage
Fees (3)
|
$0.01
|
Other Fund Fees and
Expenses(4)
|
$0.15
|
Interest Income
(5)
|
$-0.12
|
Amount of trading
income (loss) required for the redemption value at the end of one
year to equal the selling price of the Share
|
$0.11
|
Percentage of selling
price per share (6)
|
1.74%
|
(1) The
Fund is obligated to pay the Sponsor a management fee at the annual
rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, payable
monthly. The Sponsor can elect to waive the payment of the fee in
any amount at its sole discretion, at any time and from time to
time, in order to reduce the Fund’s expenses or for any other
purpose.
(2) Authorized
Purchasers are required to pay a Creation Basket fee of $250 for
each order they place to create one or more baskets. An order must
be at least one basket, which is 25,000 Shares. This breakeven
analysis assumes a hypothetical investment in a single Share so the
Creation Basket fee is $.01 ($250/25,000).
(3) This
amount is based on the actual brokerage fees for the Fund
calculated on an annualized basis. The Fund currently pays $4.50
per Wheat Futures Contract purchase or sale (rounded to $0.01 in
this table based on fees accrued to the Fund for the year ended
December 31, 2017).
(4) Other
Fund Fees and Expenses are an estimate based on an allocation to
the Fund of the total estimated expenses anticipated to be incurred
by the Trust on behalf of the Fund, net of any expenses or sponsor
fee waived by the Sponsor, and include: Professional fees
(primarily legal, auditing and tax preparation related
costs). Custodian and Administrator fees and expenses, Distribution
and Marketing fees (primarily fees paid to the Distributor, costs
related to regulatory compliance activities and other costs related
to the trading activities of the Fund). Business Permits and
Licenses. General and Administrative expenses (primarily insurance
and printing), and Other Expenses. The expenses presented are based
on estimated expenses for the current fiscal year, and do not
represent the maximum amounts payable under the contracts with
third party service providers, as discussed below in the
section of this disclosure document entitled “Contractual
Fees and Compensation Arrangements with the Sponsor and third
party Service Providers.” The pershare cost of these
fixed or estimated fees has been calculated assuming that the Fund
has $68.5 million in assets which was the approximate amount of
assets as of January 31, 2018. The Sponsor can elect to pay (or
waive reimbursement for) certain fees or expenses that would
generally be paid by the Fund, although it has no contractual
obligation to do so. Any election to pay or waive reimbursement for
fees and expenses that would generally be paid by the Fund can be
changed at the discretion of the Sponsor.
(5) The
Fund earns interest on funds it deposits at financial institutions
and the Custodian, and on commercial paper; it estimates that the
interest rate will be 1.90% based on the interest rate currently
earned on available cash balances as of February 28, 2018. The
actual rate may vary and not all assets of the Fund will earn
interest.
(6) This
represents the estimated approximate percentage of selling price
per share net of any expenses or Sponsor fees waived by the
Sponsor. The estimated approximate percentage of selling price per
share before waived expenses or Sponsor fees is 2.05% based on the
Fund assets, net asset value per share and shares outstanding as of
January 31, 2018. Such waiver may be terminated at any time at the
sole discretion of the Sponsor.
Offering
|
The Fund offers
Creation Baskets consisting of 25,000 Shares through the
Distributor to Authorized Purchasers. Authorized Purchasers may
purchase Creation Baskets consisting of 25,000 Shares at the
Fund’s NAV. The Shares trade on the NYSE
Arca.
|
|
|
Use of
Proceeds
|
The Sponsor
applies substantially all of the Fund’s assets toward
investing in Wheat Interests, cash and/or cash equivalents. The
Sponsor deposits a portion of the Fund’s net assets with the
FCM or other custodians to be used to meet its current or potential
margin or collateral requirements in connection with its investment
in Wheat Interests. The Fund uses only cash and/or cash equivalents
to satisfy these requirements. The Sponsor expects that all
entities that will hold or trade the Fund’s assets will be
based in the United States and will be subject to United States
regulations.
|
|
|
|
The Sponsor
believes that approximately 4-5% of the Fund’s assets will
normally be committed as margin for Wheat Futures Contracts and
Other Wheat Interests. However, from time to time, the percentage
of assets committed as margin/collateral may be substantially more,
or less, than such range. The remaining portion of the Fund’s
assets is held as cash or cash equivalents. All interest income
earned on these investments is retained for the Fund’s
benefit.
|
|
|
NYSE Arca
Symbol
|
“WEAT”
|
|
|
Creation and
Redemption
|
Authorized
Purchasers pay a $250 fee per order to create Creation Baskets, and
a $250 fee per order for Redemption Baskets. Authorized Purchasers
are not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of
Shares. The per share price of Shares offered in Creation Baskets
is the total NAV of the Fund calculated as of the close of the NYSE
Arca on that day, divided by the number of issued and outstanding
Shares.
|
|
|
InterSeries
Limitation on Liability
|
While the Fund is
currently one of five separate series of the Trust, additional
series may be created in the future. The Trust has been formed and
will be operated with the goal that the Fund and any other series
of the Trust will be liable only for obligations of such series,
and a series will not be responsible for or affected by any
liabilities or losses of or claims against any other series. If any
creditor or shareholder in any particular series (such as the Fund)
were to successfully assert against a series a claim with respect
to its indebtedness or Shares, the creditor or shareholder could
recover only from that particular series and its assets.
Accordingly, the debts and other obligations incurred, contracted
for or otherwise existing solely with respect to a particular
series will be enforceable only against the assets of that series,
and not against any other series or the Trust generally or any of
their respective assets. The assets of the Fund and any other
series will include only those funds and other assets that are paid
to, held by or distributed to the series on account of and for the
benefit of that series, including, without limitation, amounts
delivered to the Trust for the purchase of Shares in a
series.
|
|
|
Registration
Clearance and
Settlement
|
Individual
certificates are not issued for the Shares. Instead, Shares will be
represented by one or more global certificates, which are deposited
by the transfer agent with the Depository Trust Company
(“DTC”) and registered in the name of Cede & Co.,
as nominee for DTC. The global certificates evidence all of the
Shares outstanding at any time.
|
|
|
|
Beneficial
interests in Shares are held through DTC’s book entry
system, which means that Shareholders are limited to: (1)
participants in DTC such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust
companies (“DTC Participants”), (2) those who maintain,
either directly or indirectly, a custodial relationship with a DTC
Participant (“Indirect Participants”), and (3) those
who hold interests in the Shares through DTC Participants or
Indirect Participants, in each case who satisfy the requirements
for transfers of Shares. DTC Participants acting on behalf of
investors holding Shares through such DTC Participants’
accounts in DTC will follow the delivery practice applicable to
securities eligible for DTC’s Same Day Funds Settlement
System. Shares are credited to DTC Participants’ securities
accounts following confirmation of receipt of
payment.
|
Net Asset
Value
|
The NAV is
calculated by taking the current market value of the Fund’s
total assets and subtracting any liabilities and dividing the
balance by the number of Shares. Under the Fund’s current
operational procedures, the Fund’s administrator, U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the “Administrator”) will
calculate the NAV of the Fund’s Shares as of the earlier of
4:00 p.m. New York time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange
each day. NYSE Arca calculates an approximate net asset value every
15 seconds throughout each day that the Fund’s Shares are
traded on the NYSE Arca for as long as the CBOT’s main
pricing mechanism is open.
|
|
|
Fund
Expenses
|
The Fund pays the
Sponsor a management fee at an annual rate of 1.00% of the
Fund’s average daily net assets. The Fund is also responsible
for other ongoing fees, costs and expenses of its operations,
including (i) brokerage and other fees and commissions incurred in
connection with the trading activities of the Fund. (ii) expenses
incurred in connection with registering additional Shares of the
Fund or offering Shares of the Fund. (iii) the routine expenses
associated with the preparation and, if required, the printing and
mailing of monthly, quarterly, annual and other reports required by
applicable U.S. federal and state regulatory authorities, Trust
meetings and preparing, printing and mailing proxy statements to
Shareholders. (iv) the payment of any distributions related to
redemption of Shares. (v) payment for routine services of the
Trustee, legal counsel and independent accountants. (vi) payment
for routine accounting, bookkeeping, custody and transfer agency
services, whether performed by an outside service provider or by
Affiliates of the Sponsor. (vii) postage and insurance. (viii)
costs and expenses associated with investor relations and services.
(ix) costs of preparation of all federal, state, local and foreign
tax returns and any taxes payable on the income, assets or
operations of the Fund. and (x) extraordinary expenses (including,
but not limited to, legal claims and liabilities and litigation
costs and any indemnification related thereto).
|
|
|
|
The Sponsor bore
the costs and expenses related to the initial offer and sale of
Shares, including registration fees paid or to be paid to the SEC,
the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”)
or any other regulatory or self-regulatory organization
(“SRO”). None of the costs and expenses related to the
initial offer and sale of Shares, which totaled approximately
$450,000, were or are chargeable to the Fund, and the Sponsor did
not and may not recover any of these costs and expenses from the
Fund. Total fees to be paid by the Fund are currently estimated to
be approximately 1.74% of the daily net assets of the Fund for the
twelve month period ending April 30, 2019, though this amount
may change in future years. The Sponsor may, in its discretion, pay
or reimburse the Fund for, or waive a portion of its management fee
to offset, expenses that would otherwise be borne by the
Fund.
|
|
|
|
General expenses
of the Trust will be allocated among the existing Teucrium Funds
and any future series of the Trust as determined by the Sponsor in
its discretion. The Trust may be required to indemnify the Sponsor,
and the Trust and/or the Sponsor may be required to indemnify the
Trustee, Distributor or Administrator, under certain
circumstances.
|
|
|
Termination
Events
|
The Trust and the
Fund shall continue in existence from the date of their formation
in perpetuity, unless the Trust or the Fund, as the case may be, is
sooner terminated upon the occurrence of certain events specified
in the Trust Agreement, including the following: (1) the filing of
a certificate of dissolution or cancellation of the Sponsor or
revocation of the Sponsor’s charter or the withdrawal of the
Sponsor, unless shareholders holding a majority of the outstanding
shares of the Trust, voting together as a single class, elect
within ninety (90) days after such event to continue the business
of the Trust and appoint a successor Sponsor. (2) the occurrence of
any event which would make the existence of the Trust or the Fund
unlawful. (3) the suspension, revocation, or termination of the
Sponsor’s registration as a CPO with the CFTC or membership
with the NFA. (4) the insolvency or bankruptcy of the Trust or the
Fund. (5) a vote by the shareholders holding at least seventy
five percent (75%) of the outstanding shares of the, voting
together as a single class, Trust to dissolve the Trust subject to
certain conditions. and (6) the determination by the Sponsor to
dissolve the Trust or the Fund, subject to certain conditions. (7)
the Trust is required to be registered as an investment company
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, and (8) DTC is unable or
unwilling to continue to perform its functions and a comparable
replacement is unavailable. Upon termination of the Fund, the
affairs of the Fund shall be wound up and all of its debts and
liabilities discharged or otherwise provided for in the order of
priority as provided by law. The fair market value of the remaining
assets of the Fund shall then be determined by the Sponsor.
Thereupon, the assets of the Fund shall be distributed pro rata to
the Shareholders in accordance with their
Shares.
|
Authorized
Purchasers
|
A list of
Authorized Purchasers is available from the Distributor. Authorized
Purchasers must be (1) registered broker dealers or other
securities market participants, such as banks and other financial
institutions, that are not required to register as broker
dealers to engage in securities transactions, and (2) DTC
Participants. To become an Authorized Purchaser, a person must
enter into an Authorized Purchaser Agreement with the
Sponsor.
|
WHAT ARE THE
RISK FACTORS INVOLVED WITH AN INVESTMENT IN THE
FUND?
You should
consider carefully the risks described below before making an
investment decision. You should also refer to the other information
included in this prospectus, and the Fund’s and the
Trust’s financial statements and the related notes
incorporated by reference herein. See “Incorporation by
Reference of Certain Information.”
Risks Associated With
Investing Directly or Indirectly in Wheat
Investing in Wheat Interests subjects the Fund to the risks of the
wheat market, and this could result in substantial fluctuations in
the price of the Fund’s Shares.
The Fund is subject to the risks
and hazards of the wheat market because it invests in Wheat
Interests. The risks and hazards that are inherent in the wheat
market may cause the price of wheat to fluctuate widely. If the
changes in percentage terms of the Fund’s Shares accurately
track the percentage changes in the Benchmark or the spot price of
wheat, then the price of its Shares will fluctuate
accordingly.
●
The
price and availability of wheat is influenced by economic and
industry conditions, including but not limited to supply and demand
factors such as: crop disease. weed control. water availability.
various planting, growing, or harvesting problems. severe weather
conditions such as drought, floods, or frost that are difficult to
anticipate and which cannot be controlled. Demand for food products
made from wheat flour is affected by changes in consumer tastes,
national, regional and local economic conditions, and demographic
trends. More specifically, demand for such food products in the
United States is relatively unaffected by changes in wheat prices
or disposable income, but is closely tied to tastes and
preferences. For example, in recent years the increase in the
popularity of low carbohydrate diets caused the consumption
of wheat flour to decrease rapidly before rebounding somewhat after
2005. Export demand for wheat fluctuates yearly, based largely on
crop yields in the importing countries.
●
Wheat production is subject to
United States federal, state and local policies and regulations
that materially affect operations. Governmental policies affecting
the agricultural industry, such as taxes, tariffs, duties,
subsidies, incentives, acreage control, and import and export
restrictions on agricultural commodities and commodity products,
can influence the planting of certain crops, the location and size
of crop production, the volume and types of imports and exports,
the availability and competitiveness of feedstocks as raw
materials, and industry profitability. Additionally, wheat
production is affected by laws and regulations relating to, but not
limited to, the sourcing, transporting, storing and processing of
agricultural raw materials as well as the transporting, storing and
distributing of related agricultural products. U.S. Wheat producers
also must comply with various environmental laws and regulations,
such as those regulating the use of certain pesticides, and local
laws that regulate the production of genetically modified crops. In
addition, international trade disputes can adversely affect
agricultural commodity trade flows by limiting or disrupting trade
between countries or regions.
●
Seasonal fluctuations in the price
of wheat may cause risk to an investor because of the possibility
that Share prices will be depressed because of the wheat harvest
cycle. In the United States, the market for winter wheat, the type
of wheat upon which CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts are based, is
generally at its lowest point, and wheat prices are generally
lowest, shortly before and during the harvest (in the spring or
early summer), due to the high supply of wheat in the market.
Conversely, winter wheat prices are generally highest in the fall
or early winter, when the wheat harvested that year has largely
been sold and used. In the futures market, these seasonal
fluctuations are typically reflected in contracts expiring in the
relevant season (e.g., contracts expiring during the harvest season
are typically priced lower than contracts expiring in the fall and
early winter). Thus, seasonal fluctuations could result in an
investor incurring losses upon the
sale of Fund Shares, particularly
if the investor needs to sell Shares when the Benchmark Component
Futures Contracts are, in whole or part, Wheat Futures Contracts
expiring in the spring.
An investment in the Fund is subject to correlation risk. Your
return on an investment in the Fund may differ from the return of
the Benchmark and depending on certain factors discussed below, you
could incur a partial or total loss of your
investment.
There is a risk that
changes in the price of Shares on the NYSE Arca will not correlate
with changes in the Fund’s NAV. that changes in the NAV will
not correlate with changes in the price of the Benchmark. and/or
changes in the price of the Benchmark will not correlate with
changes in the spot price of wheat. Depending on certain factors
associated with each of these correlations which are discussed in
more detail below, you could incur a partial or total loss of your
investment in the Fund.
The Benchmark is not designed to correlate exactly with the spot
price of wheat and this could cause the changes in the price of the
Shares to substantially vary from the changes in the spot price of
wheat. Therefore, you may not be able to effectively use the Fund
to hedge against wheat related losses or to indirectly invest
in wheat.
The Benchmark Component Futures
Contracts reflect the price of wheat for future delivery, not the
current spot price of wheat, so at best the correlation between
changes in such Wheat Futures Contracts and the spot price of wheat
will be only approximate. Weak correlation between the Benchmark
and the spot price of wheat may result from the typical seasonal
fluctuations in wheat prices discussed above. Imperfect correlation
may also result from speculation in Wheat Interests, technical
factors in the trading of Wheat Futures Contracts, and expected
inflation in the economy as a whole. If there is a weak correlation
between the Benchmark and the spot price of wheat, then the price
of Shares may not accurately track the spot price of wheat and you
may not be able to effectively use the Fund as a way to hedge the
risk of losses in your wheat related transactions or as a way
to indirectly invest in wheat.
Changes in the Fund’s NAV may not correlate well with changes
in the price of the Benchmark. If this were to occur, you may not
be able to effectively use the Fund as a way to hedge against
wheat related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in
wheat.
The Sponsor endeavors to invest
the Fund’s assets as fully as possible in Wheat Interests so
that the changes in percentage terms in the NAV closely correlate
with the changes in percentage terms in the Benchmark. However,
changes in the Fund’s NAV may not correlate with the changes
in the Benchmark for various reasons, including those set forth
below:
●
The
Fund does not intend to invest only in the Benchmark Component
Futures Contracts. While its investments in Wheat Futures Contracts
other than the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts, and Other
Wheat Interests would be for the purpose of causing the
Fund’s performance to track that of the Benchmark most
effectively and efficiently, the performance of these Wheat
Interests may not correlate well with the performance of the
Benchmark Component Futures Contracts, resulting in a greater
potential for error in tracking price changes in those futures
contracts. Additionally, if the trading market for Wheat Futures
Contracts is suspended or closed, the Fund may not be able to
purchase these investments at the last reported price for such
investments.
●
The
Fund incurs certain expenses in connection with its operations, and
holds most of its assets in income producing, short
term securities for margin and other liquidity purposes and to meet
redemptions that may be necessary on an ongoing
basis. These expenses and income
cause imperfect correlation between changes in the Fund’s NAV
and changes in the Benchmark.
●
The
Sponsor may not be able to invest the Fund’s assets in Wheat
Interests having an aggregate notional amount exactly
equal to the Fund’s NAV. As
a standardized contract, a single Wheat Futures Contract is for a
specified amount of wheat, and the Fund’s NAV and the
proceeds from the sale of a Creation Basket is unlikely to be an
exact multiple of that amount. In such case, the Fund could not
invest the entire proceeds from the purchase of the Creation Basket
in such futures contracts. (For example, assuming the Fund receives
$375,000 for the sale of a Creation Basket and that the value
(i.e., the notional amount) of a Wheat
Futures Contract is $32,500, the Fund could only enter into 11
Wheat Futures Contracts with an aggregate value of $357,500). While
the Fund may be better able to achieve the exact amount of exposure
to the wheat market through the use of over the counter
Other Wheat Interests, there is no assurance that the Sponsor will
be able to continually adjust the Fund’s exposure to such
Other Wheat Interests to maintain such exact exposure. Furthermore,
as noted above, the use of Other Wheat Interests may itself result
in imperfect correlation with the Benchmark. Any amounts not
invested in Wheat Interests will be held in cash and/or cash
equivalents.
●
As
Fund assets increase, there may be more or less correlation. On the
one hand, as the Fund grows it should be able to invest in Wheat
Futures Contracts with a notional amount that is closer on a
percentage basis to the Fund’s NAV. For example, if the
Fund’s NAV is equal to 4.9 times the value of a single
futures contract, it can purchase only four futures contracts,
which would cause only 81.6% of the Fund’s assets to be
exposed to the wheat market. On the other hand, if the Fund’s
NAV is equal to 100.9 times the value of a single Wheat Futures
Contract, it can purchase 100 such contracts, resulting in 99.1%
exposure. However, at certain asset levels the Fund may be limited
in its ability to purchase Wheat Futures Contracts due to position
limits imposed by the CFTC or position limits or accountability
levels imposed by the relevant exchanges. In these instances, the
Fund would likely invest to a greater extent in Wheat Interests not
subject to these position limits or accountability levels. To the
extent that the Fund invests in Other Wheat Interests, the
correlation between the Fund’s NAV and the Benchmark may be
lower. In certain circumstances, position limits or accountability
levels could limit the number of Creation Baskets that will be
sold.
If changes in the Fund’s NAV
do not correlate with changes in the Benchmark, then investing in
the Fund may not be an effective way to hedge against wheat
related losses or indirectly invest in wheat.
Changes in the price of the Fund’s Shares on the NYSE Arca
may not correlate perfectly with changes in the NAV of the
Fund’s
Shares. If this variation occurs, then you may not be able to
effectively use the Fund to hedge against wheat related
losses or to indirectly invest in wheat.
While it is expected that the
trading prices of the Shares will fluctuate in accordance with the
changes in the Fund’s NAV, the prices of Shares may also be
influenced by other factors, including the supply of and demand for
the Shares, whether for the short term or the longer term. There is
no guarantee that the Shares will not trade at appreciable
discounts from, and/or premiums to, the
Fund’s
NAV. This could cause the changes
in the price of the Shares to substantially vary from the changes
in the spot price of wheat, even if the Fund’s NAV was
closely tracking movements in the spot price of wheat. If this
occurs, you may not be able to effectively use the Fund to hedge
the risk of losses in your wheat related transactions or to
indirectly invest in wheat.
The Fund may experience a loss if it is required to sell cash
equivalents at a price lower than the price at which they were
acquired.
If the Fund is required to sell
its cash equivalents at a price lower than the price at which they
were acquired, the Fund will experience a loss. This
loss may adversely impact the price of the Shares and may decrease
the correlation between the price of the Shares, the Benchmark, and
the spot price of wheat. The value of cash equivalents
held by the Fund generally moves inversely with movements in
interest rates. The prices of longer maturity securities
are subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes
in interest rates. While the short-term nature of the
Fund’s investments in cash equivalents should minimize the
interest rate risk to which the Fund is subject, it is possible
that the cash equivalents held by the Fund will decline in
value.
Certain of the Fund’s investments could be illiquid, which
could cause large losses to investors at any time or from time to
time.
The Fund may not always be able to
liquidate its positions in its investments at the desired price for
reasons including, among others, insufficient trading volume,
limits imposed by exchanges or other regulatory organizations, or
lack of liquidity. As to futures contracts, it may be difficult to
execute a trade at a specific price when there is a relatively
small volume of buy and sell orders in a market. Limits imposed by
futures exchanges or other regulatory organizations, such as
accountability levels, position limits and price fluctuation
limits, may contribute to a lack of liquidity with respect to some
exchange traded Wheat Interests. In addition,over
the counter contracts may be illiquid because they are
contracts between two parties and generally may not be transferred
by one party to a third party without the counterparty’s
consent. Conversely, a counterparty may give its consent, but the
Fund still may not be able to transfer an over the
counter Wheat Interest to a third party due to concerns regarding
the counterparty’s credit risk.
A market disruption, such as a
foreign government taking political actions that disrupt the market
in its currency, its wheat production or exports, or in another
major export, can also make it difficult to liquidate a position.
Unexpected market illiquidity may cause major losses to investors
at any time or from time to time. In addition, the Fund does not
intend at this time to establish a credit facility, which would
provide an additional source of liquidity, but instead will rely
only on the cash and/or cash equivalents that it holds to meet its
liquidity needs. The anticipated large value of the positions in
Wheat Interests that the Sponsor will acquire or enter into for the
Fund increases the risk of illiquidity. Because Wheat Interests may
be illiquid, the Fund’s holdings may be more difficult to
liquidate at favorable prices in periods of illiquid markets and
losses may be incurred during the period in which positions are
being liquidated.
If the nature of the participants in the futures market shifts such
that wheat purchasers are the predominant hedgers in the market,
the Fund might have to reinvest at higher futures prices or choose
Other Wheat Interests.
The changing nature of the
participants in the wheat market will influence whether futures
prices are above or below the expected future spot price. Wheat
producers will typically seek to hedge against falling wheat prices
by selling Wheat Futures Contracts. Therefore, if wheat producers
become the predominant hedgers in the futures market, prices of
Wheat Futures Contracts will typically be below expected future
spot prices. Conversely, if the predominant hedgers in the futures
market are the purchasers of the wheat who purchase Wheat Futures
Contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, prices of Wheat
Futures Contracts will likely be higher than expected future spot
prices. This can have significant implications for the Fund when it
is time to sell a Wheat Futures Contract that is no longer a
Benchmark Component Futures Contract and purchase a new Wheat
Futures Contract or to sell a Wheat Futures Contract to meet
redemption requests.
While the Fund does not intend to take physical delivery of wheat
under its Wheat Interests, the possibility of physical delivery
impacts the value of the contracts.
While it is not the current
intention of the Fund to take physical delivery of wheat under its
Wheat Interests, Wheat Futures Contracts are traditionally
physically deliverable contracts, and, unless a portion was
not traded out of or rolled, it is possible to take or make
delivery under these and some Other Wheat Interests. Storage costs
associated with purchasing wheat could result in costs and other
liabilities that could impact the value of Wheat Futures Contracts
or certain Other Wheat Interests. Storage costs include the time
value of money invested in wheat as a physical commodity plus the
actual costs of storing the wheat less any benefits from ownership
of wheat that are not obtained by the holder of a futures contract.
In general, Wheat Futures Contracts have a one month delay
for contract delivery and the pricing of back month contracts (the
back month is any future delivery month other than the spot month)
includes storage costs. To the extent that these storage costs
change for wheat while the Fund holds Wheat Interests, the value of
the Wheat Interests, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, may change
as well.
The price relationship between the Benchmark Component Futures
Contracts at any point in time and the Wheat Futures Contracts that
will become Benchmark Component Futures Contracts on the next roll
date will vary and may impact both the Fund’s total return
and the degree to which its total return tracks that of wheat price
indices.
The design of the Fund’s
Benchmark is such that the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts
will change five times per year, and the Fund’s investments
must be rolled periodically to reflect the changing composition of
the Benchmark. For example, when the second-to-expire
Wheat Futures Contract becomes the first-to-expire
contract, such contract will no longer be a Benchmark Component
Futures Contract and the Fund’s position in it will no longer
be consistent with tracking the Benchmark. In the event of a wheat
futures market where near-to-expire contracts trade at
a higher price than longer-to-expire contracts, a
situation referred to as “backwardation,” then absent
the impact of the overall movement in wheat prices the value of the
Benchmark Component Futures Contracts would tend to rise as they
approach expiration. As a result the Fund may benefit because it
would be selling more expensive contracts and buying less expensive
ones on an ongoing basis. Conversely, in the event of a wheat
futures market where near-to-expire contracts trade at
a lower price than longer-to-expire contracts, a
situation referred to as “contango,” then absent the
impact of the overall movement in wheat prices the value of the
Benchmark Component Futures Contracts would tend to decline as they
approach expiration. As a result the Fund’s total return may
be lower than might otherwise be the case because it would be
selling less expensive contracts and buying more expensive ones.
The impact of backwardation and contango may lead the total return
of the Fund to vary significantly from the total return of other
price references, such as the spot price of wheat. In the event of
a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or
falling
wheat prices, this could have a
significant negative impact on the Fund’s NAV and total
return, and you could incur a partial or total loss of your
investment in the Fund.
Regulation of the commodity interests and commodity markets is
extensive and constantly changing. future regulatory developments
are impossible to predict but may significantly and adversely
affect the Fund.
The regulation of futures markets,
futures contracts and futures exchanges has historically been
comprehensive. The CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take
extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency including,
for example, the retroactive implementation of speculative position
limits, increased margin requirements, the establishment of daily
price limits and the suspension of trading on an exchange or
trading facility.
The regulation of commodity
interest transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing
area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by governmental
and judicial action. Subsequent to the enactment of the
DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the
“DoddFrank Act”) in 2010, swap agreements became
fully regulated by the CFTC under the amended Commodity Exchange
Act and the CFTC’s regulations thereunder. Considerable
regulatory attention has been focused on non-traditional
investment pools that are publicly distributed in the United
States. As the DoddFrank Act continues to be implemented by
the CFTC and the SEC, there is a possibility of future regulatory
changes within the United States altering, perhaps to a material
extent, the nature of an investment in the Teucrium Funds, or the
ability of a Fund to continue to implement its investment strategy.
In addition, various national governments outside of the United
States have expressed concern regarding the disruptive effects of
speculative trading in the commodities markets and the need to
regulate the derivatives markets in general. The effect of any
future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict but
could be substantial and adverse.
Further, President Donald J. Trump
has promised and issued several executive orders intended to
relieve the financial burden created by the Dodd-Frank Act,
although these executive orders only set forth several general
principles to be followed by the federal agencies and do not
mandate the wholesale repeal of the Dodd-Frank Act. The scope of
the effect that passage of new financial reform legislation could
have on U.S. securities, derivatives and commodities markets is not
clear at this time because each federal regulatory agency would
have to promulgate new regulations to implement such legislation.
These regulatory changes may affect the continued operation of the
Teucrium Funds. For additional information regarding recent
regulatory developments that may impact the Teucrium Funds or the
Trust, refer to the section entitled “Regulation” of
the Statement of Additional Information.
If you are investing in the Fund for purposes of hedging, you might
be subject to several risks, including the possibility of losing
the benefit of favorable market movements.
Producers and commercial users of
wheat may use the Fund as a vehicle to hedge the risk of losses in
their wheat related transactions. There are several risks in
connection with using the Fund as a hedging device. While hedging
can provide protection against an adverse movement in market
prices, it can also preclude a hedger’s opportunity to
benefit from a favorable market movement. For instance, in a
hedging transaction the hedger may be a user of a commodity
concerned that the hedged commodity will increase in price, but
must recognize the risk that the price may instead
decline.
If this happens, the
hedger will have lost the benefit of being able to purchase the
commodity at the lower price because the hedging transaction will
result in a loss that would offset (at least in part) this benefit.
Thus, the hedger foregoes the opportunity to profit from favorable
price movements. In addition, if the hedge is not a perfect one,
the hedger can lose on the hedging transaction and not realize an
offsetting gain in the value of the underlying item being
hedged.
When using Wheat Interests as a
hedging technique, at best, the correlation between changes in
prices of futures contracts and of the items being hedged can be
only approximate. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends
upon circumstances such as: variations in speculative markets,
demand for futures and for wheat products, technical influences in
futures trading, and differences between anticipated costs being
hedged and the instruments underlying the standard futures
contracts available for trading. Even a well conceived hedge
may be unsuccessful to some degree because of unexpected market
behavior as well as the expenses associated with creating the
hedge.
In addition, using an investment
in the Fund as a hedge for changes in food costs generally may not
be successful because changes in the price of wheat may vary
substantially from changes in the prices of other food products. In
addition, the price of wheat and the Fund’s NAV would not
reflect the refining, transportation, and other costs that are
specific to the hedger.
An investment in the Fund may provide you little or no
diversification benefits. Thus, in a declining market, the Fund may
have no gains to offset your losses from other investments, and you
may suffer losses on your investment in the Fund at the same time
you incur losses with respect to other asset
classes.
We cannot predict to what extent
the performance of Wheat Interests will or will not correlate to
the performance of other broader asset classes such as stocks and
bonds. If the Fund’s performance were to move more directly
with the financial markets, you will obtain little or no
diversification benefits from an investment in the Shares. In such
a case, the Fund may have no gains to offset your losses from other
investments, and you may suffer losses on your investment in the
Fund at the same time you incur losses with respect to other
investments.
Variables such as drought, floods,
weather, embargoes, tariffs and other political events may have a
larger impact on wheat and Wheat Interest prices than on
traditional securities and broader financial markets. These
additional variables may create additional investment risks that
subject the Fund’s investments to greater volatility than
investments in traditional securities.
Lower correlation should not be
confused with negative correlation, where the performance of two
asset classes would be opposite of each other. There is no historic
evidence that the spot price of wheat and prices of other financial
assets such as stocks and bonds are negatively correlated. In the
absence of negative correlation, the Fund cannot be expected to be
automatically profitable during unfavorable periods for the stock
market, or vice versa.
The
Fund’s Operating Risks
The Fund is not a registered investment company, so you do not have
the protections of the Investment Company Act of
1940.
The Fund is not an investment
company subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940. Accordingly,
you do not have the protections afforded by that statute, which,
for example, requires investment companies to have a board of
directors with a majority of disinterested directors and regulates
the relationship between the investment company and its investment
manager.
The Sponsor has limited experience operating commodity
pools.
While certain of the
Sponsor’s principals and employees have experience with
investing in Wheat Interests and other commodity interests, the
Sponsor was formed for the purpose of sponsoring the Trust and
serving as the Teucrium Funds’ commodity pool operator and
has limited experience operating commodity pools. The Sponsor
currently sponsors five Teucrium Funds, all of which have commenced
operations, as of the date hereof, but none of the Teucrium Funds
had commenced operations prior to June 9, 2010.
In light of this limited
experience, each of the Teucrium Funds has limited past performance
available for your review. Furthermore, the past performance of the
other Teucrium Funds will not necessarily reflect their future
performance or the future performance of this Fund. If the
experience of the Sponsor and its management is not adequate or
suitable, the operation and performance of the Fund may be
adversely affected.
The Sponsor is leanly staffed and relies heavily on key personnel
to manage trading activities.
In managing and directing the
day-to-day activities and affairs of the Fund, the
Sponsor relies almost entirely on a small number of individuals
including Mr. Sal Gilbertie, Mr. Dale Riker, Mr. Steve Kahler and
Ms. Barbara Riker. If Mr. Gilbertie, Mr. Riker, Mr. Kahler or Ms.
Riker were to leave or be unable to carry out their present
responsibilities, it may have an adverse effect on the management
of the Fund. To the extent that the Sponsor establishes additional
commodity pools, even greater demands will be placed on these
individuals.
The Sponsor has limited capital and may be unable to continue to
manage the Fund if it sustains continued
losses.
The Sponsor was formed for the
purpose of managing the Trust, including the Fund, the other
Teucrium Funds, and any other series of the Trust that may be
formed in the future, and has been provided with capital primarily
by its principals and a small number of outside investors. If the
Sponsor operates at a loss for an extended period, its capital will
be depleted and it may be unable to obtain additional financing
necessary to continue its operations. If the Sponsor were unable to
continue to provide services to the Fund, the Fund would be
terminated if a replacement sponsor could not be found. Any
expenses related to the operation of the Fund would need to be paid
by the Fund at the time of termination.
Position limit, accountability levels and daily price fluctuation
limits set by the CFTC and the exchanges have the potential to
cause tracking error, which could cause the price of Shares to
substantially vary from the Benchmark and prevent you from being
able to effectively use the Fund as a way to hedge against
wheat related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in
wheat.
The CFTC and U.S. designated
contract markets may establish position limits on the maximum net
long or net short futures contracts in commodity interests that any
person or group of persons under common trading control (other than
as a hedge, which an investment by the Fund is not) may hold, own
or control. For example, the current position limit for
investments at any one time in the Wheat Futures Contracts are 600
spot month contracts, 12,000 contracts expiring in any other single
month, and 12,000 total for all months. Wheat Swaps are
subject to position limits that are similar to, but currently
measured separately from, the limits on Wheat Futures
Contracts. These position limits are fixed ceilings that the
Fund would not be able to exceed without specific CFTC
authorization
Accountability levels differ from
position limits in that they do not represent a fixed ceiling, but
rather a threshold above which a futures exchange may exercise
greater scrutiny and control over an investor’s positions. If
a Fund were to exceed an applicable accountability level for
investments in futures contracts, the exchange will monitor the
Fund’s exposure and may ask for further information on its
activities, including the total size of all positions, investment
and trading strategy, and the extent of liquidity resources of the
Fund. If deemed necessary by the exchange, the Fund could be
ordered to reduce its aggregate net
position back to the accountability
level.
In addition to position limits and
accountability limits, the exchanges set daily price fluctuation
limits on futures contracts. The daily price fluctuation limit
establishes the maximum amount that the price of futures contracts
may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement
price. Once the daily price fluctuation limit has been
reached in a particular futures contract, no trades may be made at
a price beyond that limit.
On December 16, 2016, as mandated
by the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFTC adopted a final rule that aggregate
all positions, for purposes of position limits; such positions
include futures contracts, futures-equivalent positions,
over-the-counter swaps and options (i.e., contracts that are not
traded on exchanges). These aggregation requirements became
effective on February 14, 2017 and could limit the Fund’s
ability to establish positions in commodity over-the-counter
instruments if the assets of the Fund were to grow
substantially.
There are no independent advisers representing Fund
investors.
The Sponsor has consulted with
legal counsel, accountants and other advisers regarding the
formation and operation of the Trust and Fund. No counsel has been
appointed to represent you in connection with the offering of
Shares. Accordingly, you should consult your own legal, tax and
financial advisers regarding the desirability of an investment in
the Shares.
There are technical
and fundamental risks inherent in the trading system the Sponsor
intends to employ.
The Sponsor’s trading system
is quantitative in nature and it is possible that the Sponsor may
make errors. Any errors or imperfections in the Sponsor’s
trading system’s quantitative models, or in the data on which
they are based, could adversely affect the Sponsor’s
effective use of such trading systems. It is not possible or
practicable for the Sponsor’s trading system to factor all
relevant, available data into quantitative systems and/or trading
decision. There is no guarantee that the Sponsor will use any
specific data or type of data in making trading decisions on behalf
of the Fund, nor is there any guarantee that the data actually
utilized in making trading decisions on behalf of the Fund will be
the most accurate data or free from errors. In addition, it is
possible that a computer or software program may malfunction and
cause an error in computation.
The Fund and the Sponsor may have conflicts of interest, which may
cause them to favor their own interests to your
detriment.
The Fund and the Sponsor may have
inherent conflicts to the extent the Sponsor attempts to maintain
the Fund’s asset size in order to preserve its fee income and
this may not always be consistent with the Fund’s objective
of having the value of its Shares’ NAV track changes in the
Benchmark. The Sponsor’s officers and employees do not
devote their time exclusively to the Fund. These persons may
be directors, officers or employees of other entities. They
could have a conflict between their responsibilities to the Fund
and to those other entities.
In addition, the Sponsor’s
principals, officers or employees may trade securities and futures
and related contracts for their own accounts. A conflict of
interest may exist if their trades are in the same markets and
occur at the same time as the Fund trades using the clearing broker
to be used by the Fund. A potential conflict also may occur
if the Sponsor’s principals, officers or employees trade
their accounts more aggressively or take positions in their
accounts that are opposite, or ahead of, the positions taken by the
Fund.
The Sponsor has sole current
authority to manage the investments and operations of the Fund, and
this may allow it to act in a way that furthers its own interests
and in conflict with your best interests, including the authority
of the Sponsor to allocate expenses to and between the Teucrium
Funds. Shareholders have very limited voting rights, which
will limit the ability to influence matters such as amendment of
the Trust Agreement, changes in the Fund’s basic investment
policies, dissolution of the Fund, or the sale or distribution of
the Fund’s assets.
Shareholders have only very limited voting rights and generally
will not have the power to replace the Sponsor. Shareholders will
not participate in the management of the Fund and do not control
the Sponsor so they will not have influence over basic matters that
affect the Fund.
Shareholders will have very
limited voting rights with respect to the Fund’s affairs.
Shareholders may elect a replacement Sponsor only if the current
Sponsor resigns voluntarily or loses its corporate charter.
Shareholders will not be permitted to participate in the management
or control of the Fund or the conduct of its business. Shareholders
must therefore rely upon the duties and judgment of the Sponsor to
manage the Fund’s affairs.
The Sponsor may manage a large amount of assets and this could
affect the Fund’s ability to trade
profitably.
Increases in assets under
management may affect trading decisions. While the Fund’s
assets are currently at manageable levels, the Sponsor does not
intend to limit the amount of Fund assets. The more assets the
Sponsor manages, the more difficult it may be for it to trade
profitably because of the difficulty of trading larger positions
without adversely affecting prices and performance and of managing
risk associated with larger positions.
The liability of the Sponsor and the Trustee are limited, and the
value of the Shares will be adversely affected if the Fund is
required to indemnify the Trustee or the
Sponsor.
Under the Trust Agreement, the
Trustee and the Sponsor are not liable, and have the right to be
indemnified, for any liability or expense incurred absent gross
negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee or
Sponsor, as the case may be. That means the Sponsor may require the
assets of the Fund to be sold in order to cover losses or liability
suffered by the Sponsor or by the Trustee. Any sale of that kind
would reduce the NAV of the Fund and the value of its
Shares.
Although the Shares of the Fund are limited liability investments,
certain circumstances such as bankruptcy could increase a
Shareholder’s liability.
The Shares of the Fund are limited
liability investments. Shareholders may not lose more than the
amount that they invest plus any profits recognized on their
investment. However, Shareholders could be required, as a matter of
bankruptcy law, to return to the estate of the Fund any
distribution they received at a time when the Fund was in fact
insolvent or in violation of its Trust
Agreement.
You cannot be assured of the Sponsor’s continued services,
and discontinuance may be detrimental to the
Fund.
You cannot be assured that the
Sponsor will be willing or able to continue to service the Fund for
any length of time. The Sponsor was formed for the purpose of
sponsoring the Fund and other commodity pools, and has limited
financial resources and no significant source of income apart from
its management fees from such commodity pools to support its
continued service for the Fund. If the Sponsor discontinues its
activities on behalf of the Fund or another series of the Trust,
the Fund may be adversely affected. If the Sponsor’s
registrations with the CFTC or memberships in the NFA were revoked
or suspended, the Sponsor would no longer be able to provide
services to the Fund.
The Fund could terminate at any time and cause the liquidation and
potential loss of your investment and could upset the overall
maturity and timing of your investment
portfolio.
The Fund may terminate at any
time, regardless of whether the Fund has incurred losses, subject
to the terms of the Trust Agreement. For example, the dissolution
or resignation of the Sponsor would cause the Trust to terminate
unless shareholders holding a majority of the outstanding shares of
the Trust, voting together as a single class, elect within 90 days
of the event to continue the Trust and appoint a successor Sponsor.
In addition, the Sponsor may terminate the Fund if it determines
that the Fund’s aggregate net assets in relation to its
operating expenses make the continued operation of the Fund
unreasonable or imprudent. As of the date of this prospectus, the
Fund pays the fees, costs, and expenses of its operations. If the
Sponsor and the Fund are unable to raise sufficient funds so that
the Fund’s expenses are reasonable in relation to its NAV,
the Fund may be forced to terminate and investors may lose all or
part of their investment. Any expenses related to the operation of
the Fund would need to be paid by the Fund at the time of
termination.
However, no level of losses will
require the Sponsor to terminate the Fund. The Fund’s
termination would result in the liquidation of its investments and
the distribution of its remaining assets to the Shareholders on a
pro rata basis in accordance with their Shares, and the Fund could
incur losses in liquidating its investments in connection with a
termination. Termination could also negatively affect the overall
maturity and timing of your investment
portfolio.
As a Shareholder, you will not have the rights enjoyed by investors
in certain other types of entities.
As interests in separate series of
a Delaware statutory trust, the Shares do not involve the rights
normally associated with the ownership of shares of a corporation
(including, for example, the right to bring shareholder oppression
and derivative actions).
In addition, the
Shares have limited voting and distribution rights (for example,
Shareholders do not have the right to elect directors, as the Trust
does not have a board of directors, and generally will not receive
regular distributions of the net income and capital gains earned by
the Fund). The Fund is also not subject to certain investor
protection provisions of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 and the
NYSE Arca governance rules (for example, audit committee
requirements).
A court could potentially conclude that the assets and liabilities
of the Fund are not segregated from those of another series of the
Trust, thereby potentially exposing assets in the Fund to the
liabilities of another series.
The Fund is a series of a Delaware
statutory trust and not itself a legal entity separate from the
other Teucrium Funds. The Delaware Statutory Trust Act provides
that if certain provisions are included in the formation and
governing documents of a statutory trust organized in series and if
separate and distinct records are maintained for any series and the
assets associated with that series are held in separate and
distinct records and are accounted for in such separate and
distinct records separately from the other assets of the statutory
trust, or any series thereof, then the debts, liabilities,
obligations and expenses incurred by a particular series are
enforceable against the assets of such series only, and not against
the assets of the statutory trust generally or any other series
thereof. Conversely, none of the debts, liabilities, obligations
and expenses incurred with respect to any other series thereof is
enforceable against the assets of such series. The Sponsor is not aware
of any court case that has interpreted this interseries
limitation on liability or provided any guidance as to what is
required for compliance. The Sponsor intends to maintain separate
and distinct records for the Fund and account for the Fund
separately from any other Trust series, but it is possible a court
could conclude that the methods used do not satisfy the Delaware
Statutory Trust Act, which would potentially expose assets in the
Fund to the liabilities of one or more of the Teucrium Funds and/or
any other Trust series created in the future.
The Sponsor and the Trustee are not obligated to prosecute any
action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Fund
property.
Neither the Sponsor nor the
Trustee is obligated to, although each may in its respective
discretion, prosecute any action, suit or other proceeding in
respect of any Fund property. The Trust Agreement does not confer
upon Shareholders the right to prosecute any such action, suit or
other proceeding.
The Fund does not expect to make cash
distributions.
The Sponsor intends to
reinvest any income and realized gains of the Fund in
additional Wheat Interests rather than distributing cash to
Shareholders. Therefore, unlike mutual funds, commodity pools or
other investment pools that generally distribute income and gains
to their investors, the Fund generally will not distribute cash to
Shareholders. You should not invest in the Fund if you will need
cash distributions from the Fund to pay taxes on your share of
income and gains of the Fund, if any, or for any other reason.
Although the Fund does not intend to make cash distributions, it
reserves the right to do so in the Sponsor’s sole discretion,
in certain situations, including for example, if the income earned
from its investments held directly or posted as margin may reach
levels that merit distribution, e.g., at levels where such income
is not necessary to support its underlying investments in Wheat
Interests and investors adversely react to being taxed on such
income without receiving distributions that could be used to pay
such tax. Cash distributions may be made in these and similar
instances.
There is a risk that the Fund will not have sufficient total net
assets to compensate for the fees and expenses that it must pay and
as such the expense ratio of the Fund may be higher than that filed
in this document.
The Fund pays
management fees at an annual rate of 1.00% of its average net
assets, brokerage charges and various other expenses of its ongoing
operations (e.g., fees of the Administrator, Trustee and
Distributor), resulting in a total estimated expense ratio of
approximately 1.74% of net assets. These fees and expenses must be
paid in all events, regardless of the Fund’s total net
assets.
If this offering of Shares does not raise sufficient funds to make
the Fund’s future operations viable, the Fund may be forced
to terminate and investors may lose all or part of their
investment.
All of the expenses relating to
the Fund incurred prior to the commencement of operations
(September 19, 2011) were paid by the Sponsor. These payments by
the Sponsor were designed to allow the Fund the ability to commence
the public offering of its Shares. As of the date of this
prospectus, the Fund pays the fees, costs and expenses of its
operations. If the Sponsor and the Fund are unable to raise
sufficient funds so that the Fund’s expenses are reasonable
in relation to its NAV, the Fund may be forced to terminate and
investors may lose all or part of their investment. Any expenses
related to the operation of the Fund would need to be paid by the
Fund at the time of termination.
The Fund may incur higher fees and expenses upon renewing existing
or entering into new contractual relationships.
The arrangements between clearing
brokers and counterparties on the one hand and the Fund on the
other generally are terminable by the clearing brokers or
counterparty upon notice to the Fund. In addition, the agreements
between the Fund and its third party service providers, such
as the Distributor and the Custodian, are generally terminable at
specified intervals. Upon termination, the Sponsor may be required
to renegotiate or make other arrangements for obtaining similar
services if the Fund intends to continue to operate. Comparable
services from another party may not be available, or even if
available, these services may not be available on the terms as
favorable as those of the expired or terminated
arrangements.
The
Fund may experience a higher breakeven if interest rates
decline.
The Fund earns interest on cash
balances available for investment. If actual interest rates earned
were to fall, the breakeven estimated by the Fund in this
prospectus could be higher, if the Sponsor is not able to waive
expenses sufficient to cover the deficit.
The Fund may miss certain trading opportunities because it will not
receive the benefit of the expertise of independent trading
advisors.
The Sponsor does not employ
trading advisors for the Fund. however, it reserves the right to
employ them in the future. The only advisor to the Fund is the
Sponsor. A lack of independent trading advisors may be
disadvantageous to the Fund because it will not receive the benefit
of their independent expertise.
The Net Asset Value calculation of the Fund may be overstated or
understated due to the valuation method employed when a settlement
price is not available on the date of net asset value
calculation.
The Fund’s NAV includes, in
part, any unrealized profits or losses on open swap agreements,
futures or forward contracts. Under normal circumstances, the NAV
reflects the quoted CBOT settlement price of open futures contracts
on the date when the NAV is being calculated. In instances when the
quoted settlement price of futures contracts traded on an exchange
may not be reflective of fair value based on market condition,
generally due to the operation of daily limits or other rules of
the exchange or otherwise, the NAV may not reflect the fair value
of open futures contracts on such date. For purposes of financial
statements and reports, the Sponsor will recalculate the NAV where
necessary to reflect the “fair value” of a Futures
Contract when the Futures Contract closes at its price fluctuation
limit for the day.
An unanticipated number of redemption requests during a short
period of time could have an adverse effect on the NAV of the
Fund.
If a substantial number of
requests for redemption of Redemption Baskets are received by the
Fund during a relatively short period of time, the Fund may not be
able to satisfy the requests from the Fund’s assets not
committed to trading. As a consequence, it could be necessary to
liquidate the Fund’s trading positions before the time that
its trading strategies would otherwise call for
liquidation.
The liquidity of the Shares may be affected by the withdrawal from
participation of Authorized Purchasers, market-makers, or other
significant secondary-market participants which could adversely
affect the market price of the Shares.
Only an Authorized
Purchaser may engage in creation or redemption transactions
directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of
institutions that act as Authorized Purchasers. To the extent that
these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with
creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no
other Authorized Purchaser is able to step forward to create or
redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV
and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting. In addition, a
decision by a market maker or lead market maker, to cease
activities for the Fund or a decision by a secondary market
participant to sell a significant number of the Fund’s Shares
could adversely affect liquidity, the spread between the bid and
ask quotes, and potentially the price of the Shares. The Sponsor
can make no guarantees that participation by Authorized Purchasers
or market makers will continue.
If a minimum number of Shares is outstanding, market makers may be
less willing to purchase Shares in the secondary market which may
limit your ability to sell Shares.
There is a minimum
number of baskets and associated Shares specified for the Fund. If
the Fund experienced redemptions that caused the number of Shares
outstanding to decrease to the minimum level of Shares required to
be outstanding, until the minimum number of Shares is again
exceeded through the purchase of a new Creation Basket, there can
be no more redemptions by an Authorized Purchaser. In such case,
market makers may be less willing to purchase Shares from investors
in the secondary market, which may in turn limit the ability of
Shareholders of the Fund to sell their Shares in the secondary
market. As of January 31, 2018, these minimum levels for the Fund
are 50,000 Shares representing two baskets. The minimum level of
Shares specified for the Fund is subject to change. As of January
31, 2018, there were 10,825,004 Shares outstanding. (The current
number of Shares outstanding is posted daily on our website,
www.teucriumwheatfund.com.)
You may be adversely
affected by redemption orders that are subject to postponement,
suspension or rejection under certain circumstances.
The Trust may, in its discretion,
suspend the right to redeem Shares of the Fund or postpone the
redemption settlement date: (1) for any period during which an
applicable exchange is closed other than customary weekend or
holiday closing, or trading is suspended or restricted. (2) for any
period during which an emergency exists as a result of which
delivery, disposal or evaluation of the Fund’s assets is not
reasonably practicable. (3) for such other period as the Sponsor
determines to be necessary for the protection of Shareholders. (4)
if
there is a possibility that any or
all of the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts of the Fund on the
CBOT from which the NAV of the Fund is calculated will be priced at
a daily price limit restriction. or (5) if, in the sole discretion
of the Sponsor, the execution of such an order would not be in the
best interest of the Fund or its Shareholders. In addition, the
Trust will reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper
form as described in the agreement with the Authorized Purchaser or
if the fulfillment of the order, in the opinion of its counsel,
might be unlawful. The Sponsor may also reject a redemption order
if the number of Shares being redeemed would reduce the remaining
outstanding Shares to 50,000 Shares (i.e., two baskets of 25,000
Shares each) or less, unless the Sponsor has reason to believe that
the placer of the redemption order does in fact possess all the
outstanding Shares of the Fund and can deliver them. Any such
postponement, suspension or rejection could adversely affect a
redeeming Shareholder. For example, the resulting delay may
adversely affect the value of the Shareholder’s redemption
proceeds if the NAV of the Fund declines during the period of
delay. The Trust Agreement provides that the Sponsor and its
designees will not be liable for any loss or damage that may result
from any such suspension or postponement.
Any postponement, suspension or
rejection of a redemption order could adversely affect a redeeming
Shareholder. For example, the resulting delay may adversely affect
the value of a Shareholder’s redemption proceeds if the NAV
of the Fund declines during the period of delay. The Trust
Agreement provides that the Sponsor and its designees will not be
liable for any loss or damage that may result from any such
suspension or postponement.
The failure or bankruptcy of a clearing broker could result in
substantial losses for the Fund. the clearing broker could be
subject to proceedings that impair its ability to execute the
Fund’s trades.
Under CFTC regulations, a clearing
broker with respect to the Fund’s exchange traded Wheat
Interests must maintain customers’ assets in a bulk
segregated account. If a clearing broker fails to do so, or is
unable to satisfy a substantial deficit in a customer account, its
other customers may be subject to risk of a substantial loss of
their funds in the event of that clearing broker’s
bankruptcy. In that event, the clearing broker’s customers,
such as the Fund, are entitled to recover, even in respect of
property specifically traceable to them, only a proportional share
of all property available for distribution to all of that clearing
broker’s customers. The Fund also may be subject to the risk
of the failure of, or delay in performance by, any exchanges and
markets and their clearing organizations, if any, on which Wheat
Interests are traded.
From time to time, the clearing
brokers may be subject to legal or regulatory proceedings in the
ordinary course of their business. A clearing broker’s
involvement in costly or time consuming legal proceedings may
divert financial resources or personnel away from the clearing
broker’s trading operations, which could impair the clearing
broker’s ability to successfully execute and clear the
Fund’s trades.
The failure or insolvency of the Fund’s Custodian or other
financial institution in which the Fund has deposits could result
in a substantial loss of the Fund’s
assets.
As noted above, the vast majority
of the Fund’s assets are held in cash and/or cash equivalents
with the Custodian, other financial institutions, or in commercial
paper with a maturity date of 90 days or less. The insolvency of
the Custodian, any financial institution in which the Fund has
demand deposits, or a commercial paper issuer could result in a
complete loss of the Fund’s assets. The Fund currently has
cash and or cash equivalents at the Custodian, Rabobank, N.A,
Mascoma Savings Bank and Morgan Stanley, and commercial
paper.
Third parties may infringe upon or otherwise violate intellectual
property rights or assert that the Sponsor has infringed or
otherwise violated their intellectual property rights, which may
result in significant costs, litigation and diverted attention of
Sponsor’s management.
Third parties may assert that the
Sponsor has infringed or otherwise violated their intellectual
property rights. Third parties may independently develop business
methods, trademarks or proprietary software and other technology
similar to that of the Sponsor and claim that the Sponsor has
violated their intellectual property rights, including their
copyrights, trademark rights, trade names, trade secrets and patent
rights. As a result, the Sponsor may have to litigate in the future
to determine the validity and scope of other parties’
proprietary rights, or defend itself against claims that it has
infringed or otherwise violated other parties’ rights. Any
litigation of this type, even if the Sponsor is successful and
regardless of the merits, may result in significant costs, divert
resources from the Fund, or require the Sponsor to change its
proprietary software and other technology or enter into royalty or
licensing agreements.
The Sponsor has a patent on
certain business methods and procedures used with respect to the
Fund. The Sponsor utilizes certain proprietary software. Any
unauthorized use of such proprietary software, business methods
and/or procedures could adversely affect the competitive advantage
of the Sponsor or the Fund and/or require the Sponsor to take legal
action to protect its rights.
The success of the Fund depends on the ability of the Sponsor to
accurately implement its trading strategies, and any failure to do
so could subject the Fund to losses on such
transactions.
The Sponsor’s trading
strategy is quantitative in nature and it is possible that the
Sponsor will make errors in its implementation. The execution of
the quantitative strategy is subject to human error, such as
incorrect inputs into the Sponsor’s computer systems and
incorrect information provided to the Fund’s clearing
brokers. In addition, it is possible that a computer or software
program may malfunction and cause an error in computation. Any
failure, inaccuracy or delay in executing the Fund’s
transactions could affect its ability to achieve its investment
objective. It could also result in decisions to undertake
transactions based on inaccurate or incomplete information. This
could cause substantial losses on transactions. The Sponsor is not
required to reimburse the Fund for any costs associated with an
error in the placement or execution of a trade in commodity future
interests.
The Fund may experience substantial losses on transactions if the
computer or communications system fails.
The Fund’s trading
activities depend on the integrity and performance of the computer
and communications systems supporting them. Extraordinary
transaction volume, hardware or software failure, power or
telecommunications failure, a natural disaster , cyber attack or
other catastrophe could cause the computer systems to operate at an
unacceptably slow speed or even fail. Any significant degradation
or failure of the systems that the Sponsor uses to gather and
analyze information, enter orders, process data, monitor risk
levels and otherwise engage in trading activities may result in
substantial losses on transactions, liability to other parties,
lost profit opportunities, damages to the Sponsor’s and
Fund’s reputations, increased operational expenses and
diversion of technical resources.
If the computer and communications systems are not upgraded when
necessary, the Fund’s financial condition could be
harmed.
The development of complex
computer and communications systems and new technologies may render
the existing computer and communications systems supporting the
Fund’s trading activities obsolete. In addition, these
computer and communications systems must be compatible with those
of third parties, such as the systems of exchanges, clearing
brokers and the executing brokers. As a result, if these
third parties upgrade their systems, the Sponsor will need to make
corresponding upgrades to effectively continue its trading
activities. The Sponsor may have limited financial resources for
these upgrades or other technological changes. The Fund’s
future success may depend on the Sponsor’s ability to respond
to changing technologies on a timely and cost-effective
basis.
The Fund depends on the reliable performance of the computer and
communications systems of third parties, such as brokers and
futures exchanges, and may experience substantial losses on
transactions if they fail.
The Fund depends on the proper and
timely function of complex computer and communications systems
maintained and operated by the futures exchanges, brokers and other
data providers that the Sponsor uses to conduct trading activities.
Failure or inadequate performance of any of these systems could
adversely affect the Sponsor’s ability to complete
transactions, including its ability to close out positions, and
result in lost profit opportunities and significant losses on
commodity interest transactions. This could have a material adverse
effect on revenues and materially reduce the Fund’s available
capital. For example, unavailability of price quotations from third
parties may make it difficult or impossible for the Sponsor to
conduct trading activities so that the Fund will closely track
the Benchmark. Unavailability of
records from brokerage firms may make it difficult or impossible
for the Sponsor to accurately determine which transactions have
been executed or the details, including price and time, of any
transaction executed. This unavailability of information also may
make it difficult or impossible for the Sponsor to reconcile its
records of transactions with those of another party or to
accomplish settlement of executed transactions.
The occurrence of a severe weather event, natural disaster,
terrorist attack, or the outbreak, continuation or expansion of war
or other hostilities could disrupt the Fund’s trading
activity and materially affect the Fund’s
profitability.
The operations of the Fund, the
exchanges, brokers and counterparties with which the Fund does
business, and the markets in which the Fund does business could be
severely disrupted in the event of a severe weather event, natural
disaster, major terrorist attack, data breach or the outbreak,
continuation or expansion of war or other hostilities. Global
terrorist attacks, anti-terrorism initiatives, and political
unrest continue to fuel this concern.
Failures or breaches of electronic systems could disrupt the
Fund’s trading activity and materially affect the
Fund’s profitability.
Failures or breaches of the
electronic systems of the Fund, the Sponsor, the Custodian or
mutual funds or other financial institutions in which the Fund
invests, or the Fund’s other service providers, market
makers, Authorized Purchasers, NYSE Arca, exchanges on which
Futures Contracts or Other Commodity Interests are traded or
cleared, or counterparties have the ability to cause disruptions
and negatively impact the Fund’s business operations,
potentially resulting in financial losses to the Fund and its
shareholders. While the Fund has established business continuity
plans and risk management systems seeking to address system
breaches or failures, there are inherent limitations in such plans
and systems. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber
security plans and systems of the Custodian or mutual funds or
other financial institutions in which the Fund invests, or the
Fund’s other service providers, market makers, Authorized
Purchasers, NYSE Arca, exchanges on which Futures Contracts or
Other Commodity Interests are traded or cleared, or
counterparties.
An investment in a Fund faces numerous risks from its shares being
traded in the secondary market, any of which may lead to the
Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to
NAV.
Although the Fund’s shares
are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, there can be no assurance
that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be
maintained. Trading in the Fund’s shares may be halted due to
market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the NYSE
Arca, make trading in shares inadvisable. There can be no assurance
that the requirements of the NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the
listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain
unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at all.
The NAV of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate with
changes in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
The market prices of shares will generally fluctuate in accordance
with changes in the Fund’s NAV and supply and demand of
shares on the NYSE Arca. It cannot be predicted whether a Fund
shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Investors buying or
selling Fund shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage
commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by
that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may
be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or
sell relatively small amounts of shares.
The NYSE Arca may halt trading in the Shares which would adversely
impact your ability to sell Shares.
Trading in Shares of the Fund may
be halted due to market conditions or, in light of NYSE Arca rules
and procedures, for reasons that, in view of the NYSE Arca, make
trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading is subject to
trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to
“circuit breaker” rules that require trading to be
halted for a specified period based on a specified market decline.
There can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to
maintain the listing of the Shares will continue to be met or will
remain unchanged. The Fund will be terminated if its Shares are
delisted.
The lack of active trading markets for the Shares of the Fund may
result in losses on your investment in the Fund at the time of
disposition of your Shares.
Although the Shares of the Fund
will be listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, there can be no
guarantee that an active trading market for the Shares of the Fund
will be maintained. If you need to sell your Shares at a time when
no active market for them exists, the price you receive for your
Shares, assuming that you are able to sell them, likely will be
lower than what you would receive if an active market did
exist.
Risk of Leverage and
Volatility
If the Sponsor causes or permits the Fund to become leveraged, you
could lose all or substantially all of your investment if the
Fund’s trading positions suddenly turn
unprofitable.
Commodity pools’ trading
positions in futures contracts or other commodity interests are
typically required to be secured by the deposit of margin funds
that represent only a small percentage of a futures
contract’s (or other commodity interest’s) entire
market value. This feature permits
commodity pools to “leverage” their assets by
purchasing or selling futures contracts (or other commodity
interests) with an aggregate notional amount in excess of the
commodity pool’s assets. While this leverage can increase a
pool’s profits, relatively small adverse movements in the
price of the pool’s commodity interests can cause significant
losses to the pool. While the Sponsor does not intend to leverage
the Fund’s assets, it is not prohibited from doing so under
the Trust Agreement. If the Sponsor was to cause or permit the Fund
to become leveraged, you could lose all or substantially all of
your investment if the Fund’s trading positions suddenly turn
unprofitable.
The price of wheat can be volatile which could cause large
fluctuations in the price of Shares.
As discussed in more detail above,
price movements for wheat are influenced by, among other things,
weather conditions, crop disease, transportation and storage
difficulties, various planting, growing and harvesting problems,
governmental policies, changing demand, and seasonal fluctuations
in supply. More generally, commodity prices may be influenced by
economic and monetary events such as changes in interest rates,
changes in balances of payments and trade, U.S. and international
inflation rates, currency valuations and devaluations, U.S. and
international economic events, and changes in the philosophies and
emotions of market participants. Because the Fund invests primarily
in interests in a single commodity, it is not a diversified
investment vehicle, and therefore may be subject to greater
volatility than a diversified portfolio of stocks or bonds or a
more diversified commodity pool.
Over the Counter
Contract Risk
Over the counter transactions are subject to changing
regulation.
A portion of the Fund’s
assets may be used to trade over the counter Wheat
Interests, such as forward contracts or swaps. The markets for
over the counter contracts will continue to rely upon
the integrity of market participants in lieu of the additional
regulation imposed by the CFTC on participants in the futures
markets. To date, the forward markets have been largely
unregulated, except for anti manipulation and antifraud
provisions, forward contracts have been executed bilaterally
and, in general historically, forward contracts have not been
cleared or guaranteed by a third party.
While increased regulation of
over the counter Commodity Interests is likely to
result from changes that are required to be effectuated by the
DoddFrank Act, there is no guarantee that such increased
regulation will be effective to reduce these
risks.
The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to
counterparties to over the counter contracts entered
into by the Fund.
The Fund faces the risk of
non-performance by the counterparties to the over
the counter contracts. Unlike in futures contracts, the
counterparty to these contracts is generally a single bank or other
financial institution, rather than a clearing organization backed
by a group of financial institutions. As a result, there will be
greater counterparty credit risk in these transactions. A
counterparty may not be able to meet its obligations to the Fund,
in which case the Fund could suffer significant losses on these
contracts.
If a counterparty becomes bankrupt
or otherwise fails to perform its obligations due to financial
difficulties, the Fund may experience significant delays in
obtaining any recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganization
proceeding. During any such period, the Fund may have difficulty in
determining the value of its contracts with the counterparty, which
in turn could result in the overstatement or understatement of the
Fund’s NAV. The Fund may eventually obtain only limited
recovery or no recovery in such circumstances.
The Fund may be subject to liquidity risk with respect to its
over the counter contracts.
Over-the-counter
contracts may have terms that make them less marketable than Wheat
Futures Contracts. over the counter contracts are less
marketable because they are not traded on an exchange, do not have
uniform terms and conditions, and are entered into based upon the
creditworthiness of the parties and the availability of credit
support, such as collateral, and in general, they are not
transferable without the consent of the counterparty. These
conditions make such contracts less liquid than standardized
futures contracts traded on a commodities exchange and diminish the
ability to realize the full value of such contracts. In addition,
even if collateral is used to reduce counterparty credit risk,
sudden changes in the value of over the counter
transactions may leave a party open to financial risk due to a
counterparty default since the collateral held may not cover a
party’s exposure on the transaction in such
situations.
In general, valuing OTC
derivatives is less certain than valuing actively traded financial
instruments such as exchange traded futures contracts and
securities because the price and terms on which such OTC
derivatives are entered into or can be terminated are individually
negotiated, and those prices and terms may not reflect the best
price or terms available from other sources. In addition, while
market makers and dealers generally quote indicative prices or
terms for entering into or terminating OTC contracts, they
typically are not contractually obligated to do so, particularly if
they are not a party to the transaction. As a result, it may be
difficult to obtain an independent value for an outstanding OTC
derivatives transaction.
The foregoing liquidity risks
could impact adversely affect the Fund’s ability to meet its
investment objective.
Risk of Trading in International
Markets
Trading in international markets would expose the Fund to credit
and regulatory risk.
A significant portion of the Wheat
Futures Contracts entered into by the Fund are traded on United
States exchanges including the CBOT. However, a portion of the
Fund’s trades may take place on markets or exchanges outside
the United States. Some non U.S. markets present risks
because they are not subject to the same degree of regulation as
their U.S. counterparts. None of the CFTC, NFA, or any domestic
exchange regulates activities of any foreign boards of trade or
exchanges, including the execution, delivery and clearing of
transactions, has the power to compel enforcement of the rules of a
foreign board of trade or exchange or of any applicable non
U.S. laws. Similarly, the rights of market participants, such as
the Fund, in the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of
anonU.S. market or broker are also likely to be more limited
than in the case of U.S. markets or brokers. As a result, in these
markets, the Fund has less legal and
regulatory protection than it does when it trades domestically.
Currently the Fund does not place trades on any markets or
exchanges outside of the United States and does not anticipate
doing so in the foreseeable future.
In some of these non U.S.
markets, the performance on a futures contract is the
responsibility of the counterparty and is not backed by an exchange
or clearing corporation and therefore exposes the Fund to credit
risk. Additionally, trading on non U.S. exchanges is subject
to the risks presented by exchange controls, expropriation,
increased tax burdens and exposure to local economic declines and
political instability. An adverse development with respect to any
of these variables could reduce the profit or increase the loss
earned on trades in the affected international
markets.
International trading activities subject the Fund to foreign
exchange risk.
The price of any non U.S.
Wheat Interest and, therefore, the potential profit and loss on
such investment, may be affected by any variance in the foreign
exchange rate between the time the order is placed and the time it
is liquidated, offset or exercised. However, a portion of the
trades for the Fund may take place in markets and on exchanges
outside the U.S. Some non-U.S. markets present risks because they
are not subject to the same degree of regulation as their U.S.
counterparts. As a result, changes in the value of the local
currency relative to the U.S. dollar may cause losses to the Fund
even if the contract is profitable.
The CFTC’s implementation of
its regulations under the DoddFrank Act may further affect
the Fund’s ability to enter into foreign exchange contracts
and to hedge its exposure to foreign exchange
losses.
The Fund’s international trading could expose it to losses
resulting from non U.S. exchanges that are less developed or
less reliable than United States exchanges.
Some non U.S. exchanges also
may be in a more developmental stage so that prior price histories
may not be indicative of current price dynamics. In addition, the
Fund may not have the same access to certain positions on foreign
trading exchanges as do local traders, and the historical market
data on which the Sponsor bases its strategies may not be as
reliable or accessible as it is for U.S.
exchanges.
Please refer to “U.S.
Federal Income Tax Considerations” for information regarding
the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership
and disposition of Shares.
Your tax liability from holding Shares may exceed the amount of
distributions, if any, on your Shares.
Cash or property will be
distributed by the Fund at the sole discretion of the Sponsor, and
the Sponsor currently does not intend to make cash or other
distributions with respect to Shares. You will be required to pay
U.S. federal income tax and, in some cases, state, local, or
foreign income tax, on your allocable share of the Fund’s
taxable income, without regard to whether you receive distributions
or the amount of any distributions. Therefore, the tax liability
resulting from your ownership of Shares may exceed the amount of
cash or value of property (if any) distributed.
Your allocable share of income or loss for U.S. federal income tax
purposes may differ from your economic income or loss on your
Shares.
Due to the application of the
assumptions and conventions applied by the Fund in making
allocations for U.S. federal income tax purposes and other factors,
your allocable share of the Fund’s income, gain, deduction or
loss may be different than your economic profit or loss from your
Shares for a taxable year. This difference could be temporary or
permanent and, if permanent, could result in your being taxed on
amounts in excess of your economic income.
Items of income, gain, deduction, loss and credit with respect to
Shares could be reallocated if the IRS does not accept the
assumptions and conventions applied by the Fund in allocating those
items, with potential adverse tax consequences for
you.
The Fund is treated as a
partnership for United States federal income tax purposes. The U.S.
tax rules pertaining to entities taxed as partnerships are complex
and their application to publicly traded partnerships such as the
Fund is in many respects uncertain. The Fund applies certain
assumptions and conventions in an attempt to comply with the intent
of the applicable rules and to report taxable income, gains,
deductions, losses and credits in a manner that properly reflects
Shareholders’ economic gains and losses. These assumptions
and conventions may not fully comply with all aspects of the
Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and applicable
Treasury Regulations, however, and it is possible that the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) will successfully
challenge our allocation methods and require us to reallocate items
of income, gain, deduction, loss or credit in a manner that
adversely affects you. If this occurs, you may be required to file
an amended tax return and to pay additional taxes plus deficiency
interest.
The Fund could be treated as a corporation for federal income tax
purposes, which may substantially reduce the value of your
Shares.
The Trust has received an opinion
of counsel that, under current U.S. federal income tax laws, the
Fund will be treated as a partnership that is not taxable as a
corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, provided that (i)
at least 90 percent of the Fund’s annual gross income
consists of “qualifying income” as defined in the Code,
(ii) the Fund is organized and operated in accordance with its
governing agreements and applicable law, and (iii) the Fund does
not elect to be taxed as a corporation for federal income tax
purposes. Although the Sponsor anticipates that the Fund
has satisfied and will continue to satisfy the “qualifying
income” requirement for all of its taxable years, that result
cannot be assured. The Fund has not requested and will
not request any ruling from the IRS with respect to its
classification as a partnership not taxable as a corporation for
federal income tax purposes. If the IRS were to
successfully assert that the Fund is taxable as a corporation for
federal income tax purposes in any taxable year, rather than
passing through its income, gains, losses and deductions
proportionately to Shareholders, the Fund would be subject to tax
on its net income for the year at corporate tax
rates. In addition, although the Sponsor does not
currently intend to make distributions with respect to Shares, any
distributions would be taxable to Shareholders as dividend incometo
the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earning and
profit. Taxation of the Fund as a corporation could
materially reduce the after-tax return on an investment in Shares
and could substantially reduce the value of your
Shares.
Tax
legislation that has been or could be enacted may affect you with
respect to your investment in the Fund.
Legislative, regulatory or
administrative changes could be enacted or promulgated at any time,
either prospectively or with retroactive effect, and may adversely
affect the Fund and its Shareholders. Tax legislation informally
known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “2017 Tax
Cuts and Jobs Act”) was signed into law on December 22, 2017,
generally effective for taxable years beginning on or after January
1, 2018. In addition to modifying income tax rates for individuals
and corporations, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made certain
changes to the tax treatment for passthrough entities, such
as the Fund. Please consult a tax advisor regarding the
implications of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on an investment in
Shares of the Teucrium Funds.
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ARE STRONGLY URGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX
ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE POSSIBLE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF
AN INVESTMENT IN SHARES. SUCH TAX CONSEQUENCES MAY DIFFER IN
RESPECT OF DIFFERENT INVESTORS.
The Fund is a series of the Trust,
a statutory trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware
on September 11,
2009. Currently, the Trust has
five series that are separate operating commodity pools: the
Teucrium Corn Fund, the Teucrium Wheat Fund, the Teucrium Soybean
Fund, the Teucrium Sugar Fund, and the Teucrium Agricultural Fund.
Additional series of the Trust may be created in the future at the
Sponsor’s discretion. The Fund maintains its main business
office at 115 Christina Landing Drive Unit 2004, Wilmington, DE
19801. The Fund is a commodity pool. It operates pursuant to the
terms of the Trust Agreement, which is dated as of October 21, 2010
and grants full management control to the
Sponsor.
The Fund is publicly traded, and
seeks to have the daily changes in percentage terms of the
Shares’ NAV reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of
the price of wheat for future delivery, as measured by the
Benchmark. The Fund invests in a mixture of listed Wheat Futures
Contracts, Other Wheat Interests, cash and cash
equivalents.
See “Prior Performance of
the Fund” on page 39 for more information about prior
performance of the Fund.
The Sponsor of the Trust is
Teucrium Trading, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. The
principal office of the Sponsor and the Trust are located at 115
Christina Landing Drive Unit 2004, Wilmington, DE 19801. The
Sponsor registered as a CPO with the CFTC and became a member of
the NFA on November 10, 2009. The Sponsor registered as a Commodity
Trading Advisor (“CTA”) with the CFTC effective
September 8, 2017.
Aside from
establishing the series of the Trust, operating those series that
have commenced offering their shares, and obtaining capital from a
small number of outside investors in order to engage in these
activities, the Sponsor has not engaged in any other business
activity prior to the date of this prospectus. Under the Trust
Agreement, the Sponsor is solely responsible for the management and
conducts or directs the conduct of the business of the Trust, the
Fund, and any series of the Trust that may from time to time be
established and designated by the Sponsor. The Sponsor is required
to oversee the purchase and sale of Shares by Authorized Purchasers
and to manage the Fund’s investments, including to evaluate
the credit risk of FCMs and swap counterparties and to review daily
positions and margin/collateral requirements. The Sponsor has the
power to enter into agreements as may be necessary or appropriate
for the offer and sale of the Fund’s Shares and the conduct
of the Trust’s activities. Accordingly, the Sponsor is
responsible for selecting the Trustee, Administrator, Distributor,
the independent registered public accounting firm of the Trust, and
any legal counsel employed by the Trust. The Sponsor is also
responsible for preparing and filing periodic reports on behalf of
the Trust with the SEC and will provide any required certification
for such reports. No person other than the Sponsor and its
principals was involved in the organization of the Trust or the
Fund.
The Sponsor may determine to
engage marketing agents who will assist the Sponsor in marketing
the Shares. See “Plan of Distribution” for more
information.
The Sponsor maintains a public
website on behalf of the Fund, www.teucriumweatfund.com,
which contains information about the Trust, the Fund, and the
Shares, and oversees certain services for the benefit of
Shareholders.
The Sponsor has discretion to
appoint one or more of its affiliates as additional
Sponsors.
The Sponsor receives a fee as
compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement. The
Sponsor’s fee accrues daily and is paid monthly at an annual
rate of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the
period from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, the Fund
recognized $654,207 in management fees to the Sponsor. The Fund is
also responsible for other ongoing fees, costs and expenses of its
operations, including brokerage fees, and legal, printing,
accounting, custodial, administration and transfer agency costs,
although the Sponsor bore the costs and expenses related to the
registration of the Shares. None of the costs and expenses related
to the initial registration, offer and sale of Shares, which
totaled approximately $450,000, were or are chargeable to the Fund,
and the Sponsor did not and may not recover any of these costs and
expenses from the Fund.
Shareholders have no right to
elect the Sponsor on an annual or any other continuing basis or to
remove the Sponsor. If the Sponsor voluntarily withdraws, the
holders of a majority of the Trust’s outstanding Shares
(excluding for purposes of such determination Shares owned by the
withdrawing Sponsor and its affiliates) may elect its successor.
Prior to withdrawing, the Sponsor must give ninety days’
written notice to the Shareholders and the
Trustee.
Ownership or
“membership” interests in the Sponsor are owned by
persons referred to as “members.” The Sponsor
currently has three voting or “Class A” members –
Mr. Sal Gilbertie, Mr. Dale Riker and Mr. Carl N. Miller III
– and a small number of non-voting or “Class B”
members who have provided working capital to the Sponsor.
Messrs. Gilbertie and Riker each currently own 45.7% of the
Sponsor’s Class A membership interests, while Mr. Miller
holds the remainder, which is less than
10%.
The Sponsor has an information
technology plan (the “IT Plan”) in place which is part
of the internal controls of the Trust and the Fund. The IT Plan is
tested by both the management of the Sponsor and by the independent
external auditor as a part of their internal control audit over the
financial reporting of the Trust and the Fund. The IT Plan also
takes reasonable care to look beyond the controls developed and
implemented for the Trust and the Fund directly to the platforms
and controls in place for the key service providers. Such review of
the IT plans of key service providers is part of the
Sponsor’s disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
The Sponsor provides regular training to all employees of the
Sponsor regarding cybersecurity topics, in addition to real-time
dissemination of information regarding cybersecurity matters as
needed. The IT plan is reviewed and updated as needed, but at a
minimum on an annual basis.
Management of the Sponsor
In general, under the
Sponsor’s Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company
Operating Agreement, as amended from time to time, the Sponsor (and
as a result the Trust and the Fund) is managed by the officers of
the Sponsor. The Chief Executive Officer of the Sponsor is
responsible for the overall strategic direction of the Sponsor and
will have general control of its business. The Chief Investment
Officer and President of the Sponsor is primarily responsible for
new investment product development with respect to the Fund and
each of the Teucrium Funds. The Chief Operating Officer has assumed
primary responsibility for trade operations, trade execution, and
portfolio activities with respect to the Fund. The Chief Financial
Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Chief Compliance Officer acts
as the Sponsor’s principal financial and accounting officer,
which position includes the functions previously performed by the
Treasurer of the Sponsor, and administers the Sponsor’s
regulatory compliance programs. Furthermore, certain fundamental
actions regarding the Sponsor, such as the removal of officers, the
addition or substitution of members, or the incurrence of
liabilities other than those incurred in the ordinary course of
business and de minimis
liabilities, may not be taken without the affirmative vote of a
majority of the Class A members (which is generally defined as the
affirmative vote of Mr. Gilbertie and one of the other two Class A
members). The Sponsor has no board of directors, and the Trust has
no board of directors or officers. The three Class A members of the
Sponsor are Sal Gilbertie, Dale Riker and
Carl N. Miller
III.
The Officers of
the Sponsor, two of whom are also Class A members of the Sponsor,
are the following:
Sal Gilbertie has
been the President of the Sponsor since its inception and its Chief
Investment Officer since September 2011, was approved by the NFA as
a principal of the Sponsor on September 23, 2009, and was
registered as an associated person of the Sponsor on November 10,
2009. He maintains his main business office at 65 Adams Road,
Easton, Connecticut 06612. Effective July 16, 2012, Mr. Gilbertie
was registered with the NFA as the Branch Manager for this
location. Since October 18, 2010, Mr. Gilbertie has been an
associated person of the Distributor under the terms of the
Securities Activities and Services Agreement (“SASA”)
between the Sponsor and the Distributor. Additional information
regarding the SASA can be found in the section of this disclosure
document entitled “Plan of Distribution.” From October
2005 until December 2009, Mr. Gilbertie was employed by Newedge
USA, LLC, an FCM and broker dealer registered with the CFTC
and the SEC, where he headed the Renewable Fuels/Energy Derivatives
OTC Execution Desk and was an active futures contract and
over the counter derivatives trader and market maker in
multiple classes of commodities. (Between January 2008 and October
2008, he also held a comparable position with Newedge Financial,
Inc., an FCM and an affiliate of Newedge USA, LLC.) From October
1998 until October 2005, Mr. Gilbertie was principal and
co-founder of Cambial Asset Management, LLC, an adviser to
two private funds that focused on equity options, and Cambial
Financing Dynamics, a private boutique investment bank. While at
Cambial Asset Management, LLC and Cambial Financing Dynamics, Mr.
Gilbertie served as principal and managed the day to
day activities of the business and the portfolio of both companies.
Mr. Gilbertie is 57 years old.
Dale Riker has been
the Secretary of the Sponsor since January 2010, and its Chief
Executive Officer since September 2011, was approved by the NFA as
a principal of the Sponsor on October 29, 2009, and was registered
as an associated person of the Sponsor on February 17, 2010. He
maintains his main business office at 115 Christina Landing Drive
Unit 2004, Wilmington, DE 19801 and is responsible for the overall
strategic direction of the Sponsor and has general control of its
business. Mr. Riker was Treasurer of the Sponsor from its inception
until September 2011. From February 2005 to December 2012, Mr.
Riker was the President of Cambial Emerging Markets LLC, a
consulting company specializing in emerging market equity
investment. As President of Cambial Emerging Markets LLC, Mr. Riker
had responsibility for business strategy, planning and operations.
From July 1996 to February 2005, Mr. Riker was a private investor.
Mr. Riker is married to the Chief Financial Officer, Chief
Accounting Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of the Sponsor,
Barbara Riker. Mr. Riker is 60 years old.
Barbara Riker began
working for the Sponsor in July 2010 providing accounting and
compliance support. She has been the Chief Financial Officer, Chief
Accounting Officer and Chief Compliance Officer for Teucrium since
September 2011, was approved by the NFA as a principal of the
Sponsor on October 19, 2011, and has a background in finance,
accounting, investor relations, corporate communications and
operations. She maintains her main business office at 115 Christina
Landing Drive Unit 2004, Wilmington, DE 19801. From September 1980
to February 1993, Ms. Riker worked in various financial capacities
for Pacific Telesis Group, the California-based Regional Bell
Operating Company, and its predecessors. In February 1993, with the
spin-off of AirTouch Communications from Pacific Telesis Group, Ms.
Riker was selected to lead the Investor Relations team for the
global mobile phone operator. In her capacity as Executive Director
– Investor Relations and Corporate Communications from
February 1993 to June 1995, AirTouch completed its initial public
offering and was launched as an independent publicly-traded
company. In June 1995, she was named Chief Financial Officer of
AirTouch International and, in addition to her other duties, served
on the board of several of the firm’s joint ventures, both
private and public, across Europe. In June 1997, Ms. Riker moved
into an operations capacity as the District General Manager for
AirTouch Paging’s San Francisco operations. In February 1998
she was named Vice President and General Manager of AirTouch
Cellular for Arizona and New Mexico. Ms. Riker retired in July
1999, coincident with the purchase of AirTouch by Vodafone PLC and
remained retired until she began working for the Sponsor. Ms. Riker
graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
from Cal State – East Bay in 1980. Ms. Riker is married to
the Chief Executive Officer of the Sponsor, Dale Riker. Ms. Riker
is 60 years old.
Steve Kahler, Chief
Operating Officer, began working for the Sponsor in November 2011
as Managing Director in the trading division. He became the Chief
Operating Officer on May 24, 2012 and has primary responsibility
for the Trade Operations for the Teucrium Funds. He maintains his
main business office at 13520 Excelsior Blvd., Minnetonka, MN
55345. Mr. Kahler was registered as an Associated Person of the
Sponsor on November 25, 2011, approved as a Branch Manager of the
Sponsor on March 16, 2012 and approved by the NFA as a Principal of
the Sponsor on May 16, 2012. Since January 18, 2012, Mr. Kahler has
been an associated person of the Distributor under the terms of the
SASA between the Sponsor and the Distributor. Additional
information regarding the SASA can be found in the section of this
disclosure document entitled “Plan of Distribution.”
Prior to his employment with the Sponsor, Mr. Kahler worked for
Cargill Inc., an international producer and marketer of food,
agricultural, financial and industrial products and services, from
April 2006 until November 2011 in the Energy Division as Senior
Petroleum Trader. In October 2006 and while employed at Cargill
Inc., Mr. Kahler was approved as an Associated Person of Cargill
Commodity Services Inc., a commodity trading affiliate of Cargill
Inc. from September 13, 2006 to November 9, 2011. Mr. Kahler
graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelors of
Agricultural Business Administration in 1992 and is 50 years
old.
Mr. Kahler is primarily
responsible for making trading and investment decisions for the
Fund and other Teucrium Funds, and for directing Fund and other
Teucrium Fund trades for execution.
Messrs. Gilbertie, Riker, and
Kahler and Ms. Riker are individual “principals,” as
that term is defined in CFTC Rule 3.1, of the Sponsor. These
individuals are principals due to their positions and/or due to
their ownership interests in the Sponsor. Beneficial ownership
interests of the principals, if any, are shown under the section
entitled “Security Ownership of Principal Shareholders and
Management” below and any of the principals may acquire
beneficial interests in the Fund in the future. GFI Group LLC is a
principal for the Sponsor under CFTC Rules due to its ownership of
certain non-voting securities of the Sponsor.
Market Price of Shares
The Fund’s Shares have
traded on the NYSE Arca under the symbol “WEAT” since
September 19, 2011. The following table sets forth the range of
reported high and low sales prices of the Shares as reported on
NYSE Arca for the periods indicated below.
Fiscal Year Ended December 31,
2017:
|
|
|
Quarter
Ended
|
|
|
March 31, 2017
|
$7.70
|
$6.81
|
June 30, 2017
|
$7.83
|
$6.60
|
September 30,
2017
|
$8.43
|
$6.35
|
December 31,
2017
|
$6.59
|
$5.81
|
Fiscal Year Ended December 31,
2016:
|
|
|
Quarter
Ended
|
|
|
March 31, 2016
|
$9.39
|
$8.50
|
June 30, 2016
|
$9.66
|
$8.11
|
September 30,
2016
|
$8.33
|
$7.01
|
December 31,
2016
|
$7.50
|
$6.69
|
As of December 31, 2017, the Fund
had approximately 4,615 Shareholders.
Prior Performance of the Fund
PERFORMANCE
DATA FOR THE FUND
PAST
PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE
RESULTS
The Teucrium Wheat Fund commenced
trading and investment operations on September 19, 2011. The
Teucrium Wheat Fund is listed on NYSE Arca and is neither: (i) a
privately offered pool pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended. (ii) a multi-advisor pool
as defined in CFTC Regulation 4.10(d)(2). or (iii) a
principal protected pool as defined in CFTC Regulation
4.10(d)(3).
Units of beneficial interest
issued (from inception until January 31, 2018)
|
17,500,004
|
Aggregate gross sale price for
units issued
|
$158,635,248
|
NAV per Share as of January 31,
2018
|
$6.33
|
Pool NAV as of January 31,
2018
|
$68,480,943
|
Worst monthly percentage
draw-down*
|
|
Worst peak-to-valley
draw-down**
|
(76.04) September
2011 – December 2017 %
|
* A drawdown is a loss
experienced by the fund over a specified period. Drawdowns
are measured on the basis of monthly returns only and do not
reflect intra-month figures. The worst monthly
percentagedrawdown reflects the largest single month loss
sustained over the most recent five calendar years and the current
year-to-date.
** The worst
peaktovalley drawdown is the largest percentage
decline in the NAV per unit over the most recent five calendar
years and the current year-to-date. This need not be a continuous
decline, but can be a series of positive and negative returns.
Worst peak-to-valley drawdown represents the
greatest percentage decline from any month end NAV per unit
that occurs without such month end NAV per unit being equaled
or exceeded as of a subsequent monthend. For example, if the
NAV per unit declined by $1 in each of January and February,
increased by $1 in March and declined again by $2 in April, a
“peak-to-valley drawdown” analysis
conducted as of the end of April would consider that
“drawdown” to be continuing and to be $3 in amount,
whereas if the NAV per unit had increased by $2 in March, the
drawdown would have ended as of the end of February at the $2
level.
|
Rates of Return*
|
|
Month
|
2013
|
|
2014
|
|
2015
|
|
2016
|
|
2017
|
|
2018
|
|
January
|
(0.71)
|
%
|
(9.43)
|
%
|
(14.39)
|
%
|
1.09
|
%
|
2.90
|
%
|
5.68
|
%
|
February
|
(9.67)
|
|
7.51
|
|
0.92
|
|
(6.27)
|
|
2.26
|
|
5.85
|
|
March
|
(3.41)
|
|
14.74
|
|
(0.73)
|
|
3.92
|
|
(4.41)
|
|
(7.61)
|
|
April
|
5.38
|
|
2.77
|
|
(7.52)
|
|
1.55
|
|
(1.73)
|
|
|
|
May
|
(3.45)
|
|
(11.56)
|
|
(1.29)
|
|
(5.03)
|
|
(0.29)
|
|
|
|
June
|
(8.38)
|
|
(8.63)
|
|
22.59
|
|
(5.41)
|
|
15.46
|
|
|
|
July
|
(0.41)
|
|
(7.84)
|
|
(18.10)
|
|
(5.47)
|
|
(7.02)
|
|
|
|
August
|
(3.45)
|
|
1.00
|
|
(4.10)
|
|
(9.78)
|
|
(11.52)
|
|
|
|
September
|
1.45
|
|
(15.74)
|
|
5.11
|
|
2.57
|
|
1.86
|
|
|
|
October
|
(0.48)
|
|
10.36
|
|
0.50
|
|
2.09
|
|
(6.09)
|
|
|
|
November
|
(2.22)
|
|
4.86
|
|
(8.00)
|
|
(6.95)
|
|
(1.30)
|
|
|
|
December
|
(8.90)
|
|
1.68
|
|
(1.82)
|
|
0.88
|
|
(1.64)
|
|
|
|
Annual Rate
of Return
|
(30.16)
|
%
|
(14.29)
|
%
|
(28.07)
|
%
|
(24.70)
|
%
|
(13.06)
|
%
|
3.34
|
%
|
** The monthly rate of return is
calculated by dividing the ending NAV for a given month by the
ending NAV for the previous month, subtracting 1 and multiplying
this number by 100 to arrive at a percentage increase or
decrease.
** Not
annualized.
The sole Trustee of the Trust is
Wilmington Trust Company, a Delaware banking corporation. The
Trustee’s principal offices are located at 1100 North Market
Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890-0001. The Trustee is
unaffiliated with the Sponsor. The Trustee’s duties and
liabilities with respect to the offering of Shares and the
management of the Trust and the Fund are limited to its express
obligations under the Trust Agreement.
The Trustee will accept service of
legal process on the Trust in the State of Delaware and will make
certain filings under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. The Trustee
does not owe any other duties to the Trust, the Sponsor or the
Shareholders. The Trustee is permitted to resign upon at least
sixty (60) days’ notice to the Sponsor. If no successor
trustee has been appointed by the Sponsor within such sixty
day period, the Trustee may, at the expense of the Trust, petition
a court to appoint a successor. The Trust Agreement provides that
the Trustee is entitled to reasonable compensation for its services
from the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor (including the
Trust), and is indemnified by the Sponsor against any expenses it
incurs relating to or arising out of the formation, operation or
termination of the Trust, or any action or inaction of the Trustee
under the Trust Agreement, except to the extent that such expenses
result from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the
Trustee. The Sponsor has the discretion to replace the
Trustee.
The Trustee has not signed the
registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and is
not subject to issuer liability under the federal securities laws
for the information contained in this prospectus and under federal
securities laws with respect to the issuance and sale of the
Shares. Under such laws, neither the Trustee, either in its
capacity as Trustee or in its individual capacity, nor any
director, officer or controlling person of the Trustee is, or has
any liability as, the issuer or a director, officer or controlling
person of the issuer of the Shares.
Under the Trust Agreement, the
Trustee has delegated to the Sponsor the exclusive management and
control of all aspects of the business of the Trust and the Fund.
The Trustee has no duty or liability to supervise or monitor the
performance of the Sponsor, nor does the Trustee have any liability
for the acts or omissions of the Sponsor.
Because the Trustee has delegated
substantially all of its authority over the operation of the Trust
to the Sponsor, the Trustee itself is not registered in any
capacity with the CFTC.
The investment objective of the
Fund is to have the daily changes in percentage terms of the
Shares’ NAV reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of
a weighted average of the closing settlement prices for Wheat
Futures Contracts that are traded on the CBOT:
WEAT
Benchmark
CBOT
Wheat Futures Contract
|
|
Second to
expire
|
35%
|
Third to
expire
|
30%
|
December following the
thirdtoexpire
|
35%
|
The Fund seeks to achieve its
investment objective by investing under normal market conditions in
Benchmark Component Futures Contracts or, in certain circumstances,
in other Wheat Futures Contracts traded on the CBOT or on foreign
exchanges. In addition, and to a limited extent, the Fund also may
invest in exchange traded options on Wheat Futures Contracts
in furtherance of the Fund's investment objective. Once position
limits in CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts are applicable, the Fund's
intention is to invest first in Other Wheat Interests. See
“The Offering – Futures Contracts” below. By
utilizing certain or all of these investments, the Sponsor
endeavors to cause the Fund's performance to closely track that of
the Benchmark.
The Fund invests in Wheat
Interests to the fullest extent possible without being leveraged or
unable to satisfy its current or potential margin or collateral
obligations with respect to its investments in Wheat
Interests. After fulfilling such margin and collateral
requirements, the Fund invests the remainder of its proceeds from
the sale of baskets in cash equivalents, including money-market
funds and investment grade commercial paper, and/or merely hold
such assets in cash in interest-bearing
accounts. Therefore, the focus of the Sponsor in
managing the Fund is investing in Wheat Interests and cash and/or
cash equivalents. The Fund earns interest income from
the cash equivalents that it purchases and on the cash it holds at
financial institutions.
The Sponsor expects to manage the
Fund’s investments directly, although it has been authorized
by the Trust to retain, establish the terms of retention for, and
terminate third party commodity trading advisors to provide
such management. The Sponsor has substantial discretion in managing
the Fund’s investments consistent with meeting its investment
objective of tracking the Benchmark, including the discretion: (1)
to choose whether to invest in the Benchmark Component Futures
Contracts or other Wheat Futures Contracts or Other Wheat Interests
with similar investment characteristics. (2) to choose when to
“roll” the Fund’s positions in Wheat Interests as
described below, and (3) to manage the Fund’s investments in
cash and cash equivalents.
The Fund seeks to achieve its
investment objective primarily by investing in Wheat Interests such
that the changes in its NAV are expected to closely track the
changes in the Benchmark. The Fund’s positions in Wheat
Interests are changed or “rolled” on a regular basis in
order to track the changing nature of the Benchmark. For example,
five times a year (on the date on which a Wheat Futures Contract
expires), the second-to-expire Wheat Futures Contract
will become the next-to-expire Wheat Futures Contract
and will no longer be a Benchmark Component Futures Contract, and
the Fund’s investments will have to be changed accordingly.
In order that the Fund’s trading does not cause unwanted
market movements and to make it more difficult for third parties to
profit by trading based on such expected market movements, the
Fund’s investments may not be rolled entirely on that day,
but rather may be rolled over a period of days.
The Fund posts on its website
(www.teucriumweatfund.com)
the roll dates and the contracts into which it will roll for the
entire upcoming calendar year. This information is updated at the
beginning of the calendar year and as needed throughout the
year.
The Sponsor does not intend to
operate the Fund in a fashion such that its per Share NAV will
equal, in dollar terms, the spot price of a bushel or other unit of
wheat or the price of any particular Wheat Futures
Contract.
In seeking to achieve the
Fund’s investment objective of tracking the Benchmark, the
Sponsor may for certain reasons cause the Fund to enter into or
hold Wheat Futures Contracts other than the Benchmark Component
Futures Contracts and/or Other Wheat Interests. Over-the-counter Wheat
Interests can generally be structured as the parties to the
contract desire. Therefore, the Fund might enter into multiple
over the counter Wheat Interests intended to exactly
replicate the performance of each of the three Benchmark Component
Futures Contracts, or a single over the counter Wheat
Interest designed to replicate the performance of the Benchmark as
a whole. Assuming that there is no default by a counterparty to an
over the counter Wheat Interest, the performance of the
Wheat Interest will necessarily correlate exactly with the
performance of the Benchmark or the applicable Benchmark Component
Futures Contract. The Fund might also enter into or hold Wheat
Interests other than the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts to
facilitate effective trading, consistent with the discussion of the
Fund’s “roll” strategy discussed in the
preceding paragraph. In addition, the Fund
might enter into or hold Wheat Interests that would be expected to
alleviate overall deviation between the Fund’s performance
and that of the Benchmark that may result from certain market and
trading inefficiencies or other reasons. By utilizing certain or
all of the investments described above, the Sponsor endeavors to
cause the Fund’s performance to closely track that of the
Benchmark.
The Sponsor endeavors to place the
Fund’s trades in Wheat Interests and otherwise manage the
Fund’s investments so that the Fund’s average daily
tracking error against the Benchmark is less than 10 percent over
any period of 30 trading days. More specifically, the Sponsor
endeavors to manage the Fund so that A will be within plus/minus 10
percent of B, where:
●
A is
the average daily change in the Fund’s NAV for any period of
30 successive valuation days. i.e., any trading day as of which the
Fund calculates its NAV, and
●
B is
the average daily change in the price of the Benchmark over the
same period.
The Sponsor believes that market
arbitrage opportunities cause daily changes in the Fund’s
Share price on the NYSE Arca to track daily changes in the
Fund’s NAV per Share. The Sponsor believes that the net
effect of this expected relationship and the expected relationship
described above between the Fund’s NAV and the Benchmark will
be that daily changes in the price of the Fund’s Shares on
the NYSE Arca will track daily changes in the Benchmark. This
relationship may be affected by various market factors, including
but not limited to, the number of shares of the Fund outstanding
and the liquidity of the underlying holdings. While the Benchmark
is composed of Futures Contracts and is therefore a measure of the
price of wheat for future delivery, there is nonetheless expected
to be a reasonable degree of correlation between the
Benchmark and the cash or spot price of wheat. These relationships
are illustrated in the following diagram:
An investment in the Shares
provides a means for diversifying an investor’s portfolio or
hedging exposure to changes in wheat prices. An investment in the
Shares allows both retail and institutional investors to easily
gain this exposure to the wheat market in a transparent, cost
effective manner.
The Sponsor employs a
“neutral” investment strategy intended to track changes
in the Benchmark regardless of whether the Benchmark goes up or
goes down. The Fund’s “neutral” investment
strategy is designed to permit investors generally to purchase and
sell the Fund’s Shares for the purpose of investing
indirectly in the wheat market in a cost effective manner.
Such investors may include participants in the wheat industry and
other industries seeking to hedge the risk of losses in their
wheat related transactions, as well as investors seeking
exposure to the wheat market. Accordingly, depending on the
investment objective of an individual investor, the risks generally
associated with investing in the wheat market and/or the risks
involved in hedging may exist. In addition, an investment in the
Fund involves the risk that the changes in the price of the
Fund’s Shares will not accurately track the changes in the
Benchmark, and that changes in the Benchmark will not closely
correlate with changes in the price of wheat on the spot market.
Furthermore, as noted above, the Fund also holds cash and/or cash
equivalents to meet its current or potential margin or collateral
requirements with respect to its investments in Wheat Interests and
to invest cash not required to be used as margin or collateral. The
Fund does not expect there to be any meaningful correlation between
the performance of the Fund’s investments in cash and/or cash
equivalents and the changes in the price of wheat or Wheat
Interests. While the level of interest earned on, or the market
price of, these investments may in some respects correlate to
changes in the price of wheat, this correlation is not anticipated
as part of the Fund’s efforts to meet its objective. This and
certain risk factors discussed in this prospectus may cause a lack
of correlation between changes in the Fund’s NAV and changes
in the price of wheat. The Sponsor does not intend to
operate the Fund in a fashion such that its per Share NAV will
equal, in dollar terms, the spot price of a bushel or other unit of
wheat the price of any particular Wheat Futures
Contract.
The Fund’s total portfolio
composition is disclosed each business day that the NYSE Arca is
open for trading on the Fund’s website at
www.teucriumweatfund.com. The website disclosure of portfolio
holdings is made daily and includes, as applicable, the name and
value of each commodity futures contract held and those that are
pending, the name and value of each cash equivalent held in the
Fund, and the amount of cash held in the Fund’s portfolio.
The Fund’s website also includes the NAV, the 4 p.m. Bid/Ask
Midpoint as reported by the NYSE Arca, the last trade price as
reported by the NYSE Arca, the shares outstanding, the shares
available for issuance, and the shares created or redeemed on that
day. The prospectus, Monthly Statements of Account, Quarterly
Performance of the Midpoint versus the NAV (as required by the
CFTC), and the Roll Dates, as well as Forms 10Q, Forms
10K, and other SEC filings for the Fund, are also posted on
the website. The Fund’s website is publicly accessible at no
charge.
The Shares issued by the Fund may
only be purchased by Authorized Purchasers and only in blocks of
25,000 Shares called Creation Baskets. The amount of the purchase
payment for a Creation Basket is equal to the aggregate NAV of
Shares in the Creation Basket. Similarly, only Authorized
Purchasers may redeem Shares and only in blocks of 25,000 Shares
called Redemption Baskets. The amount of the redemption proceeds
for a Redemption Basket is equal to the aggregate NAV of Shares in
the Redemption Basket. The purchase price for Creation Baskets and
the redemption price for Redemption Baskets are the actual NAV
calculated at the end of the business day when a request for a
purchase or redemption is received by the Fund. The NYSE Arca
publishes an approximate NAV intra day based on the prior
day’s NAV and the current price of the Benchmark Component
Futures Contracts, but the price of Creation Baskets and Redemption
Baskets is determined based on the actual NAV calculated at the end
of each trading day.
While the Fund issues Shares only
in Creation Baskets, Shares may also be purchased and sold in much
smaller increments on the NYSE Arca. These transactions, however,
are effected at the bid and ask prices established by the
specialist firm(s). Like any listed security, Shares can be
purchased and sold at any time a secondary market is
open.
The Fund’s Investment Strategy
In managing the Fund’s
assets, the Sponsor does not use a technical trading system that
automatically issues buy and sell orders. Instead, each time one or
more baskets are purchased or redeemed, the Sponsor purchases or
sells Wheat Interests with an aggregate market value that
approximates the amount of cash received or paid upon the purchase
or redemption of the basket(s).
As an example, assume that a
Creation Basket is sold by the Fund, and that the Fund’s
closing NAV per Share is $15.00. In that case, the Fund would
receive $375,000 in proceeds from the sale of the Creation Basket
($15.00 NAV per Share multiplied by 25,000 Shares, and ignoring the
Creation Basket fee of $250). If one were to assume further that
the Sponsor wants to invest the entire proceeds from the Creation
Basket in the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts and that the
market value of each such Benchmark Component Futures Contracts is
$32,500 (or otherwise not a round number), the Fund would be unable
to buy an exact number of Wheat Futures Contracts with an aggregate
market value equal to $375,000. Instead, the Fund would be able to
purchase 11 Benchmark Component Futures Contracts with an aggregate
market value of $357,500. Assuming a margin requirement equal to
10% of the value of the Wheat Futures Contracts (although the
actual percentage is approximately 5%), the Fund would be required
to deposit $35,750 in cash and/or cash equivalents with the FCM
through which the Wheat Futures Contracts were purchased. The
remainder of the proceeds from the sale of the Creation Basket,
$339,250, would remain invested in cash, and/or cash equivalents as
determined by the Sponsor from time to time based on factors such
as potential calls for margin or anticipated
redemptions.
The specific Wheat Interests
purchased depend on various factors, including a judgment by the
Sponsor as to the appropriate diversification of the Fund’s
investments. While the Sponsor anticipates that a substantial
majority of the Fund’s assets will be invested in CBOT Wheat
Futures Contracts, including the ability to enter into the precise
amount of exposure to the wheat market and position limits on Wheat
Futures Contracts, it may also invest in Other Wheat Interests,
including swaps, in the over the counter market to a
potentially significant degree.
The Sponsor does not anticipate
letting its Wheat Futures Contracts expire and taking delivery of
wheat. Instead, the Sponsor will close out existing positions,
e.g., in response to ongoing changes in the Benchmark or if it
otherwise determines it would be appropriate to do so and reinvest
the proceeds in new Wheat Interests. Positions may also be closed
out to meet orders for Redemption Baskets, in which case the
proceeds from closing the positions will not be
reinvested.
Futures contracts are agreements
between two parties that are executed on a designated contract
market (“DCM”), i.e., a commodity futures exchange, and
that are cleared and margined through a derivatives clearing
organization (“DCO”), i.e., a clearing house. One party
agrees to buy a commodity such as wheat from the other party at a
later date at a price and quantity agreed upon when the contract is
made. In market terminology, a party who purchases a futures
contract is long in the market and a party who sells a futures
contract is short in the market. The contractual obligations of a
buyer or seller may generally be satisfied by taking or making
physical delivery of the underlying commodity or by making an
offsetting sale or purchase of an identical futures contract on the
same or linked exchange before the designated date of delivery. The
difference between the price at which the futures contract is
purchased or sold and the price paid for the offsetting sale or
purchase, after allowance for brokerage commissions, constitutes
the profit or loss to the trader.
If the price of the commodity
increases after the original futures contract is entered into, the
buyer of the futures contract will generally be able to sell a
futures contract to close out its original long position at a price
higher than that at which the original contract was purchased,
generally resulting in a profit to the buyer. Conversely, the
seller of a futures contract will generally profit if the price of
the underlying commodity decreases, as it will generally be able to
buy a futures contract to close out its original short position at
a price lower than that at which the original contract was sold.
Because the Fund seeks to track the Benchmark directly and profit
when the price of wheat increases and, as a likely result of an
increase in the price of wheat, the price of Wheat Futures
Contracts increase, the Fund will generally be long in the market
for wheat, and will generally sell Wheat Futures Contracts only to
close out existing long positions.
Futures contracts are typically
traded on futures exchanges (i.e. DCMs), such as the CBOT, which
provide centralized market facilities in which multiple persons may
trade contracts. Members of a particular futures exchange and the
trades executed on such exchange are subject to the rules of that
exchange. Futures exchanges and their related clearing
organizations (i.e., DCOs) are given reasonable latitude in
promulgating rules and regulations to control and regulate their
members.
Trades on a futures exchange are
generally cleared by the DCO, which provides services designed to
mutualize or transfer the credit risk arising from the trading of
contracts on an exchange. The clearing organization effectively
becomes the other party to the trade, and each clearing member
party to the trade looks only to the clearing organization for
performance.
Wheat Futures Contracts are traded
on the CBOT (which is part of the CME Group) in units of 5,000
bushels. Generally, futures contracts traded on the CBOT are priced
by floor brokers and other exchange members through an electronic,
screen based system that electronically determines the price
by matching offers to purchase and sell. Futures contracts may also
be based on commodity indices, in that they call for a cash payment
based on the change in the value of the specified index during a
specified period. No futures contracts based on an index of wheat
prices are currently available, although the Fund could enter into
such contracts should they become available in the
future.
Certain typical and significant
characteristics of Wheat Futures Contracts are discussed below.
Additional risks of investing in Wheat Futures Contracts are
included in “What are the Risk Factors Involved with an
Investment in the Fund?”
Impact of Position Limits, Accountability Levels, and Price
Fluctuation Limits.
All of these limits may
potentially cause a tracking error between the price of the Shares
and the Benchmark. This may in turn prevent you from being able to
effectively use the Fund as a way to hedge against wheat
related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in
wheat.
The Fund does not intend to limit
the size of the offering and will attempt to expose substantially
all of its proceeds to the wheat market utilizing Wheat Interests.
If the Fund encounters position limits, accountability levels, or
price fluctuation limits for Wheat Futures Contracts on the CBOT,
it may then, if permitted under applicable regulatory requirements,
purchase Other Wheat Interests and/or Wheat Futures Contracts
listed on foreign exchanges.
However, the Wheat Futures
Contracts available on such foreign exchanges may have different
underlying sizes, deliveries, and prices. In addition, the Wheat
Futures Contracts available on these exchanges may be subject to
their own position limits and accountability levels. In any case,
notwithstanding the potential availability of these instruments in
certain circumstances, position limits could force the Fund to
limit the number of Creation Baskets that it
sells.
Price Volatility
Despite daily price limits, the
price volatility of futures contracts generally has been
historically greater than that for traditional securities such as
stocks and bonds. Price volatility often is greater
daytoday as opposed to intraday. Economic factors
that may cause volatility in Wheat Futures Contracts include
changes in interest rates. governmental, agricultural, trade,
fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies.
weather and climate conditions. changing supply and demand
relationships. changes in balances of payments and trade. U.S. and
international rates of inflation. currency devaluations and
revaluations. U.S. and international political and economic events.
and changes in philosophies and emotions of market participants.
Because the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in
futures contracts, the assets of the Fund, and therefore the price
of the Fund’s Shares, may be subject to greater volatility
than traditional securities.
Term Structure of Futures Contracts and the Impact on Total
Return
Several factors determine the
total return from investing in futures contracts. Because the Fund
must periodically “roll” futures contract positions,
closing out soon-to-expire contracts that are no longer
part of the Benchmark and entering into
subsequent-to-expire contracts, one such factor is the
price relationship between soon-to-expire contracts and
later-to-expire contracts. For example, if market
conditions are such that the prices of soon-to-expire
contracts are higher than later-to-expire contracts (a
situation referred to as “backwardation” in the futures
market), then absent a change in the market, the price of contracts
will rise as they approach expiration. Conversely, if the price of
soon-to-expire contracts is lower than
later-to-expire contracts (a situation referred to as
“contango” in the futures market), then absent a change
in the market the price of contracts will decline as they approach
expiration.
Over time, the price of wheat
fluctuates based on a number of market factors, including demand
for wheat relative to its
supply. The value of Wheat Futures
Contracts likewise fluctuates in reaction to a number of market
factors. If investors seek to maintain their holdings in Wheat
Futures Contracts with a roughly constant expiration profile and
not take delivery of the wheat, they must on an ongoing basis sell
their current positions as they approach expiration and invest in
later-to-expire contracts.
If the futures market is in a
state of backwardation (i.e., when the price of wheat in the future
is expected to be less than the current price), the Fund will
buylater-to-expire contracts for a lower price than the
sooner-to-expire contracts that it sells.
Hypothetically, and assuming no changes to either prevailing wheat
prices or the price relationship between the spot price,
soon-to-expire contracts and later
-to-expire contracts, the value of a contract will rise as it
approaches expiration, increasing the Fund’s total return
(ignoring the impact of commission costs and the interest earned on
cash and/or cash equivalents).
If the futures market is in
contango, the Fund will buy later-to-expire contracts
for a higher price than the sooner-to-expire contracts
that it sells. Hypothetically, and assuming no other changes to
either prevailing wheat prices or the price relationship between
the spot price, soon-to-expire contracts and
later-to-expire contracts, the value of a contract will
fall as it approaches expiration, decreasing the Fund’s total
return (ignoring the impact of commission costs and the interest
earned on cash and/or cash equivalents).
Historically, the wheat futures
markets have experienced periods of both contango and
backwardation. Frequently, whether contango or backwardation exists
is a function, among other factors of the seasonality of the wheat
market and the wheat harvest cycle, as discussed
above.
Margin Requirements and Marking to Market Futures
Positions
“Initial margin” is an
amount of funds that must be deposited by a commodity interest
trader with the trader’s broker to initiate an open position
in futures contracts. A margin deposit is like a cash performance
bond. It helps assure the trader’s performance of the futures
contracts that he or she purchases or sells. Futures contracts are
customarily bought and sold on initial margin that represents a
small percentage of the aggregate purchase or sales price of the
contract. The amount of margin required in connection with a
particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which the
contract is traded. Brokerage firms, such as the Fund’s
clearing broker, carrying accounts for traders in commodity
interest contracts may require higher amounts of margin as a matter
of policy to further protect themselves.
Futures contracts are marked to
market at the end of each trading day and the margin required with
respect to such contracts is adjusted accordingly. This process of
marking to market is designed to prevent losses from
accumulating in any futures
account. Therefore, if the
Fund’s futures positions have declined in value, the Fund may
be required to post “variation margin” to cover this
decline. Alternatively, if the Fund’s futures positions have
increased in value, this increase will be credited to the
Fund’s account.
Over the
Counter Derivatives
In addition to futures contracts,
options on futures contracts, derivative contracts that are tied to
various commodities, including wheat, are entered into outside of
public exchanges. These “over-thecounter”
contracts are entered into between two parties in private
contracts, or on a recently formed swap execution facility
(“SEF”) for certain standardized swaps. Unlike Wheat
Futures Contracts, which are guaranteed by a clearing organization,
each party to an over the counter derivative contract
bears the credit risk of the other party (unless such over
the counter swap is cleared through a DCO), i.e., the risk that the other party
will not be able to perform its obligations under its
contract.
Some over the counter
derivatives contracts contain relatively standardized terms and
conditions and are available from a wide range of participants.
Others have highly customized terms and conditions and are not as
widely available. While the Fund may enter into these more
customized contracts, the Fund will only enter into over
the counter contracts containing certain terms and
conditions, as discussed further below, that are designed to
minimize the credit risk to which the Fund will be subject and only
if the terms and conditions of the contract are consistent with
achieving the Fund’s investment objective of tracking the
Benchmark. The over the counter contracts that the Fund
may enter into will take the form of either forward contracts,
swaps or options.
A forward contract is a
contractual obligation to purchase or sell a specified quantity of
a commodity at or before a specified date in the future at a
specified price and, therefore, is economically similar to a
futures contract except that, unlike a futures contract it cannot
be financially settled (i.e., one must intend to make or take
delivery of a commodity under a forward contract). Unlike futures
contracts, however, forward contracts are typically privately
negotiated or are traded in the over the counter
markets. Forward contracts for a given commodity are generally
available for various amounts and maturities and are subject to
individual negotiation between the parties involved. Moreover,
generally there is no direct means of offsetting or closing out a
forward contract by taking an offsetting position as one would a
futures contract on a U.S. exchange. If a trader desires to close
out a forward contract position, he generally will establish an
opposite position in the contract but will settle and recognize the
profit or loss on both positions simultaneously on the
delivery date. Thus, unlike in the futures
contract market where a trader who has offset positions will
recognize profit or loss immediately, in the forward market a
trader with a position that has been offset at a profit will
generally not receive such profit until the delivery date, and
likewise a trader with a position that has been offset at a loss
will generally not have to pay money until the delivery date.
However, in some very limited instances such contracts may provide
a right of look out that will allow for the receipt of profit and
payment for losses prior to the delivery date.
An over the counter
swap agreement is a bilateral contract to exchange a periodic
stream of payments determined by reference to a notional amount,
with payment typically made between the parties on a net basis. For
instance, in the case of a wheat swap, the Fund may be obligated to
pay a fixed price per bushel of wheat multiplied by a notional
number of bushels and be entitled to receive an amount per bushel
equal to the current value of an index of wheat prices, the price
of a specified Wheat Futures Contract, or the average price of
a group of Wheat Futures Contracts
such as the Benchmark (times the same notional number of bushels).
Each party to the swap is subject to the credit risk of the other
party.
The Fund only enters into
over the counter swaps on a net basis, where the two
payment streams are netted out on a daily basis, with the parties
receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the
two payments. Swaps do not generally involve the delivery of
underlying assets or principal and are therefore financially
settled. Accordingly, the Fund’s risk of loss with respect to
an over the counter swap generally is limited to the
net amount of payments that the counterparty is contractually
obligated to make less any collateral deposits the Fund is
holding.
To reduce the credit risk that
arises in connection with over the counter contracts,
the Fund generally enters into an agreement with each counterparty
based on the Master Agreement published by the International Swaps
and Derivatives Association, Inc. that provides for the netting of
the Fund’s overall exposure to its counterparty and for daily
payments based on the marked to market value of the
contract.
The creditworthiness of each
potential counterparty will be assessed by the Sponsor. The Sponsor
assesses or reviews, as appropriate, the creditworthiness of each
potential or existing counterparty to an over the
counter contract pursuant to guidelines approved by the Sponsor.
The creditworthiness of existing counterparties will be reviewed
periodically by the Sponsor. The Sponsor’s
President
and Chief Investment Officer has
over 25 years of experience in over the counter
derivatives trading, including the counterparty creditworthiness
analysis inherent therein, and the Sponsor’s Chief Executive
Officer, through his prior experience as a Chief Financial Officer
and Treasurer, has extensive experience evaluating the
creditworthiness of business partners and counterparties to
commercial and derivative contracts. Notwithstanding this
experience, there is no guarantee that the Sponsor’s
creditworthiness analysis will be successful and that
counterparties selected for Fund transactions will not default on
their contractual obligations.
The Fund also may require that a
counterparty be highly rated and/or provide collateral or other
credit support. The Sponsor on behalf of the Fund may enter into
over the counter contracts with various types of
counterparties, including: (a) entities registered as swap dealers
(“SD”) or major swap participants (“MSP”),
or (b) any other entities that qualify as eligible contract
participants (“ECP”).
After the enactment of the
DoddFrank Act, swaps (and options that are regulated as
swaps) are subject to the CFTC’s exclusive jurisdiction and
are regulated as rigorously as futures. Generally, however, if a
swap is entered into with an SD or MSP, such counterparty will
conduct all necessary compliance with respect to swaps and options
under the DoddFrank Act.
See the information presented in
the “Results of Operations” on page 68 of this
prospectus.
Wheat is used to
produce flour, the key ingredient for breads, pasta, crackers and
many other food products, as well as several industrial products
such as starches and adhesives. Wheat by-products are used in
livestock feeds. Wheat is the principal food grain produced in the
United States, and the United States’ output of wheat is
typically exceeded only by that of China, the European Union, the
former Soviet nations, known as the FSU12, including the
Ukraine, and India. The United States Department of Agriculture
(“USDA”) estimates that for 201718, the principal
global producers of wheat will be the EU, the former Soviet nations
known as the FSU12, China, India, the United States,
Australia and Canada. The U.S. generates approximately 6% of the
global production, with approximately 56% of that being exported.
For 201718, based on the January 2018 USDA report, global
consumption of 742 MMT is estimated to be slightly lower than
production of 757 MMT. If the global supply of wheat exceeds global
demand, this may have an adverse impact on the price of wheat. The
USDA publishes weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual updates for
U.S. domestic and worldwide wheat production and consumption. These
reports are available on the USDA’s website, www.usda.gov, at
no charge.
There are several
types of wheat grown in the U.S., which are classified in terms of
color, hardness, and growing season. CBOT Wheat Futures Contracts
call for delivery of #2 soft red winter wheat, which is generally
grown in the eastern third of the United States, but other types
and grades of wheat may also be delivered (Grade #1 soft red winter
wheat, Hard Red Winter, Dark Northern Spring and Northern Spring
wheat may be delivered at 3 cents premium per bushel over the
contract price and #2 soft red winter wheat, Hard Red Winter, Dark
Northern Spring and Northern Spring wheat may be delivered at the
contract price.) Winter wheat is planted in the fall and is
harvested in the late spring or early summer of the following year,
while spring wheat is planted in the spring and harvested in late
summer or fall of the same year. Standard Wheat Futures Contracts
trade on the CBOT in units of 5,000 bushels, although 1,000 bushel
“mini-wheat” Wheat Futures Contracts also trade.
There are five months each year in which CBOT Wheat Futures
Contracts expire: March, May, July, September and
December.
If the futures
market is in a state of backwardation (i.e., when the price of
wheat in the future is expected to be less than the current price),
the Fund will buy later-to-expire contracts for a lower price
than the sooner-to-expire contracts that it sells.
Hypothetically, and assuming no changes to either prevailing wheat
prices or the price relationship between immediate delivery,
soon-to-expire contracts and
later-to-expire contracts, the value of a contract will
rise as it approaches expiration. If the futures market is in
contango, the Fund will buy later-to-expire contracts
for a higherprice than the sooner-to-expire contracts
that it sells. Hypothetically, and assuming no other changes to
either prevailing wheat prices or the price relationship between
the spot price, soon-to-expire contracts and
later-to-expire contracts, the value of a contract will
fall as it approaches expiration. Historically, the wheat futures
markets have experienced periods of both contango and
backwardation. Frequently, whether contango or backwardation exists
is a function, among other factors, of the seasonality of the wheat
market and the wheat harvest cycle. All other things being equal, a
situation involving prolonged periods of contango may adversely
impact the returns of the Fund. conversely a situation involving
prolonged periods of backwardation may positively impact the
returns of the Fund.
The price per
bushel of wheat in the United States is primarily a function of
both U.S. and global production, as well as U.S. and global demand.
The graph below shows the USDA published price per bushel by month
for the period January 2007 to November 2017.
On January 12, 2018, the USDA
released its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates
(WASDE) for the Crop Year 2017/18. The exhibit below provides
a summary of historical and current information for United States
wheat production.
The
Fund’s Investments in Cash and Cash
Equivalents
The Fund seeks to have the
aggregate “notional” amount of the Wheat Interests it
holds approximate at all times the Fund’s aggregate NAV. At
any given time, however, most of the Fund’s investments are
in cash and/or cash equivalents that support the Fund’s
positions in Wheat Interests. For example, the purchase of a Wheat
Futures Contract with a stated or notional amount of $10 million
would not require the Fund to pay $10 million upon entering into
the contract. rather, only a margin deposit approximately 5% of the
notional amount, would be required. To secure its Wheat Futures
Contract obligations, the Fund would deposit the required margin
with the FCM and would separately hold its remaining assets
remaining assets through its cash and cash equivalents in demand
deposits in a highly-rated financial institutions, money-market
funds or commercial paper. Such remaining assets may be used to
meet future margin payments that the Fund is required to make on
its Wheat Futures Contracts. Other Wheat Interests typically also
involve collateral requirements that represent a small fraction of
their notional amounts, so most of the Fund’s assets
dedicated to these Wheat Interests are also held in cash and cash
equivalents.
The Fund earns interest income
from the cash equivalents that it purchases and on the cash it
holds through the Custodian or other financial
institutions. The earned interest income increases the
Fund’s NAV. The Fund applies the earned interest
income to the acquisition of additional investments or uses it to
pay its expenses. When the Fund reinvests the earned
interest income, it makes investments that are consistent with its
investment objectives.
Any cash equivalent invested in by
the Fund will have a remaining maturity of less than 3 months at
the time of investment, or will be subject to a demand feature that
enables that Fund to sell the security within that time period at
approximately the security’s face value (plus accrued
interest). Any cash equivalents invested in by the Fund
will be or will be deemed by the Sponsor to be of investment-credit
quality.
Other Trading Policies of the
Fund Exchange for Related
Position
An “exchange for related
position” (“EFRP”) can be used by the Fund as a
technique to facilitate the exchanging of a futures hedge position
against a creation or redemption order, and thus the Fund may use
an EFRP transaction in connection with the creation and redemption
of shares. The market specialist/market maker that is the ultimate
purchaser or seller of shares in connection with the creation or
redemption basket, respectively, agrees to sell or purchase a
corresponding offsetting shares or futures position which is then
settled on the same business day as a cleared futures transaction
by the FCMs. The Fund will become subject to the credit risk of the
market specialist/market maker until the EFRP is settled within the
business day, which is typically 7 hours or less. The Fund reports
all activity related to EFRP transactions under the procedures and
guidelines of the CFTC and the exchanges on which the futures are
traded.
EFRPs are subject to specific
rules of the CME and CFTC guidance. It is likely that EFRP
mechanisms will significantly change in the future which may make
it uneconomical or impossible from a regulatory perspective for the
Fund to utilize these mechanisms.
Options on Futures Contracts
An option on a futures contract
gives the buyer of the option the right, but not the obligation, to
buy or sell a futures contract at a specified price on or before a
specified date. The option buyer deposits the purchase price or
“premium” for the option with his broker, and the money
goes to the option seller. Regardless of how much the market
swings, the most an option buyer can lose is the
option premium. However, the buyer will
typically lose the premium if the exercise price of the option is
above (in the case of an option to buy or “call”
option) or below (in the case of an option to sell or
“put” option) the market value at the time of exercise.
Option sellers, on the other hand, face risks similar to
participants in the futures markets. For example, since the seller
of a call option is assigned a short futures position if the option
is exercised, his risk is the same as someone who initially sold a
futures contract. Because no one can predict exactly how the market
will move, the option seller posts margin to demonstrate his
ability to meet any potential contractual
obligations.
In addition to Wheat Futures
Contracts, there are also a number of options on Wheat Futures
Contracts listed on the CBOT. These contracts offer investors and
hedgers another set of financial vehicles to use in managing
exposure to the commodities market. The Fund may purchase and sell
(write) options on Wheat Futures Contracts in pursuing its
investment objective, except that it will not sell call options
when it does not own the underlying Wheat Futures Contract. The
Fund would make use of options on Wheat Futures Contracts if, in
the opinion of the Sponsor, such an approach would cause the Fund
to more closely track its Benchmark or if it would lead to an
overall lower cost of trading to achieve a given level of economic
exposure to movements in wheat prices.
Liquidity
The Fund invests only in Wheat
Futures Contracts that, in the opinion of the Sponsor, are traded
in sufficient volume to permit the ready taking and liquidation of
positions in these financial interests and in over the
counter Commodity Interests that, in the opinion of the Sponsor,
may be readily liquidated with the original counterparty or through
a third party assuming the Fund’s
position.
Spot Commodities
While most futures contracts can
be physically settled, the Fund does not intend to take or make
physical delivery. However, the Fund may from time to time trade in
Other Wheat Interests based on the spot price of
wheat.
Leverage
The Sponsor endeavors to have the
value of the Fund’s cash and cash equivalents, whether held
by the Fund or posted as margin or collateral, at all times
approximate the aggregate market value of its obligations under the
Fund’s Wheat Interests.
Commodity pools’ trading
positions in futures contracts are typically required to be secured
by the deposit of margin funds that represent only a small
percentage of a futures contract’s (or other commodity
interest’s) entire market value. While the Sponsor does not
intend to leverage the Fund’s assets, it is not prohibited
from doing so under the Trust Agreement.
Borrowings
The Fund does not intend to nor
foresee the need to borrow money or establish credit lines. The
Fund maintains cash and cash equivalents, either held by the Fund
or posted as margin or collateral, with a value that at all times
approximates the aggregate market value of its obligations under
Wheat Interests.
Pyramiding
The Fund does not and will not
employ the technique, commonly known as pyramiding, in which the
speculator uses unrealized profits on existing positions as
variation margin for the purchase or sale of additional positions
in the same or another commodity interest.
The
Fund’s Service Providers
Contractual Arrangements with the Sponsor and Third Party
Service Providers
The Sponsor is responsible for
investing the assets of the Fund in accordance with the objectives
and policies of the Fund. In addition, the Sponsor arranges for one
or more third parties to provide administrative, custodial,
accounting, transfer agency and other necessary services to the
Fund. For these services, the Fund is contractually obligated to
pay a monthly management fee to the Sponsor, based on average daily
net assets, at a rate equal to 1.00% per annum. The Sponsor can
elect to waive the payment of this fee in any amount at its sole
discretion, at any time and from time to time, in order to reduce
the Fund’s expenses or for any other
purpose.
In its capacity as the
Fund’s custodian, the Custodian, currently U.S. Bank, N.A.,
holds the Fund’s securities, cash and/or cash equivalents
pursuant to a custodial agreement. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
(“USBFS”), an entity affiliated with U.S. Bank, N.A.,
is the registrar and transfer agent for the Fund’s Shares. In
addition, USBFS also serves as Administrator for the Fund,
performing certain administrative and accounting services and
preparing certain SEC and CFTC reports on behalf of the Fund. For
these services, the Fund pays fees to the Custodian and USBFS set
forth in the table entitled “Contractual Fees and
Compensation Arrangements with the Sponsor and Third Party
Service Providers.”
The Bank of New York Mellon
Capital Markets is the broker for some, but not all, of the equity
transactions related to the purchase and sale of the Underlying
Funds for TAGS.
The Custodian is located at 1555
North RiverCenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
53212. U.S. Bank N.A. is a nationally chartered bank,
regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency,
Department of the Treasury, and is subject to regulation by the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The
principal address for USBFS is 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee,
WI, 53202.
The Fund employs Foreside Fund
Services, LLC as the Distributor for the Fund. The Distributor
receives, for its services as distributor for the Fund, a fee which
is set forth in the table entitled “Contractual Fees and
Compensation Arrangements with the Sponsor and Third Party
Service Providers.”
The Distribution Services
Agreement among the Distributor, the Sponsor, and the Trust calls
for the Distributor to work with the Custodian in connection with
the receipt and processing of orders for Creation Baskets and
Redemption Baskets and the review and approval of all Fund sales
literature and advertising materials. The Distributor and the
Sponsor have also entered into a Securities Activities and Service
Agreement (the “SASA”) under which certain employees
and officers of the Sponsor are licensed as registered
representatives or registered principals of the Distributor, under
the FINRA rules (“Registered Representatives”). As
Registered Representatives of the Distributor, these persons are
permitted to engage in certain marketing activities for the Fund
that they would otherwise not be permitted to engage in. Under the
SASA, the Sponsor is obligated to ensure that such marketing
activities comply with applicable law and are permitted by the SASA
and the Distributor’s internal
procedures.
The Distributor’s principal
business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine
04101. The Distributor is a broker dealer registered with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and a
member of FINRA.
Currently, ED&F Man Capital
Markets, Inc. (“ED&F Man”) serves as the
Fund’s clearing broker to execute and clear the Fund’s
futures and provide other brokerage related services.
ED&F Man is registered as a futures commission merchant
(“FCM”) with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading
Commission (“CFTC”) and is a member of the National
Futures Association (“NFA”). ED&F Man is also
registered as a broker/dealer with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission and is a member of FINRA. ED&F Man is a clearing
member of ICE Futures U.S., Inc., Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago
Mercantile Exchange, New York Mercantile Exchange, and all other
major United States commodity exchanges.
There have been no material civil,
administrative, or criminal proceedings pending, on appeal, or
concluded against ED&F Man or its principals in the past five
(5) years. For a
list of concluded actions, please go to http://www.nfa.futures.org/basicnet/welcome.aspx.
This link will take you to the Welcome Page of the NFA’s
Background Affiliation Status Information Center
(“BASIC”). At this page, there is a box where you can
enter the NFA ID of ED&F Man Capital Markets Inc. (0002613) and
then click “Go”. You will be transferred to the
NFA’s information specific to ED&F Man Capital Markets
Inc. Under the heading “Regulatory Actions”, click
“details” and you will be directed to the full list of
regulatory actions brought by the CFTC and
exchanges.
ED&F Man, in its capacity as a
registered FCM, will serve as the Fund's clearing broker and, as
such, will arrange for the execution and clearing of the Fund's
futures and options on futures transactions. ED&F Man acts as
clearing broker for many other funds and
individuals.
The investor should be advised
that ED&F Man is not affiliated with and does not act as a
supervisor of the Fund or the Fund's Sponsor, investment managers,
members, officers, administrators, transfer agents, registrars or
organizers. Additionally, ED&F Man is not acting as an
underwriter or sponsor of the offering of any shares or interests
in the Fund and has not passed upon the adequacy of this
prospectus, the merits of participating in this offering or on the
accuracy of the information contained herein.
Additionally, ED&F Man does
not provide any commodity trading advice regarding the Fund's
trading activities. Investors should not rely upon ED&F Man in
deciding whether to invest in the Fund or retain their interests in
the Fund. Investors should also note that the Fund may select
additional clearing brokers or replace ED&F Man as the Fund's
clearing broker.
Currently, the Sponsor does not
employ commodity trading advisors. If, in the future, the Sponsor
does employ commodity trading advisors, it will choose each advisor
based on arm’s length negotiations and will consider
the advisor’s experience, fees, and
reputation.
●
Contractual Fees and Compensation Arrangements with the Sponsor and
Third Party Service Providers
Service
Provider
|
|
Compensation
Paid by the Fund
|
Teucrium Trading, LLC,
Sponsor
|
|
1.00% of average net assets
annually
|
|
|
|
U.S. Bank N.A.,
Custodian
|
|
For custody services: 0.0075% of
average gross assets up to $1 billion, and .0050%
of average gross assets over $1
billion, annually, plus certain per transaction
charges
|
|
|
|
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC,
Transfer Agent, Fund Accountant and Fund
Administrator
|
|
For Transfer Agency, Fund
Accounting and Fund Administration services, based on the total
assets for all the Funds in the Trust: 0.06%
of average gross assets on the
first $250 million, 0.05% on the next $250 million, 0.04% on the
next $500 million and 0.03% on the balance over $1 billion
annually
A combined minimum annual fee of
$64,500 for custody, transfer agency, accounting and administrative
services is assessed per Fund.
|
|
|
|
Foreside Fund Services, LLC,
Distributor
|
|
The Distributor receives a fee of
0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets and
an aggregate annual fee of $100,000
for all Teucrium Funds, along with certain expense reimbursements.
Expense reimbursements consist of issuer costs for sales and
advertising review fees and will not exceed $6,000 for the two year
period of May 1, 2018 to April 30, 2020 (the “two year
offering period”). The fees which will be paid to the
Distributor by the Fund for distribution services will not exceed
$125,000 for the two year offering period.
Under the Securities Activities
and Service Agreement (the “SASA”), the Distributor
receives compensation from the fund for its activities on behalf of
all the Teucrium Funds. The fees paid to the Distributor pursuant
to the SASA for this offering will not
exceed $27,000 for the two year offering period. In addition, the
Distributor receives certain expense reimbursements relating to the
registration, continuing education and other administrative
expenses of the Registered Representatives in relation to the
Teucrium Funds. The expense reimbursements for this offering will
not exceed $20,000 for the two year offering
period.
In sum, the total fees the
Distributor will receive over the two year offering period for all
of its services will not exceed $152,000. The total expenses that
will be reimbursed to the Distributor over the two year offering
period for all of its services will not exceed $26,000, $6,000 of
which are issuer costs for sales and advertising
materials.
|
|
|
|
ED&F Man Capital Markets,
Inc., Futures Commission Merchant and Clearing
Broker
|
|
$4.50 per Wheat Futures Contract
per half-turn
|
|
|
|
Wilmington Trust Company,
Trustee
|
|
$3,300 annually for the
Trust
|
|
|
|
Employees of the Sponsor
Registered with the Distributor (the “Registered
Representatives”)
|
|
For non-marketing services to the
Fund, $600,000 and for marketing and wholesaling purposes,
$150,000. These amounts include expenses that will be
reimbursed to the Registered
Representatives for travel and other expenses related to their
activities for the Fund. Registered Representatives will also
received continuing education valued at a maximum of $2,000 for the
two year offering period.
|
|
|
|
Non-Contractual Payments by the Fund
The Fund pays for all brokerage
fees, taxes and other expenses, including licensing fees for the
use of intellectual property, registration or other fees paid to
the SEC, FINRA, formerly the National Association of Securities
Dealers, or any other regulatory agency in connection with the
offer and sale of subsequent Shares after its initial registration
and all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated
therewith. The Fund also pays its portion of the fees and expenses
for services directly attributable to the Fund such as accounting,
financial reporting, regulatory compliance and trading activities,
which the Sponsor elected not to outsource. Certain aggregate
expenses common to all Teucrium Funds within the Trust are
allocated by the Sponsor to the respective funds based on activity
drivers deemed most appropriate by the Sponsor for such expenses,
including but not limited to relative assets under management and
creation and redeem order activity. These aggregate common expenses
include, but are not limited to, legal, auditing, accounting and
financial reporting, tax preparation, regulatory compliance,
trading activities, and insurance costs, as well as fees paid to
the Distributor. A portion of these aggregate common expenses are
related to the Sponsor or related parties of principals of the
Sponsor. these are necessary services to the Teucrium Funds, which
are primarily the cost of performing certain accounting and
financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and trading activities
that are directly attributable to the Fund and are included,
primarily, in distribution and marketing fees. For the period ended
December 31, such expenses totaled $893,340 in 2017, $602,637 in
2016, and $382,178 in 2015. of these amounts, $125,219 in 2017,
$87,767 in 2016, and $22,364 in 2015 were waived by the Sponsor.
The Sponsor can elect to pay (or waive reimbursement for) certain
fees or expenses that would generally be paid for by the Fund,
although it has no contractual obligation to do so. Any election to
pay or waive reimbursement for fees that would generally be paid by
the Fund, can be changed at the discretion of the Sponsor. All
asset based fees and expenses are calculated on the prior
day's net assets.
The contractual and
non-contractual fees and expenses paid by the Fund as
described above (exclusive of the Sponsor’s management fee
and estimated brokerage fees) are as follows, net of any expenses
waived by the Sponsor. These are also the “Other Fund Fees
and Expenses” included in the section entitled
“Breakeven Analysis” in this prospectus on page
12.
Professional
Fees1
|
$0.05
|
Distribution and Marketing
Fees2
|
0.08
|
Custodian Fees and
Expenses3
|
0.01
|
General and Administrative
Fees4
|
0.01
|
Business Permits and
Licenses
|
0.00
|
Other Expenses
|
0.00
|
Total Other Fund Fees and
Expenses
|
$0.15
|
(1) Professional fees consist of
primarily, but not entirely, legal, auditing and tax preparation
related costs.
(2) Distribution and marketing fees
consist of primarily, but not entirely, fees paid to the
Distributor (Foreside Fund Services, LLC), costs related to
regulatory compliance activities and other costs related to the
trading activities of the Fund.
(3)
Custodian and
Administrator fees consist of fees to the Administrator and the
Custodian for accounting, transfer agent and custodian
activities.(4)
(4)
General and
Administrative fees consist of primarily, but not entirely,
insurance and printing costs.
Asset based fees are
calculated on a daily basis (accrued at 1/365 of the applicable
percentage of NAV on that day) and paid on a monthly basis. NAV is
calculated by taking the current market value of the Fund’s
total assets and subtracting any liabilities.
Registered Form
Shares are issued in registered
form in accordance with the Trust Agreement. USBFS has been
appointed registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of
transferring Shares in certificated form. USBFS keeps a record of
all Shareholders and holders of the Shares in certificated form in
the registry (“Register”). The Sponsor recognizes
transfers of Shares in certificated form only if done in accordance
with the Trust Agreement. The beneficial interests in such Shares
are held in book entry form through participants and/or
accountholders in DTC.
Book Entry
Individual certificates are not
issued for the Shares. Instead, Shares are represented by one or
more global certificates, which are deposited by the Administrator
with DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee
for DTC. The global certificates evidence all of the Shares
outstanding at any time. Shareholders are limited to (1)
participants in DTC such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust
companies (“DTC Participants”), (2) those who maintain,
either directly or indirectly, a custodial relationship with a DTC
Participant (“Indirect Participants”), and (3) those
who hold interests in the Shares through DTC Participants or
Indirect Participants, in each case who satisfy the requirements
for transfers of Shares. DTC Participants acting on behalf of
investors holding Shares through such participants’ accounts
in DTC will follow the delivery practice applicable to securities
eligible for DTC’s Same Day Funds Settlement System.
Shares are credited to DTC Participants’ securities accounts
following confirmation of receipt of payment.
DTC
DTC has advised us as follows: It
is a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the
State of New York and is a member of the Federal Reserve System, a
“clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New
York Uniform Commercial Code and a “clearing agency”
registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the
Exchange Act. DTC holds securities for DTC Participants and
facilitates the clearance and settlement of transactions between
DTC Participants through electronic book entry changes in
accounts of DTC Participants.
The Shares are only transferable
through the book entry system of DTC. Shareholders who are
not DTC Participants may transfer their Shares through DTC by
instructing the DTC Participant holding their Shares (or by
instructing the Indirect Participant or other entity through which
their Shares are held) to transfer the Shares. Transfers are made
in accordance with standard securities industry
practice.
Transfers of interests in Shares
with DTC are made in accordance with the usual rules and operating
procedures of DTC and the nature of the transfer. DTC has
established procedures to facilitate transfers among the
participants and/or accountholders of
DTC. Because DTC can only act on
behalf of DTC Participants, who in turn act on behalf of Indirect
Participants, the ability of a person or entity having an interest
in a global certificate to pledge such interest to persons or
entities that do not participate in DTC, or otherwise take actions
in respect of such interest, may be affected by the lack of a
certificate or other definitive document representing such
interest.
DTC has advised us that it will
take any action permitted to be taken by a Shareholder (including,
without limitation, the presentation of a global certificate for
exchange) only at the direction of one or more DTC Participants in
whose account with DTC interests in global certificates are
credited and only in respect of such portion of the aggregate
principal amount of the global certificate as to which such DTC
Participant or Participants has or have given such
direction.
InterSeries Limitation
on Liability
Because the Trust was established
as a Delaware statutory trust, each Teucrium Fund and each other
series that may be established under the Trust in the future will
be operated so that it will be liable only for obligations
attributable to such series and will not be liable for obligations
of any other series or affected by losses of any other series. If
any creditor or shareholder of any particular series (such as the
Fund) asserts against the series a valid claim with respect to its
indebtedness or shares, the creditor or shareholder will only be
able to obtain recovery from the assets of that series and not from
the assets of any other series or the Trust
generally.
The assets of the Fund and any
other series will include only those funds and other assets that
are paid to, held by or distributed to the series on account of and
for the benefit of that series, including, without limitation,
amounts delivered to the Trust for the purchase of shares in a
series. This limitation on liability is referred to as the
Inter-Series Limitation on Liability. The Inter-Series
Limitation on Liability is expressly provided for under the
Delaware Statutory Trust Act, which provides that if certain
conditions (as set forth in Section 3804(a)) are met, then the
debts of any particular series will be enforceable only against the
assets of such series and not against the assets of any other
series or the Trust generally. In furtherance of the
InterSeries Limitation on Liability, every party providing
services to the Trust, the Fund or the Sponsor on behalf of the
Trust or the Fund, will acknowledge and consent in writing to the
Inter-Series Limitation on Liability with respect to such
party’s claims.
The existence of a Trustee should
not be taken as an indication of any additional level of management
or supervision over the Fund. Consistent with Delaware law, the
Trustee acts in an entirely passive role, delegating all authority
for the management and operation of the Fund and the Trust to the
Sponsor. The Trustee does not provide custodial services with
respect to the assets of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Shares
Most investors buy and sell Shares
of the Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers.
Shares trade on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol
“WEAT.” Shares are bought and sold throughout the
trading day like other publicly traded securities. When buying or
selling Shares through a broker, most investors incur customary
brokerage commissions and charges. Investors are encouraged to
review the terms of their brokerage account for details on
applicable charges and, as discussed below under “U.S.
Federal Income Tax Considerations,” any provisions
authorizing the broker to borrow Shares held on your
behalf.
Distributor and Authorized Purchasers
The offering of the Fund’s
Shares is a best efforts offering. The Fund continuously offers
Creation Baskets consisting of 25,000 Shares at their NAV through
the Distributor to Authorized Purchasers. Deutsche Bank Securities,
Inc. was the initial Authorized Purchaser. The initial Authorized
Purchaser purchased two Creation Baskets of 50,000 Shares each at a
per Share price of $25.00 on September 18, 2011. All Authorized
Purchasers pay a $250 fee for each Creation Basket
order.
The Sponsor and the Trust are
parties to an Amended and Restated Distribution Services Agreement
dated as of November 17, 2010 (the “Distribution
Agreement”), which amended and restated in its entirety a
Distribution Services Agreement between the Sponsor, the Trust, and
Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) dated
as of October 15, 2010. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement the
Distributor, together with USBFS, is required to provide services
in connection with the receipt and processing of orders for
Creation Baskets and Redemption baskets of units of the funds that
are series of the Trust, including the Fund.
The Distribution Agreement, as
amended, remains in full force and effect between the parties. The
Distribution Agreement was most recently amended on December 10,
2014 and was previously amended on May 25, 2011, October 1, 2011,
and April 22, 2014. The first amendment to the Distribution
Agreement, dated May 25, 2011, provided for the application of the
agreement to additional series of the Trust and revised the fee
schedule, including the specific fees and expenses allocable to the
Fund and each of the funds that are series of the
Trust.
The second amendment and third
amendments revised the fee schedule between the parties, including
the specific fees and expenses allocable to the Fund and each
Teucrium Fund. The fourth amendment eliminated the two series of
the Trust which ceased operations on December 21,
2014.
The Distributor receives a fee at
an annual rate of 0.01% of each Teucrium Fund’s average daily
net assets calculated and billed monthly, and an annual aggregate
fee of $100,000 for all Teucrium Funds for which the Distributor
serves as such. The fee to be paid to the Distributor will not
exceed $135,000 for the two year offering period. The Distributor
also receives certain expense reimbursements for its filing of
sales and advertising material on behalf of the Fund. These expense
reimbursements are issuer costs and will not exceed $6,000 for the
two year offering period.
The Sponsor and the Distributor
are also parties to a Securities Activities and Services Agreement,
as amended from time to time (the “SASA”), pursuant to
which certain employees and officers of the Sponsor are licensed as
Registered Representatives or registered principals of the
Distributor under FINRA rules. As Registered Representatives of the
Distributor, these persons are permitted to engage in certain
marketing activities for the Fund that they would otherwise not be
permitted to engage in. Under the SASA, the Distributor receives
compensation for its activities on behalf of the Teucrium Funds
which will not exceed $27,000 for the two year offering period, as
well as certain expense reimbursements relating to the
registration, continuing education and other administrative
expenses of the Registered Representatives in relation to the
Teucrium Funds, which will not exceed $20,000 for the two year
offering period. The Registered Representatives will also be paid
non-transaction based compensation for certain
nonmarketing related services provided to the Fund. This
amount will not exceed $600,000 over the two year offering period.
Registered Representatives will also be paid for marketing and
wholesaling services to the Fund. This amount will not exceed
$150,000 over the two year offering period. Of these amounts, the
Sponsor will pay $80,000. The remainder will be paid by the Fund.
Registered Representatives will also receive continuing education
valued at a maximum of $2,000 for the two year offering
period.
In no event may the aggregate
compensation from any source payable to underwriters, broker
dealers, or affiliates thereof for distribution related
services in connection with this offering exceed ten percent (10%)
of the gross proceeds of this offering.
The offering of baskets is being
made in compliance with Conduct Rule 2310 of FINRA. Accordingly,
Authorized Purchasers will not make any sales to any account over
which they have discretionary authority without the prior written
approval of a purchaser of Shares.
The per share price of Shares
offered in Creation Baskets on any day is the total NAV of the Fund
calculated shortly after the close of the NYSE Arca on that day
divided by the number of issued and outstanding Shares. An
Authorized Purchaser is not required to sell any specific number or
dollar amount of Shares.
By executing an Authorized
Purchaser Agreement, an Authorized Purchaser becomes part of the
group of parties eligible to purchase baskets from, and put baskets
for redemption to, the Fund. An Authorized Purchaser is under no
obligation to create or redeem baskets or to offer to the public
Shares of any baskets it does create. If an Authorized Purchaser
sells Shares that it has created to the public, it will be expected
to sell them at per Share offering prices that are expected
to reflect, among other factors, the trading price of the Shares on
the NYSE Arca, the NAV of the Fund at the time the Authorized
Purchaser purchased the Creation Baskets and the NAV at the time of
the offer of the Shares to the public, the supply of and demand for
Shares at the time of sale, and the liquidity of the Wheat Interest
markets. The prices of Shares offered by Authorized Purchasers are
expected to fall between the Fund’s NAV and the trading price
of the Shares on the NYSE Arca at the time of
sale.
The following entities have
entered into Authorized Purchaser Agreements with respect to the
Fund: Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC,
Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp., Goldman Sachs & Co.,
Citadel Securities, LLC, and Virtu Financial BD
LLC.
Because new Shares can be created
and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of the
Fund, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the
1933 Act, will be occurring. Authorized Purchasers, other broker
dealers and other persons are cautioned that some of their
activities may result in their being deemed participants in a
distribution in a manner that would render them statutory
underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and
liability provisions of the 1933 Act. For example, an Authorized
Purchaser, other broker dealer firm or its client will be
deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases a basket from the
Fund, breaks the basket down into the constituent Shares and sells
the Shares to its 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 the Shares.
In contrast, Authorized Purchasers may engage in secondary market
or other transactions in Shares that would not be deemed
“underwriting.” For example, an Authorized Purchaser
may act in the capacity of a broker or dealer with respect to
Shares that were previously distributed by other Authorized
Purchasers. A determination of whether a particular market
participant is an underwriter 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 would lead to designation as an underwriter
and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability
provisions of the 1933 Act.
Dealers who are neither Authorized
Purchasers nor “underwriters” but are nonetheless
participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary
secondary trading transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that
are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of
Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, would be unable to take
advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by
Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act.
The Sponsor expects that any
broker dealers selling Shares will be members of FINRA.
Investors intending to create or redeem baskets through Authorized
Purchasers in transactions not involving a broker dealer
registered in such investor’s state of domicile or residence
should consult their legal advisor regarding applicable
broker dealer regulatory requirements under the state
securities laws prior to such creation or
redemption.
While the Authorized Purchasers
may be indemnified by the Sponsor, they will not be entitled to
receive a discount or commission from the Trust or the Sponsor for
their purchases of Creation Baskets.
The Fund’s NAV per Share is
calculated by:
●
taking the current market value of
its total assets, and
●
subtracting any liabilities and
dividing the balance by the number of Shares.
USBFS, in its capacity as the
Administrator, calculates the NAV of the Fund once each trading
day. It calculates NAV as of the earlier of the close of the New
York Stock Exchange or 4:00 p.m. New York time. The NAV for a
particular trading day will is released after 4:15 p.m. New York
time.
In determining the value of Wheat
Futures Contracts, the Administrator uses the CBOT closing price,
except that the “fair value” of a Wheat Futures
Contract (as described in more detail below) may be used when Wheat
Futures Contracts close at their price fluctuation limit for the
day. The Administrator determines the value of all other Fund
investments as of the earlier of the close of the New York Stock
Exchange or 4:00 p.m. New York time, in accordance with the current
Services Agreement between the Administrator and the Trust. The
value of over the counter Wheat Interests is determined
based on the value of the commodity or Futures Contract underlying
such Wheat Interest, except that a fair value may be determined if
the Sponsor believes that the Fund is subject to significant credit
risk relating to the counterparty to such Wheat Interest. Cash
equivalents held by the Fund are valued by the Administrator using
values received from recognized third party vendors (such as
Reuters) and dealer quotes. NAV includes any unrealized profit or
loss on open Wheat Interests and any other credit or debit accruing
to the Fund but unpaid or not received by the
Fund.
The fair value of a Wheat Interest
shall be determined by the Sponsor in good faith and in a manner
that assesses the Wheat Interest’s value based on a
consideration of all available facts and all available information
on the valuation date. When a Wheat Futures Contract has closed at
its price fluctuation limit, the fair value determination attempts
to estimate the price at which such Wheat Futures Contract would be
trading in the absence of the price fluctuation limit (either above
such limit when an upward limit has been reached or below such
limit when a downward limit has been reached). Typically, this
estimate will be made primarily by reference to the price of
comparable Wheat Interests trading in the over the
counter market. The fair value of a Wheat Interest may not reflect
such security’s market value or the amount that the Fund
might reasonably expect to receive for the Wheat Interest upon its
current sale.
In addition, in order to provide
updated information relating to the Fund for use by investors and
market professionals, NYSE Arca calculates and disseminates
throughout the trading day an updated “indicative fund
value.” The indicative fund value is calculated by using the
prior day’s closing NAV per Share of the Fund as a base and
updating that value throughout the trading day to reflect changes
in the value of the Fund’s Wheat Interests during the trading
day. Changes in the value of cash equivalents are not included in
the calculation of indicative value. For this and other reasons,
the indicative fund value disseminated during NYSE Arca trading
hours should not be viewed as an actual real time update of the
NAV. NAV is calculated only once at the end of each trading
day.
The indicative fund value is
disseminated on a per Share basis every 15 seconds during regular
NYSE Arca trading hours of 9:30
1.13. New York time to 4:00 p.m. New
York time. The normal trading hours for Wheat Futures Contracts on
the CBOT are generally shorter than those of the NYSE Arca. This
means that there is a gap in time at the beginning and the end of
each day during which the Fund’s Shares are traded on the
NYSE Arca, but realtime CBOT trading prices for Wheat Futures
Contracts traded on such exchange are not available. As a result,
during those gaps there is no update to the indicative fund value.
The trading hours for the CBOT can be found at
http://www.cmegroup.com/trading_hours/commoditieshours.html.
The NYSE Arca disseminates the
indicative fund value through the facilities of CTA/CQ High Speed
Lines. In addition, the indicative fund value is published on the
NYSE Arca’s website and is available through online
information services such as Bloomberg and
Reuters.
Dissemination of the indicative
fund value provides additional information that is not otherwise
available to the public and is useful to investors and market
professionals in connection with the trading of Fund Shares on the
NYSE Arca. Investors and market professionals are able throughout
the trading day to compare the market price of the Fund and the
indicative fund value. If the market price of Fund Shares diverges
significantly from the indicative fund value, market professionals
may have an incentive to execute arbitrage trades. For example, if
the Fund appears to be trading at a discount compared to the
indicative fund value, a market professional could buy Fund Shares
on the NYSE Arca, aggregate them into Redemption Baskets, and
receive the NAV of such Shares by redeeming them to the Trust,
provided that there is not a minimum number of shares outstanding
for the Fund. Such arbitrage trades can tighten the tracking
between the market price of the Fund and the indicative fund
value.
Creation and Redemption of
Shares
The Fund creates and redeems
Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Creation Baskets
or Redemption Baskets. The creation and redemption of baskets are
only made in exchange for delivery to the Fund or the distribution
by the Fund of the amount of cash, cash equivalents and/or
commodity futures equal to the combined NAV of the number of Shares
included in the baskets being created or redeemed determined as of
4:00 p.m. New York time on the day the order to create or redeem
baskets is properly received.
Authorized Purchasers are the only
persons that may place orders to create and redeem baskets.
Authorized Purchasers must be (1) either registered broker
dealers or other securities market participants, such as
banks and other financial institutions, that are not required to
register as broker dealers to engage in securities
transactions as described below, and (2) DTC Participants. To
become an Authorized Purchaser, a person must enter into an
Authorized Purchaser Agreement with the Sponsor. The Authorized
Purchaser Agreement provides the procedures for the creation and
redemption of baskets and for the delivery of the cash, cash
equivalents and/or commodity futures required for such creations
and redemptions. The Authorized Purchaser Agreement and the related
procedures attached thereto may be amended by the Sponsor without
the consent of any Shareholder, and the related procedures may
generally be amended by the Sponsor without the consent of the
Authorized Purchaser. Authorized Purchasers pay a transaction fee
of $250 to the Sponsor for each creation order they place and a fee
of $250 per order for redemptions. Authorized Purchasers who make
deposits with the Fund in exchange for baskets receive no fees,
commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind
from either the Trust or the Sponsor, and no such person will have
any obligation or responsibility to the Trust or the Sponsor to
effect any sale or resale of Shares.
Certain Authorized Purchasers are
expected to be capable of participating directly in the physical
wheat and the Wheat Interest markets. Some Authorized Purchasers or
their affiliates may from time to time buy or sell wheat or Wheat
Interests and may profit in these instances.
Each Authorized Purchaser will be
required to be registered as a broker dealer under the
Exchange Act and a member in good standing with FINRA, or be exempt
from being or otherwise not required to be registered as a
broker dealer or a member of FINRA, and will be qualified to
act as a broker or dealer in the states or other jurisdictions
where the nature of its business so requires. Certain Authorized
Purchasers may also be regulated under federal and state banking
laws and regulations. Each Authorized Purchaser has its own set of
rules and procedures, internal controls and information barriers it
deems appropriate in light of its own regulatory
regime.
Under the Authorized Purchaser
Agreement, the Sponsor has agreed to indemnify the Authorized
Purchasers against certain liabilities, including liabilities under
the 1933 Act, and to contribute to the payments the Authorized
Purchasers may be required to make in respect of those
liabilities.
The following description of the
procedures for the creation and redemption of baskets is only a
summary and an investor should refer to the relevant provisions of
the Trust Agreement and the form of Authorized Purchaser Agreement
for more detail, each of which has been incorporated by reference
as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this
prospectus is a part. See “Where You Can Find More
Information” for information about where you can obtain the
registration statement.
Creation Procedures
On any business day, an Authorized
Purchaser may place an order with USBFS in their capacity as the
transfer agent to create one or more baskets. For purposes of
processing purchase and redemption orders, a “business
day” means any day other than a day when any of the NYSE
Arca, the CBOT or the New York Stock Exchange is closed for regular
trading. Purchase orders must be placed by 1:15 p.m.
New York time or the close of
regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is
earlier. The day on which the Distributor receives a valid purchase
order is referred to as the purchase order
date.
By placing a purchase order, an
Authorized Purchaser agrees to deposit cash, cash equivalents,
commodity futures and/or a combination thereof with the Fund, as
described below. Prior to the delivery of baskets for a purchase
order, the Authorized Purchaser must also have wired to the Sponsor
the non-refundable transaction fee due for the purchase
order. Authorized Purchasers may not withdraw a purchase order
without the prior consent of the Sponsor in its
discretion.
Determination of Required Deposits
The total deposit required to
create each basket (“Creation Basket Deposit”) is the
amount of cash, cash equivalents and/or commodity futures that is
in the same proportion to the total assets of the Fund (net of
estimated accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and other liabilities)
on the purchase order date as the number of Shares to be created
under the purchase order is in proportion to the total number of
Shares outstanding on the purchase order date. The
Sponsor determines, directly in its sole discretion or in
consultation with the Custodian and the Administrator, the
requirements for cash, cash equivalents and/or commodity futures
that may be included in deposits to create baskets. If
cash equivalents are to be included in a Creation Basket Deposit
for orders placed on a given business day, the Administrator will
publish an estimate of the Creation Basket Deposit requirements at
the beginning of such day.
Delivery of Required Deposits
An Authorized Purchaser who places
a purchase order is responsible for transferring to the
Fund’s account with the Custodian the required amount of
cash, cash equivalents and/or commodity futures by the end of the
next business day following the purchase order date or by the end
of such later business day, not to exceed three business days after
the purchase order date, as agreed to between the Authorized
Purchaser and the Custodian when the purchase order is placed (the
“Purchase Settlement Date”). Upon receipt of
the deposit amount, the Custodian directs DTC to credit the number
of baskets ordered to the Authorized Purchaser’s DTC account
on the Purchase Settlement Date.
Because orders to purchase baskets
must be placed by 1:15 p.m., New York time, but the total payment
required to create a basket during the continuous offering period
will not be determined until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the date
the purchase order is received, Authorized Purchasers will not know
the total amount of the payment required to create a basket at the
time they submit an irrevocable purchase order for the basket. The
Fund’s NAV and the total amount of the payment required to
create a basket could rise or fall substantially between the time
an irrevocable purchase order is submitted and the time the amount
of the purchase price in respect thereof is
determined.
Rejection of Purchase Orders
The Sponsor acting by itself or
through the Distributor or transfer agent may reject a purchase
order or a Creation Basket Deposit if:
●
it
determines that, due to position limits or otherwise, investment
alternatives that will enable the Fund to meet its investment
objective are not available or practicable at that
time.
●
it
determines that the purchase order or the Creation Basket Deposit
is not in proper form.
●
it
believes that acceptance of the purchase order or the Creation
Basket Deposit would have adverse tax consequences to the Fund or
its Shareholders.
●
the
acceptance or receipt of the Creation Basket Deposit would, in the
opinion of counsel to the Sponsor, be unlawful.
●
circumstances outside the control
of the Sponsor, Distributor or transfer agent make it, for all
practical purposes, not feasible to process creations of
baskets.
●
there is a possibility that any or
all of the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts of the Fund on the
CBOT from which the NAV of the Fund is calculated will be priced at
a daily price limit restriction. or
●
if,
in the sole discretion of the Sponsor, the execution of such an
order would not be in the best interest of the Fund or its
Shareholders.
None of the Sponsor, Distributor
or transfer agent will be liable for the rejection of any purchase
order or Creation Basket Deposit.
Redemption
Procedures
The procedures by which an
Authorized Purchaser can redeem one or more baskets mirror the
procedures for the creation of baskets. On any business day, an
Authorized Purchaser may place an order with the transfer agent to
redeem one or more baskets. Redemption orders must be placed by
1:15 p.m. New York time or the close of regular trading on the New
York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier. A redemption order so
received will be effective on the date it is received in
satisfactory form by the Distributor. The redemption procedures
allow Authorized Purchasers to redeem baskets and do not entitle an
individual Shareholder to redeem any Shares in an amount less than
a Redemption Basket, or to redeem baskets other than through an
Authorized Purchaser. By placing a redemption order, an Authorized
Purchaser agrees to deliver the baskets to be redeemed through
DTC’s book entry system to the Fund by the end of the
next business day following the effective date of the redemption
order or by the end of such later business day, not to exceed three
business days after the effective date of the redemption order, as
agreed to between the Authorized Purchaser and the transfer agent
when the redemption order is placed (the “Redemption
Settlement Date”). Prior to the delivery of the redemption
distribution for a redemption order, the Authorized Purchaser must
also have wired to the Sponsor’s account at the Custodian the
nonrefundable transaction fee due for the redemption order.
An Authorized Purchaser may not withdraw a redemption order without
the prior consent of the Sponsor in its
discretion.
Determination of Redemption Distribution
The redemption distribution from
the Fund consists of a transfer to the redeeming Authorized
Purchaser of an amount of cash, cash equivalents and/or commodity
futures that is in the same proportion to the total assets of the
Fund (net of estimated accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and other
liabilities) on the date the order to redeem is properly received
as the number of Shares to be redeemed under the redemption order
is in proportion to the total number of Shares outstanding on the
date the order is received. The Sponsor, directly or in
consultation with the Custodian and the Administrator, determines
the requirements for cash, cash equivalents and/or commodity
futures, including the remaining maturities of the cash equivalents
and proportions of cash equivalents and cash, that may be included
in distributions to redeem baskets. If cash
equivalents are to be included in a redemption distribution for
orders placed on a given business day, the Custodian and the
Administrator will publish an estimate of the redemption
distribution composition as of the beginning of such
day.
Delivery of Redemption Distribution
The redemption distribution due
from the Fund will be delivered to the Authorized Purchaser on the
Redemption Settlement Date if the Fund’s DTC account has been
credited with the baskets to be redeemed. If the Fund’s DTC
account has not been credited with all of the baskets to be
redeemed by the end of such date, the redemption distribution will
be delivered to the extent of whole baskets
received. Any remainder of the
redemption distribution will be delivered on the next business day
after the Redemption Settlement Date to the extent of remaining
whole baskets received if the Sponsor receives the fee applicable
to the extension of the Redemption Settlement Date which the
Sponsor may, from time to time, determine and the remaining baskets
to be redeemed are credited to the Fund’s DTC account on such
next business day. Any further outstanding amount of the redemption
order shall be cancelled. Pursuant to information from the Sponsor,
the Custodian will also be authorized to deliver the redemption
distribution notwithstanding that the baskets to be redeemed are
not credited to the Fund’s DTC account by 1:15 p.m. New York
time on the Redemption Settlement Date if the Authorized Purchaser
has collateralized its obligation to deliver the baskets through
DTC’s book entry system on such terms as the Sponsor
may from time to time determine.
Suspension or Rejection of Redemption Orders
The Sponsor may, in its
discretion, suspend the right of redemption, or postpone the
redemption settlement date, (1) for any period during which the
NYSE Arca or CBOT is closed other than customary weekend or holiday
closings, or trading on the NYSE Arca or CBOT is suspended or
restricted, (2) for any period during which an emergency exists as
a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of cash
equivalents is not reasonably practicable, (3) for such other
period as the Sponsor determines to be necessary for the protection
of the Shareholders, (4) if there is a possibility that any or all
of the Benchmark Component Futures Contracts of the Fund on the
CBOT from which the NAV of the Fund is calculated will be priced at
a daily price limit restriction, or (5) if, in the sole discretion
of the Sponsor, the execution of such an order would not be in the
best interest of the Fund or its Shareholders. For example, the
Sponsor may determine that it is necessary to suspend redemptions
to allow for the orderly liquidation of the Fund’s assets at
an appropriate value to fund a redemption. If the Sponsor has
difficulty liquidating the Fund’s positions, e.g., because of
a market disruption event in the futures markets or an
unanticipated delay in the liquidation of a position in an
over the counter contract, it may be appropriate to
suspend redemptions until such time as such circumstances are
rectified. None of the Sponsor, the Distributor, or the transfer
agent will be liable to any person or in any way for any loss or
damages that may result from any such suspension or
postponement.
Redemption orders must be made in
whole baskets. The Sponsor will reject a redemption order if the
order is not in proper form as described in the Authorized
Purchaser Agreement or if the fulfillment of the order, in the
opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful.
The Sponsor may also reject a
redemption order if the number of Shares being redeemed would
reduce the remaining outstanding Shares to 50,000 Shares (i.e., two
baskets of 25,000 Shares each) or less, unless the Sponsor has
reason to believe that the placer of the redemption order does in
fact possess all the outstanding Shares of the Fund and can deliver
them.
Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees
To compensate the Sponsor for its
expenses in connection with the creation and redemption of baskets,
an Authorized Purchaser is required to pay a transaction fee to the
Sponsor of $250 per order. The transaction fees may be reduced,
increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor.
Tax Responsibility
Authorized Purchasers are
responsible for any transfer tax, sales or use tax, stamp tax,
recording tax, value added tax or similar tax or governmental
charge applicable to the creation or redemption of baskets,
regardless of whether or not such tax or charge is imposed directly
on the Authorized Purchaser, and agree to indemnify the Sponsor and
the Fund if they are required by law to pay any such tax, together
with any applicable penalties, additions to tax and interest
thereon.
Secondary Market
Transactions
As noted, the Fund will create and
redeem Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Creation
Baskets or Redemption Baskets. The creation and redemption of
baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to the Fund or the
distribution by the Fund of the amount of cash, cash equivalents
and/or commodity futures equal to the aggregate NAV of the number
of Shares included in the baskets being created or redeemed
determined on the day the order to create or redeem baskets is
properly received.
As discussed above, Authorized
Purchasers are the only persons that may place orders to create and
redeem baskets. Authorized Purchasers must be registered broker
dealers or other securities market participants, such as
banks and other financial institutions that are not required to
register as broker dealers to engage in securities
transactions. An Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to
create or redeem baskets, and an Authorized Purchaser is under no
obligation to offer to the public Shares of any baskets it does
create. Authorized Purchasers that do offer to the public Shares
from the baskets they create will do so at per Share offering
prices that are expected to reflect, among other factors, the
trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca, the NAV of the Shares
at the time the Authorized Purchaser purchased the Creation
Baskets, the NAV of the Shares at the time of the offer of the
Shares to the public, the supply of and demand for Shares at the
time of sale, and the liquidity of the Wheat Interest markets. The
prices of Shares offered by Authorized Purchasers are expected to
fall between the Fund’s NAV and the trading price of the
Shares on the NYSE Arca at the time of sale. Shares initially
comprising the same basket but offered by Authorized Purchasers to
the public at different times may have different offering prices.
An order for one or more baskets may be placed by an Authorized
Purchaser on behalf of multiple clients. Shares are expected to
trade in the secondary market on the NYSE Arca. Shares may trade in
the secondary market at prices that are lower or higher relative to
their NAV per Share. The amount of the discount or premium in the
trading price relative to the NAV per Share may be influenced by
various factors, including the number of investors who seek to
purchase or sell Shares in the secondary market and the liquidity
of the Wheat Interest markets. While the Shares trade on the NYSE
Arca until 4:00 p.m. New York time, liquidity in the markets for
Wheat Interests may be reduced after the close of the CBOT. As a
result, during this time, trading spreads, and the resulting
premium or discount, on the Shares may widen.
The Sponsor causes the Fund to
transfer the proceeds of the sale of Creation Baskets to the
Custodian or another custodian for use in trading activities. The
Sponsor invests the Fund’s assets in Wheat Futures Contracts,
and Other Wheat Interests, cash and cash equivalents. When the Fund
purchases Wheat Futures Contracts and certain Other Wheat Interests
that are exchange traded, the Fund is required to deposit
with the FCM on behalf of the exchange a portion of the value of
the contract or other interest as security to ensure payment for
the obligation under the Wheat Interests at maturity. This deposit
is known as initial margin. Counterparties in
transactions in over the counter Wheat Interests will
generally impose similar collateral requirements on the Fund. The
Sponsor invests the Fund’s assets that remain after margin
and collateral is posted in short-term Treasury Securities,
cash and/or cash equivalents. Subject to these margin and
collateral requirements, the Sponsor has sole authority to
determine the percentage of assets that will
be:
●
held
as margin or collateral with the FCM or other
custodians.
●
used
for other investments. and
●
held
in bank accounts to pay current obligations and as
reserves.
In general, the Fund expects that
it will be required to post approximately 5% of the notional amount
of a Wheat Interest as initial margin when entering into such Wheat
Interest. Ongoing margin and collateral payments will generally be
required for both exchange traded and over the
counter Wheat Interests based on changes in the value of the Wheat
Interests. Furthermore, ongoing collateral requirements with
respect to over the counter Wheat Interests are
negotiated by the parties, and may be affected by overall market
volatility, volatility of the underlying commodity or index, the
ability of the counterparty to hedge its exposure under the Wheat
Interest, and each party’s creditworthiness. In light of the
differing requirements for initial payments under exchange
traded and over the counter Wheat Interests and
the fluctuating nature of ongoing margin and collateral payments,
it is not possible to estimate what portion of the Fund’s
assets will be posted as margin or collateral at any given time.
The cash and cash equivalents held by the Fund constitute reserves
that are available to meet ongoing margin and collateral
requirements. All interest income is used for the Fund’s
benefit.
An FCM, counterparty, government
agency or commodity exchange could increase margin or collateral
requirements applicable to the Fund to hold trading positions at
any time. Moreover, margin is merely a security deposit and has no
bearing on the profit or loss potential for any positions held.
Further, under recently adopted CFTC rules, the Fund may be
obligated to post initial and variation margin with respect to
swaps (and options that qualify as swaps) and traded over the
counter, and, where applicable, on SEFs.
The approximate 5% of the
Fund’s assets held by the FCM are held in segregation
pursuant to the CEA and CFTC regulations.
Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Critical Accounting
Policies
Preparation of the financial
statements and related disclosures in conformity with U. S.
generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”)
requires the application of appropriate accounting rules and
guidance, as well as the use of estimates, and requires management
to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts
of assets and liabilities, revenue, and expense and related
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities during the
reporting period of the combined financial statements and
accompanying notes. The Trust’s application of these policies
involves judgments, and actual results may differ from the
estimates used.
The Sponsor has determined that
the valuation of Commodity Interests that are not traded on a U.S.
or internationally recognized futures exchange (such as swaps and
other over the counter contracts) involves a critical
accounting policy. The values which are used by the Teucrium Funds
for futures contracts will be provided by the commodity broker who
will use market prices when available, while over the
counter contracts will be valued based on the present value of
estimated future cash flows that would be received from or paid to
a third party in settlement of these derivative contracts prior to
their delivery date. Values will be determined on a daily
basis.
Commodity futures contracts held
by the Fund are recorded on the trade date. All such transactions
are recorded on the identified cost basis and marked to market
daily. Unrealized appreciation or depreciation on commodity futures
contracts are reflected in the statement of operations as the
difference between the original contract amount and the fair market
value as of the last business day of the year or as of the last
date of the financial statements. Changes in the appreciation or
depreciation between periods are reflected in the statement of
operations. Interest on cash equivalents and deposits with the FCM
are recognized on the accrual basis. The Fund earns interest on
funds held at the custodian and at other financial institutions at
prevailing market rates for such investments.
Cash and cash equivalents are cash
held at financial institutions in demand deposit accounts or
highly liquid investments with original maturity dates of
three months or less at inception. The Fund reports cash
equivalents in the statements of assets and liabilities at market
value, or at carrying amounts that approximate fair value, because
of their highly liquid nature and short-term
maturities. The Fund has a substantial portion of its assets on
deposit with banks. Assets deposited with financial institutions
may, at times, exceed federally insured limits.
The use of fair value to measure
financial instruments, with related unrealized gains or losses
recognized in earnings in each period is fundamental to the
Trust’s financial statements. In accordance with GAAP, fair
value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an
asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit
price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants
at the measurement date.
In determining fair value, the
Trust uses various valuation approaches. In accordance with GAAP, a
fair value hierarchy for inputs is used in measuring fair value
that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use
of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs
be used when available. Observable inputs are those that market
participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on
market data obtained from sources independent of the Trust.
Unobservable inputs reflect the Trust’s assumptions about the
inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or
liability developed based on the best information available in the
circumstances. The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three
levels: a) Level 1
Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for
identical assets or liabilities that the Trust has the ability to
access. Valuation adjustments and block discounts are not applied
to Level 1 securities and financial instruments. Since valuations
are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available
in an active market, valuation of these securities and financial
instruments does not entail a significant degree of judgment, b)
Level 2 Valuations
based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which
all significant inputs are observable, either directly or
indirectly, and c) Level 3
Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and
significant to the overall fair value measurement. See the notes
within the financial statements for further
information.
The Fund and the Trust record
their derivative activities at fair value. Gains and losses from
derivative contracts are included in the statement of operations.
Derivative contracts include futures contracts related to commodity
prices. Futures, which are listed on a national securities
exchange, such as the CBOT or the New York Mercantile Exchange
(“NYMEX”), or reported on another national market, are
generally categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. OTC
derivatives contracts (such as forward and swap
contracts) which may be valued using models,
depending on whether significant inputs are observable or
unobservable, are categorized in Levels 2 or 3 of the fair value
hierarchy.
Brokerage commissions on all open
commodity futures contracts are accrued on a full-turn
basis.
Margin is the minimum amount of
funds that must be deposited by a commodity interest trader with
the trader’s broker to initiate and maintain an open position
in futures contracts. A margin deposit acts to assure the
trader’s performance of the futures contracts purchased or
sold. Futures contracts are customarily bought and sold on initial
margin that represents a very small percentage of the aggregate
purchase or sales price of the contract. Because of such low margin
requirements, price fluctuations occurring in the futures markets
may create profits and losses that, in relation to the amount
invested, are greater than are customary in other forms of
investment or speculation. As discussed below, adverse price
changes in the futures contract may result in margin requirements
that greatly exceed the initial margin. In addition, the amount of
margin required in connection with a particular futures contract is
set from time to time by the exchange on which the contract is
traded and may be modified from time to time by the exchange during
the term of the contract. Brokerage firms, such as the Teucrium
Funds’ clearing brokers, carrying accounts for traders in
commodity interest contracts generally require higher amounts of
margin as a matter of policy to further protect themselves. Over
the counter trading generally involves the extension of
credit between counterparties, so the counterparties may agree to
require the posting of collateral by one or both parties to address
credit exposure.
When a trader purchases an option,
there is no margin requirement. however, the option premium must be
paid in full. When a trader sells an option, on the other hand, he
or she is required to deposit margin in an amount determined by the
margin requirements established for the underlying interest and, in
addition, an amount substantially equal to the current premium for
the option. The margin requirements imposed on the selling of
options, although adjusted to reflect the probability that
out of the money options will not be exercised,
can in fact be higher than those imposed in dealing in the futures
markets directly. Complicated margin requirements apply to spreads
and conversions, which are complex trading strategies in which a
trader acquires a mixture of options positions and positions in the
underlying interest.
Ongoing or
“maintenance” margin requirements are computed each day
by a trader’s clearing broker. When the market value of a
particular open futures contract changes to a point where the
margin on deposit does not satisfy maintenance margin requirements,
a margin call is made by the broker. If the margin call is not met
within a reasonable time, the broker may close out the
trader’s position. With respect to the Teucrium Funds’
trading, the Teucrium Funds (and not its shareholders personally)
are subject to margin calls.
Finally, many major U.S. exchanges
have passed certain cross margining arrangements involving
procedures pursuant to which the futures and options positions held
in an account would, in the case of some accounts, be aggregated,
and margin requirements would be assessed on a portfolio basis,
measuring the total risk of the combined
positions.
For federal income tax purposes,
the Fund will be treated as a partnership. Therefore, the Fund does
not record a provision for income taxes because the partners report
their share of the Fund’s income or loss on their income tax
returns. The financial statements reflect the Fund’s
transactions without adjustment, if any, required for income tax
purposes.
For commercial paper, the Teucrium
Funds use the effective interest method for calculating the actual
interest rate in a period based on the amount of a financial
instrument's book value at the beginning of the accounting period.
Accretion on these investments are recognized on the effective
interest method in U.S. dollars and recognized in cash equivalents.
All discounts on purchase prices of debt securities are accreted
over the life of the respective security.
Results of Operations
The Teucrium Wheat
Fund commenced investment operations on September 19, 2011. The
investment objective of the Fund is to have the daily changes in
percentage terms of the Shares’ Net Asset Value reflect the
daily changes in percentage terms of a weighted average of the
closing settlement prices for three futures contracts for wheat
(“Wheat Futures Contracts”) that are traded on the
Chicago Board of Trade (“CBOT”), specifically: (1) the
second-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures Contract, weighted
35%, (2) the third-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures
Contract, weighted 30%, and (3) the CBOT Wheat Futures Contract
expiring in the December following the expiration month of the
third-to-expire contract, weighted 35%. On December 31,
2017, the Fund held a total of 2,682 CBOT wheat futures contracts
with a notional value of $61,430,113. Of these, 813 had an asset
fair value of $604,475, while 1,869 contracts had a liability fair
value of $3,200,525. The weighting of the notional value of the
contracts was weighted as follows: (1) 35% to MAY18 CBOT contracts,
(2) 30% to JUL18 CBOT contracts, and (3) 35% to DEC18 CBOT
contracts.
The
benchmark for the Fund is the Teucrium Wheat Index (TWEAT) which is
defined as: A weighted average of daily changes in the closing
settlement prices of (1) the second-to-expire Wheat
Futures Contract traded on the CBOT, weighted 35%, (2) the
third-to-expire CBOT Wheat Futures Contract, weighted
30%, and (3) the CBOT Wheat Futures Contract expiring in the
December following the expiration month of
third-to-expire contract, weighted 35%. To convert to
an index, 100 is set to $25, the opening day price of
WEAT.
The chart below
shows the percent change in the NAV per share for the Fund, the
market price of the Fund shares, represented by the closing price
of the Fund on the NYSE Arca or the mid-point of the 4 pm bid
and ask if no closing price is available, and TWEAT for two
periods. One period is December 31, 2016 compared to December 31,
2017. The second period is from the commencement of operations to
December 31, 2017. The Benchmark does not reflect any impact of
expenses, which would generally reduce the Fund’s NAV, or
interest income, which would generally increase the NAV. The actual
results for the NAV do include the impacts of both expenses and
interest income.
Period
|
Change in NAV
per share
|
Change in
Market Price
|
Change in the
Benchmark (TWEAT)
|
December 31, 2016 to December 31,
2017
|
13.02%
|
12.79%
|
10.86%
|
September 19, 2011 to December 31,
2017
|
75.54%
|
75.87%
|
66.58%
|
For the Year Ended December 31, 2017 Compared to the Years Ended
December 31, 2016 and 2015
On December 31,
2017, the Fund had 10,250,004 shares outstanding and net assets of
$61,416,019. This is in comparison to 9,050,004 shares outstanding
and net assets of $62,344,759 on December 31, 2016 and 2,900,000
shares outstanding with net assets of $26,529,260 on December 31,
2015. Shares outstanding increased by 1,200,000 or 13% for the
period of 2017 when compared to 2016. This increase was, in the
opinion of management, due to the low price of wheat relative to
recent years which accelerated investor interest. In 2017, the Fund
issued 5,375,000 shares and purchased 4,175,000 shares as part of
creation and redemption baskets. In 2016, the Fund issued 6,475,000
shares and purchased 325,000 shares as part of creation and
redemption baskets. For the period 2017 compared to 2015, there was
an increase in shares outstanding of 7,350,000 shares or 253%. In
2015, the Fund issued 1,675,000 shares and purchased 525,000 shares
as part of creation and redemption baskets.
Total net assets
for the Fund were $61,416,019 on December 31, 2017, compared to
$62,344,759 on December 31, 2016 and $26,529,260 on December 31,
2015. The Net Asset Values (“NAV”) per share related to
these balances were $5.99, $6.89 and $9.15 respectively. When
comparing December 31, 2017 with 2016, the net assets decreased by
1%, which was driven by a combination of an increase in the number
of shares outstanding of 13%, offset by a change in the NAV per
share which decreased by ($0.90) or 13%. When comparing December
31, 2017 with 2015, there was an increase in total net assets of
132%, driven by a combination of an increase in total shares
outstanding of 253%, which was partially offset by a decrease in
the NAV per share of ($3.16) or 35%. The closing prices per share
for 2017, 2016 and 2015, as reported by the NYSE Arca, were $6.00,
$6.88 and $9.14, respectively. The change from December 31, 2017
over prior years was a 13% decrease from 2016 and a 34% decrease
from 2015.
The graph below
shows the actual shares outstanding, total net assets (or AUM) and
net asset value per share (NAV per share) for the Fund from
inception to December 31, 2017 and serves to illustrate the
relative changes of these components.
The total loss for
the year ended December 31, 2017 was ($3,234,218) resulting
primarily from the net change in realized loss on commodity futures
contracts totaling ($5,305,113), and by a net change in unrealized
appreciation of commodity futures contracts of $1,325,538. Total
loss was ($11,396,927) in 2016, and ($7,146,717) in 2015. Realized
gain or loss on trading of commodity futures contracts is a
function of: 1) the change in the price of the particular contracts
sold as part of a “roll” in contracts as the nearest to
expire contracts are exchanged for the appropriate contact given
the investment objective of the fund, 2) the change in the price of
particular contracts sold in relation to redemption of shares, 3)
the gain or loss associated with rebalancing trades which are made
to ensure conformance to the benchmark and 4) the number of
contracts held and then sold for either circumstance
aforementioned. Unrealized gain or loss on trading of commodity
futures contracts is a function of the change in the price of
contracts held on the final date of the period versus the purchase
price for each contract and the number of contracts held in each
contract month. The Sponsor has a static benchmark as described
above and trades futures contracts to adhere to that benchmark and
to adjust for the creation or redemption of
shares.
Interest income
for year ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively, was
$745,357, $231,598 and $54,109. This increase
yearoveryear was the result of the Sponsor investing,
at times, a portion of the available cash for the Fund in
alternative demanddeposit savings accounts beginning in the
second quarter of 2015, these accounts had higher overnight deposit
rates. More recently, effective October 3, 2017, the Fund invested
in investment grade commercial paper with maturities of ninety days
or less. Both investments provided a higher rate than were
available in money market products that had been utilized solely in
the past. In addition, effective in December 2015, December 2016
and March, June and December 2017, interest rates paid on cash
balances of the Fund increased in light of the increases in the
Federal
Funds rate. These
higher levels of interest rates are expected to continue in 2018,
absent any decreases in the Federal Funds rate.
On August 17, 2015 (the
“Conversion Date”), U.S. Bank N.A. replaced The Bank of
New York Mellon as the Custodian for the Funds. In addition,
effective on the Conversion Date, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
(“USBFS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Bank,
commenced serving as administrator for the Fund, performing certain
administrative and accounting services and preparing certain SEC
reports on behalf of the Funds, and also became the registrar and
transfer agent for each Fund’s Shares. For such services,
U.S. Bank and USBFS will receive an asset-based fee, subject to a
minimum annual fee.
The Sponsor stated in the Forms
10-Q filed on August 10, 2015 and November 9, 2015, in addition to
other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
that it did not anticipate any material change to the expenses for
any Fund, net of expenses waived by the Sponsor, as a result of the
servicing conversion to USBFS. Given this conversion, the Sponsor
has, for the year-ended December 31, 2015, reflected an expense,
before and after fees waived by the Sponsor, for fees associated
with Custodian, Fund Administration and Transfer Agent services
(“Custodian Fees”) that have or will be paid to the
Bank of New York Mellon by a Fund or by the Sponsor on behalf of a
Fund.
Total expenses
gross of expenses waived by the Sponsor (“Total
expenses”) for 2017 were $2,678,613. total expenses for 2016
were $1,854,582 and $1,121,704 in 2015. This represents a $824,031
or 44% increase for 2017 over 2016 and a $1,556,909 or 139%
increase for 2017 over 2015. The increase for 2017 over 2016 was
driven by: 1) a $239,060 or 58% increase in management fee paid to
the Sponsor due to higher average net assets. 2) a $266,767 or 84%
increase in professional fees related to auditing, legal and tax
preparation fees. 3) a $292,861 or 38% increase in distribution and
marketing fees. 4) a $22,242, or 18% increase in custodian fees and
expenses. 5) a $15,713 or 17% increase in general and
administrative expenses. and 6) a $11,311 or 23% increase in
brokerage commissions due to an increase in contracts purchased and
rolled. These were partially offset by decreases of: 1) a ($18,383)
or 47% in custodian fees and expenses. and 2) a ($5,540) or 13%
decrease in other expenses. The increases year over year were
generally due to higher average net assets relative to other
funds.
The increase for
2017 over 2015 was driven by increases in all expense categories
period over period except custodian fees and expenses. Increases
were: 1) a $399,610 or 157% increase in management fee paid to the
Sponsor due to higher average net assets. 2) a $372,533 or 175%
increase in professional fees related to auditing, legal and tax
preparation fees. 3) a $696,133 or 186% increase in distribution
and marketing fees. 4) a $6,930 or 50% increase in business permits
and license fees. 5) a $41,345 or 63% increase in in general and
administrative expenses. 6) a $38,959 or 189% increase in brokerage
commissions due to an increase in contracts purchased and rolled.
and 7) a $30,075 or 412% increase in other expenses. This was
partially offset by a decrease of ($28,676) or 17% in custodian
fees and expenses. The increases year over year were generally due
to higher average net assets relative to other funds. The total
expense ratio gross of expenses waived by the Sponsor for these
years was 4.09% in 2017, 4.47% in 2016, and 4.40% in 2015. The
management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 1% of the
Fund’s daily average net assets.
The Sponsor has
the ability to elect to pay certain expenses on behalf of the Fund
or waive the management fee. This election is subject to change by
the Sponsor, at its discretion. For the year ended December 31,
2017, the Sponsor waived fees of $323,244. the Sponsor has
determined that no reimbursement will be sought in future periods
for those expenses which have been waived for the year. The Sponsor
permanently waived $140,028 of expenses in 2016 and $130,716 in
2015.
Total expenses net
of expenses waived by the Sponsor and reimbursement to the Sponsor
for previously waived expenses (“Total expenses, net”)
for 2017, 2016 and 2015 were $2,355,369, $1,714,554, and $990,988
respectively. The total expense ratio net of expenses waived by the
Sponsor periods was 3.60% in 2017, 4.13% in 2016 and 3.89% in 2015.
Net investment loss, which includes the impact of expenses and
interest income, was 2.46% in 2017, 3.57% in 2016, and 3.67% in
2015.
Other than the
management fee to the Sponsor and the brokerage commissions, most
of the expenses incurred by the Fund are associated with the
day-to-day operation of the Fund and the necessary
functions related to regulatory compliance. These are generally
based on contracts, which extend for some period of time and up to
one year, or commitments regardless of the level of assets under
management. The structure of the Fund and the nature of the
expenses are such that as total net assets grow, there is a
scalability of expenses that may allow the total expense ratio to
be reduced. However, if total net assets for the Fund fall, the
total expense ratio of the Fund will increase unless additional
reductions are made by the Sponsor to the daily expense accrual.
The Sponsor can elect to adjust the daily expense accruals at its
discretion based on market conditions and other Fund
considerations.
Net cash used in
the Fund’s operating activities during the period was
($4,660,527) in 2017, ($14,596,770) in 2016 and ($9,370,175) in
2015. In 2017, proceeds from the sale of shares were $35,809,657
representing 5,375,000 shares while payments for redemption of
shares were $31,148,810 representing 4,175,000 shares. In 2016,
proceeds from the sale of shares were $51,690,600 representing
6,475,000 shares while payments for redemption of shares were
$2,763,620 representing 325,000 shares. In 2015, proceeds from the
sale of shares were $18,019,705 representing 1,675,000 shares while
payments for the redemption of shares were $5,616,197 representing
525,000 shares.
The seasonality
patterns for wheat futures prices are impacted by a variety of
factors. These include, but are not limited to, the harvest in the
fall, the planting conditions in the spring, and the weather
throughout the critical germination and growing periods. Prices for
wheat futures are affected by the availability and demand for
substitute agricultural commodities, including corn and soybeans.
The price of wheat futures contracts is also influenced by global
economic conditions, including the demand for exports to other
countries. Such factors will impact the performance of the Fund and
the results of operations on an ongoing basis. The Sponsor cannot
predict the impact of such factors.
Benchmark Performance
As noted above, the Sponsor
endeavors to place the Fund’s trades in Wheat Interests and
otherwise manage the Fund’s investments so that the
Fund’s average daily tracking error against the Benchmark
will be less than 10 percent over any period of 30 trading days.
More specifically, the Sponsor will endeavor to manage the Fund so
that A will be within plus/minus 10 percent of B,
where:
●
A is
the average daily change in the Fund’s NAV for any period of
30 successive valuation days, i.e., any trading day as of which the
Fund calculates its NAV, and
●
B is
the average daily change in the Benchmark over the same
period.
During the period from January 1,
2017 through December 31, 2017, the average daily change in the
Fund’s NAV was within plus/minus 10 percent of the average
daily change in the Fund’s Benchmark.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Fund does not make use of
borrowings or other lines of credit to meet its obligations. The
Fund meets its liquidity needs in the normal course of business
from the proceeds of the sale of its investments or from the cash
and/or cash equivalents that it intends to hold at all times. The
Fund’s liquidity needs include: redeeming Shares, providing
margin deposits for existing futures contracts or the purchase of
additional futures contracts, posting collateral for
over-the-counter Wheat Interests, and payment of expenses,
summarized below under “Contractual
Obligations.”
All of the Fund’s source of
capital is derived from the offering of Shares to Authorized
Purchasers. Authorized Purchasers may then subsequently redeem such
Shares. The Fund in turn allocates its net assets to commodities
trading. A significant portion of NAV is held in cash and cash
equivalents, which is used as margin for the Fund’s trading
in commodities. The percentage that cash equivalents bear to the
total net assets will vary from period to period as the market
values of the Fund’s Wheat Interests change. The balance of
the net assets is held in the Fund’s commodity trading
account. Interest earned on interest bearing assets of the
Fund is paid to the Fund.
The investments of the Fund in
Wheat Interests may be subject to periods of illiquidity because of
market conditions, regulatory considerations and other reasons. For
example, the CBOT limits the fluctuations in Wheat Futures Contract
prices during a single day by regulations referred to as
“daily limits.” During a single day, no trades may be
executed at prices beyond the daily limit. Once the price of a
Wheat Futures Contract has increased or decreased by an amount
equal to the daily limit, positions in the contracts can neither be
taken nor liquidated unless the traders are willing to effect
trades at or within the limit. Such market conditions could prevent
the Fund from promptly liquidating a position in Wheat Futures
Contracts.
Beginning in the quarter-ended
June 30, 2015, the Sponsor invested a portion of the available cash
for the Teucrium Funds in alternative demand-deposit savings
accounts; as of January 31, 2018, the Sponsor has cash deposits
Rabobank, N.A., a U.S. chartered bank headquartered in Roseville,
CA, and Mascoma Savings Bank, headquartered in White River
Junction, VT. These accounts have higher overnight
deposit rates than were available in the money market products at
the Custodians that had been utilized solely in the past. In
addition, the Fund has established an account at Morgan Stanley so
that the Fund may invest in commercial paper rated at the date of
purchase “Prime-1” or “Prime-2” by
Moody’s and/or “A-1” or “A-2” by
S&P, or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the
Sponsor. Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured
promissory notes issued in bearer form by banks or bank holding
companies, corporations and finance companies. The duration until
maturity of such commercial paper held by the Fund will not exceed
ninety days.
Market Risk
Trading in Wheat Interests such as
Wheat Futures Contracts involves the Fund entering into contractual
commitments to purchase or sell specific amounts of wheat at a
specified date in the future. The gross or face amount of the
contracts significantly exceeds the future cash requirements of the
Fund since the Fund typically closes out any open positions prior
to the contractual expiration date. As a result, the Fund’s
market risk is the risk of loss arising from the decline in value
of the contracts, not from the need to make delivery under the
contracts. The Fund considers the “fair value” of
derivative instruments to be the unrealized gain or loss on the
contracts. The market risk associated with the commitment by the
Fund to purchase a specific commodity is limited to the aggregate
face amount of the contracts held.
The exposure of the Fund to market
risk depends on a number of factors including the markets for
wheat, the volatility of interest rates and foreign exchange rates,
the liquidity of the Wheat Interest markets and the relationships
among the contracts held by the Fund. The limited experience of the
Sponsor trading Wheat Interests in a manner that tracks changes in
the Benchmark, as well as
drastic market events, could ultimately lead to substantial losses
for the shareholders.
Credit Risk
When the Fund enters into Wheat
Interests, it is exposed to the credit risk that the counterparty
will not be able to meet its obligations. For purposes of credit
risk, the counterparty for the Wheat Futures Contracts traded on
the CBOT is the clearinghouse associated with the CBOT. In general,
clearinghouses are backed by their members who may be required to
share in the financial burden resulting from the nonperformance of
one of their members, which should significantly reduce credit
risk. Some foreign exchanges are not backed by their clearinghouse
members but may be backed by a consortium of banks or other
financial institutions. Unlike in the case of exchange traded
futures contracts, the counterparty to an over the
counter Wheat Interest contract is generally a single bank or other
financial institution such as an SD. As a result, there is greater
counterparty credit risk in over the counter
transactions. There can be no assurance that any counterparty,
clearing house, or their financial backers will satisfy their
obligations to the Fund.
The Fund may engage in off
exchange transactions broadly called an “exchange for related
position” (“EFRP”) transaction. For purposes of
the Dodd-Frank Act and related CFTC rules, an EFRP transaction is
treated as a “swap.” An “exchange for related
position” (“EFRP”) can be used by the Fund as a
technique to facilitate the exchanging of a futures hedge position
against a creation or redemption order, and thus the Fund or an
Underlying Fund may use an EFRP transaction in connection with the
creation and redemption of shares. The market specialist/market
maker that is the ultimate purchaser or seller of shares in
connection with the creation or redemption basket, respectively,
agrees to sell or purchase a corresponding offsetting shares or
futures position which is then settled on the same business day as
a cleared futures transaction by the FCMs. The Fund will become
subject to the credit risk of the market specialist/market maker
until the EFRP is settled within the business day, which is
typically 7 hours or less. The Fund reports all activity related to
EFRP transactions under the procedures and guidelines of the CFTC
and the exchanges on which the futures are
traded.
The Sponsor attempts to manage the
credit risk of the Fund by following certain trading limitations
and policies. In particular, the Fund intends to post margin and
collateral and/or hold liquid assets that will be equal to
approximately the face amount of the Wheat Interests it holds. The
Sponsor has implemented procedures that include, but are not
limited to, executing and clearing trades and entering into
over the counter transactions only with parties it
deems creditworthy and/or requiring the posting of collateral by
such parties for the benefit of the Fund to limit its credit
exposure.
The Fund will generally retain
cash positions of approximately 95% of total net assets; this
balance represents the total net assets less the initial margin
requirements held by the FCM. These cash assets are either: 1)
deposited by the Sponsor in demand deposit accounts of financial
institutions which are rated in the highest short-term rating
category by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization
or deemed by the Sponsor to be of comparable quality; 2) invested
in commercial paper; or 3) held in a money-market fund which is
deemed to be a cash equivalent under the most recent SEC
definition.
Off Balance Sheet Financing
As of the date of this prospectus,
neither the Trust nor the Fund has any loan guarantees, credit
support or other off balance sheet arrangements of any kind
other than agreements entered into in the normal course of
business, which may include indemnification provisions relating to
certain risks service providers undertake in performing services
which are in the best interests of the Fund. While the Fund’s
exposure under these indemnification provisions cannot be
estimated, they are not expected to have a material impact on the
Fund’s financial positions.
Redemption Basket Obligation
Other than as necessary to meet
the investment objective of the Fund and pay its contractual
obligations described below, the Fund requires liquidity to redeem
Redemption Baskets. The Fund intends to satisfy this obligation
through the transfer of cash of the Fund (generated, if necessary,
through the sale of cash equivalents) in an amount proportionate to
the number of Shares being redeemed, as described above under
“Redemption Procedures.”
Contractual Obligations
The Fund’s primary
contractual obligations are with the Sponsor and certain other
service providers. The Sponsor, in return for its services, is
entitled to a management fee calculated as a fixed percentage of
the Fund’s NAV, currently 1.00% of its average net assets.
The Fund also is responsible for all ongoing fees, costs and
expenses of its operation, including (i) brokerage and other fees
and commissions incurred in connection with the trading activities
of the Fund. (ii) expenses incurred in connection with registering
additional Shares of the Fund or offering Shares of the Fund after
the time any Shares have begun trading on NYSE Arca. (iii) the
routine expenses associated with the preparation and, if required,
the printing and mailing of monthly, quarterly, annual and other
reports required by applicable U.S. federal and state regulatory
authorities, Trust meetings and preparing, printing and mailing
proxy statements to Shareholders. (iv) the payment of any
distributions related to redemption of Shares. (v) payment for
routine services of the Trustee, legal counsel and independent
accountants. (vi) payment for routine accounting, bookkeeping,
custody and transfer agency services, whether performed by an
outside service provider or by Affiliates of the Sponsor. (vii)
postage and insurance. (viii) costs and expenses associated with
client relations and services. (ix) costs of preparation of all
federal, state, local and foreign tax returns and any taxes payable
on the income, assets or operations of the Fund. and (x)
extraordinary expenses (including, but not limited to, legal claims
and liabilities and litigation costs and any indemnification
related thereto).
While the Sponsor has agreed to
pay registration fees to the SEC, FINRA and any other regulatory
agency in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares offered
through this prospectus, the legal, printing, accounting and other
expenses associated with such registrations, and the initial fee of
$5,000 for listing the Shares on the NYSE Arca, the Fund will be
responsible for any registration fees and related expenses incurred
in connection with any future offer and sale of Shares of the Fund
in excess of those offered through this
prospectus.
The Fund pays its own brokerage
and other transaction costs. The Fund pays fees to FCMs in
connection with its transactions in futures contracts. FCM fees are
estimated to be minimal annually for the Fund. In general,
transaction costs on over the counter Wheat Interests
and other shortterm securities are embedded in the purchase
or sale price of the instrument being purchased or sold, and may
not readily be estimated. Other expenses to be paid by the Fund,
including but not limited to the fees paid to the Custodian,
Administrator and Distributor with respect to the Fund, are
estimated to be 2.39% for the twelve month period ending
April 30, 2019, though this amount may change in future years. The
Sponsor may, in its discretion, pay or reimburse the Fund for, or
waive a portion of its management fee to offset, expenses that
would otherwise be borne by the Fund.
Any general expenses of the Trust
will be allocated among the Teucrium Funds and each other series
that may be established under the Trust in the future as determined
by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion. The Trust is
also responsible for extraordinary expenses, including, but not
limited to, legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs and
any indemnification related thereto. The Trust and/or the Sponsor
may be required to indemnify the Trustee, Distributor or
Custodian/Administrator under certain
circumstances.
The parties cannot anticipate the
amount of payments that will be required under these arrangements
for future periods as the Fund’s NAV and trading levels to
meet their investment objectives will not be known until a future
date. These agreements are effective for a specific term agreed
upon by the parties with an option to renew, or, in some cases, are
in effect for the duration of the Fund’s
existence.
The parties may terminate these
agreements earlier for certain reasons listed in the
agreements.
The following paragraphs are a
summary of certain provisions of the Trust Agreement. The following
discussion is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Trust
Agreement.
Authority of the Sponsor
The Sponsor is generally
authorized to perform all acts deemed necessary to carry out the
purposes of the Trust and to conduct the business of the Trust. The
Trust and the Fund will continue to exist until terminated in
accordance with the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor’s authority
includes, without limitation, the right to take the following
actions:
●
To
enter into, execute, deliver and maintain contracts, agreements and
any other documents as may be in furtherance of the Trust’s
purpose or necessary or appropriate for the offer and sale of the
Shares and the conduct of Trust activities.
●
To
establish, maintain, deposit into, sign checks and otherwise draw
upon accounts on behalf of the Trust with appropriate banking and
savings institutions, and execute and accept any instrument or
agreement incidental to the Trust’s business and in
furtherance of its purposes.
●
To
supervise the preparation and filing of any registration statement
(and supplements and amendments thereto) for the
Fund.
●
To
adopt, implement or amend, from time to time, such disclosure and
financial reporting, information gathering and control policies and
procedures as are necessary or desirable to ensure compliance with
applicable disclosure and financial reporting obligations under any
applicable securities laws.
●
To
make any necessary determination or decision in connection with the
preparation of the Trust’s financial statements and
amendments thereto.
●
To
prepare, file and distribute, if applicable, any periodic reports
or updates that may be required under the Exchange Act, the CEA or
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
●
To
pay or authorize the payment of distributions to the Shareholders
and expenses of the Fund.
●
To
make any elections on behalf of the Trust under the Code, or any
other applicable U.S. federal or state tax law as the Sponsor shall
determine to be in the best interests of the Trust.
and
●
In
its sole discretion, to determine to admit an affiliate or
affiliates of the Sponsor as additional
Sponsors.
The Sponsor’s Obligations
In addition to the duties imposed
by the Delaware Trust Statute, under the Trust Agreement the
Sponsor has the following obligations as a sponsor of the
Trust:
●
Devote to the business and affairs
of the Trust such of its time as it determines in its discretion
(exercised in good faith) to be necessary for the benefit of the
Trust and the Shareholders of the Fund.
●
Execute, file, record and/or
publish all certificates, statements and other documents and do any
and all other things as may be appropriate for the formation,
qualification and operation of the Trust and for the conduct of its
business in all appropriate jurisdictions.
●
Appoint and remove independent
public accountants to audit the accounts of the Trust and employ
attorneys to represent the Trust.
●
Use
its best efforts to maintain the status of the Trust as a statutory
trust for state law purposes and as a partnership for U.S. federal
income tax purposes.
●
Invest, reinvest, hold uninvested,
sell, exchange, write options on, lease, lend and, subject to
certain limitations set forth in the Trust Agreement, pledge,
mortgage, and hypothecate the estate of the Fund in accordance with
the purposes of the Trust and any registration statement filed on
behalf of the Fund.
●
Have
fiduciary responsibility for the safekeeping and use of the
Trust’s assets, whether or not in the Sponsor’s
immediate possession or control.
●
Enter into and perform agreements
with each Authorized Purchaser, receive from Authorized Purchasers
and process properly submitted purchase orders, receive Creation
Basket Deposits, deliver or cause the delivery of Creation Baskets
to the Depository for the account of the Authorized Purchaser
submitting a purchase order.
●
Receive from Authorized Purchasers
and process, or cause the Distributor or other Fund service
provider to process, properly submitted redemption orders, receive
from the redeeming Authorized Purchasers through the Depository,
and thereupon cancel or cause to be cancelled, Shares corresponding
to the Redemption Baskets to be redeemed.
●
Interact with the Depository.
and
●
Delegate duties to one or more
administrators, as the Sponsor determines.
To the extent that, at law (common
or statutory) or in equity, the Sponsor has duties (including
fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust,
the Fund, the Shareholders or to any other person, the Sponsor will
not be liable to the Trust, the Fund, the Shareholders or to any
other person for its good faith reliance on the provisions of the
Trust Agreement or this prospectus unless such reliance constitutes
gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the
Sponsor.
Liability and Indemnification
Under the Trust Agreement, the
Sponsor, the Trustee and their respective Affiliates (collectively,
“Covered Persons”) shall have no liability to the
Trust, the Fund, or to any Shareholder for any loss suffered by the
Trust or the Fund which arises out of any action or inaction of
such Covered Person if such Covered Person, in good faith,
determined that such course of conduct was in the best interest of
the Trust or the Fund and such course of conduct did not constitute
gross negligence or willful misconduct of such
Covered Person. Subject to the foregoing,
neither the Sponsor nor any other Covered Person shall be
personally liable for the return or repayment of all or any portion
of the capital or profits of any Shareholder or assignee thereof,
it being expressly agreed that any such return of capital or
profits made pursuant to the Trust Agreement shall be made solely
from the assets of the applicable Teucrium Fund without any rights
of contribution from the Sponsor or any other Covered Person. A
Covered Person shall not be liable for the conduct or willful
misconduct of any administrator or other delegatee selected by the
Sponsor with reasonable care, provided, however, that the Trustee
and its Affiliates shall not, under any circumstances be liable for
the conduct or willful misconduct of any administrator or other
delegatee or any other person selected by the Sponsor to provide
services to the Trust.
To the extent that, at law (common
or statutory) or in equity, the Sponsor has duties (including
fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating to the Trust, the
Teucrium Funds, the shareholders of the Teucrium Funds, or to any
other person, the Sponsor, acting under the Trust Agreement, shall
not be liable to the Trust, the Teucrium Funds, the shareholders of
the Teucrium Funds or to any other person for its good faith
reliance on the provisions of the Trust Agreement. The provisions
of the Trust Agreement, to the extent they restrict or eliminate
the duties and liabilities of the Sponsor otherwise existing at law
or in equity, replace such other duties and liabilities of the
Sponsor.
The Trust Agreement also provides
that the Sponsor shall be indemnified by the Trust (or by a series
separately to the extent the matter in question relates to a single
series or disproportionately affects a specific series in relation
to other series) against any losses, judgments, liabilities,
expenses and amounts paid in settlement of any claims sustained by
it in connection with its activities for the Trust, provided that
(i) the Sponsor was acting on behalf of or performing services for
the Trust and has determined, in good faith, that such course of
conduct was in the best interests of the Trust and such liability
or loss was not the result of gross negligence, willful misconduct,
or a breach of the Trust Agreement on the part of the Sponsor and
(iii) any such indemnification will only be recoverable from the
assets of the applicable series. The Sponsor’s rights to
indemnification permitted under the Trust Agreement shall not be
affected by the dissolution or other cessation to exist of the
Sponsor, or the withdrawal, adjudication of bankruptcy or
insolvency of the Sponsor, or the filing of a voluntary or
involuntary petition in bankruptcy under Title 11 of the Bankruptcy
Code by or against the Sponsor.
Notwithstanding the above, the
Sponsor shall not be indemnified for any losses, liabilities or
expenses arising from or out of an alleged violation of U.S.
federal or state securities laws unless (i) there has been a
successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving
alleged securities law violations as to the particular indemnitee
and the court approves the indemnification of such expenses
(including, without limitation, litigation costs), (ii) such claims
have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of
competent jurisdiction as to the particular indemnitee and the
court approves the indemnification of such expenses (including,
without limitation, litigation costs), or (iii) a court of
competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against
a particular indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the
settlement and related costs should be made.
The payment of any indemnification
shall be allocated, as appropriate, among the Trust’s series.
The Trust and its series shall not incur the cost of that portion
of any insurance which insures any party against any liability, the
indemnification of which is prohibited under the Trust
Agreement.
Expenses incurred in defending a
threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding against the
Sponsor shall be paid by the Trust in advance of the final
disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, if (i) the legal
action relates to the performance of duties or services by the
Sponsor on behalf of the Trust. (ii) the legal action is initiated
by a party other than the Trust. and (iii) the Sponsor undertakes
to repay the advanced funds with interest to the Trust in cases in
which it is not entitled to indemnification.
The Trust Agreement provides that
the Sponsor and the Trust shall indemnify the Trustee and its
successors, assigns, legal representatives, officers, directors,
shareholders, employees, agents and servants (the “Trustee
Indemnified Parties”) against any liabilities, obligations,
losses, damages, penalties, taxes, claims, actions, suits, costs,
expenses or disbursements which may be imposed on a Trustee
Indemnified Party relating to or arising out of the formation,
operation or termination of the Trust, the execution, delivery and
performance of any other agreements to which the Trust is a party,
or the action or inaction of the Trustee under the Trust Agreement
or any other agreement, except for expenses resulting from the
gross negligence or willful misconduct of a Trustee Indemnified
Party. Further, certain officers of the Sponsor are insured against
liability for certain errors or omissions which an officer may
incur or that may arise out of his or her capacity as
such.
In the event the Trust is made a
party to any claim, dispute, demand or litigation or otherwise
incurs any liability or expense as a result of or in connection
with any Shareholder’s (or assignee’s) obligations or
liabilities unrelated to the Trust business, such Shareholder (or
assignees cumulatively) is required under the Trust Agreement to
indemnify the Trust for all such liability and expense incurred,
including attorneys’ and accountants’
fees.
Withdrawal of the Sponsor
The Sponsor may withdraw
voluntarily as the Sponsor of the Trust only upon ninety (90)
days’ prior written notice to the holders of the
Trust’s outstanding shares and the Trustee. If the
withdrawing Sponsor is the last remaining Sponsor, shareholders
holding a majority (over 50%) of the outstanding shares of the
Teucrium Funds, voting together as a single class (not including
shares acquired by the Sponsor through its initial capital
contribution) may vote to elect a successor Sponsor. The successor
Sponsor will continue the business of the
Trust. Shareholders have no right
to remove the Sponsor.
In the event of withdrawal, the
Sponsor is entitled to a redemption of the shares it acquired
through its initial capital contribution to any of the series of
the Trust at their NAV per Share. If the Sponsor withdraws and a
successor Sponsor is named, the withdrawing Sponsor shall pay all
expenses as a result of its withdrawal.
Meetings
Meetings of the Trust’s
shareholders may be called by the Sponsor and will be called by it
upon the written request of Shareholders holding at least 25% of
the outstanding Shares of the Trust or the Fund, as applicable (not
including Shares acquired by the Sponsor through its initial
capital contribution). The Sponsor shall deposit in the United
States mail or electronically transmit written notice to all
Shareholders of the Fund of the meeting and the purpose of the
meeting, which shall be held on a date not less than 30 nor more
than 60 days after the date of mailing of such notice, at a
reasonable time and place. Where the meeting is called upon the
written request of the shareholders of the
Teucrium Funds, or any Teucrium fund, as applicable, such written
notice shall be mailed or transmitted not more than 45 days after
such written request for a meeting was received by the Sponsor. Any
notice of meeting shall be accompanied by a description of the
action to be taken at the meeting and, if applicable, an opinion of
independent counsel as to the effect of such proposed action on the
liability of shareholders of the Teucrium Funds, or any Teucrium
Fund, as applicable, for the debts of the applicable Teucrium Fund.
Shareholders may vote in person or by proxy at any such meeting.
The Sponsor shall be entitled to establish voting and quorum
requirements and other reasonable procedures for shareholder
voting. Any action required or permitted to be taken by
Shareholders by vote may be taken without a meeting by written
consent setting forth the actions so taken. Such written consents
shall be treated for all purposes as votes at a meeting. If the
vote or consent of any Shareholder to any action of the Trust, the
Fund or any Shareholder, as contemplated by the Trust Agreement, is
solicited by the Sponsor, the solicitation shall be effected by
notice to each Shareholder given in the manner provided in
accordance with the Trust Agreement.
Voting Rights
Shareholders have very limited
voting rights. Specifically, the Trust Agreement provides that
shareholders of the Teucrium Funds holding shares representing at
least a majority (over 50%) of the outstanding shares of the
Teucrium Funds voting together as a single class (excluding shares
acquired by the Sponsor in connection with its initial capital
contribution to any Trust series) may vote to (i) continue the
Trust by electing a successor Sponsor as described above, and (ii)
approve amendments to the Trust Agreement that impair the right to
surrender Redemption Baskets for redemption. (Trustee consent to
any amendment to the Trust Agreement is required if the Trustee
reasonably believes that such amendment adversely affects any of
its rights, duties or liabilities.) In addition, shareholders of
the Teucrium Funds holding shares representing seventy five
percent (75%) of the outstanding shares of the Teucrium Funds,
voting together as a single class (excluding shares acquired by the
Sponsor in connection with its initial capital contribution to any
Trust series) may vote to dissolve the Trust upon not less than
ninety (90) days’ notice to the Sponsor. Shareholders have no
voting rights with respect to the Trust or the Fund except as
expressly provided in the Trust Agreement.
Limited Liability of Shareholders
Shareholders shall be entitled to
the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders
of private corporations for profit organized under the general
corporation law of Delaware, and no Shareholder shall be liable for
claims against, or debts of the Trust or the Fund in excess of his
share of the Fund’s assets. The Trust or the Fund shall not
make a claim against a Shareholder with respect to amounts
distributed to such Shareholder or amounts received by such
Shareholder upon redemption unless, under Delaware law, such
Shareholder is liable to repay such amount.
The Trust or the Fund shall
indemnify to the full extent permitted by law and the Trust
Agreement each Shareholder (excluding the Sponsor to the extent of
its ownership of any Shares acquired through its initial capital
contribution) against any claims of liability asserted against such
Shareholder solely because of its ownership of Shares (other than
for taxes on income from Shares for which such Shareholder is
liable).
Every written note, bond,
contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by
the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust or the Fund shall give notice to
the effect that the same was executed or made by or on behalf of
the Trust or the Fund and that the obligations of such instrument
are not binding upon the Shareholders individually but are binding
only upon the assets and property of the Fund and no recourse may
be had with respect to the personal property of a Shareholder for
satisfaction of any obligation or claim.
Amendments
to the Trust Agreement
Effective April 16, 2018, the
Sponsor, pursuant to its authority under the Trust Agreement, has
amended the Trust Agreement to reflect certain provisions of the
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of
2017, each of which became effective on January 1, 2018. The
changes to the Trust Agreement reflect changes to partnership audit
rules under the Code and reflect certain changes to partnership
rules under the Code (see “U.S. Federal Income Tax
Classification” for additional information about the
changes to the Code.)
The
Sponsor Has Conflicts of Interest
There are present and potential
future conflicts of interest in the Trust’s structure and
operation you should consider before you purchase Shares. The
Sponsor may use this notice of conflicts as a defense against any
claim or other proceeding made.
The Sponsor’s principals,
officers and employees do not devote their time exclusively to the
Fund. Under the organizational documents of the Sponsor, Mr. Sal
Gilbertie and Mr. Dale Riker, in their respective capacities as
President and Chief Investment Officer of the Sponsor and Chief
Executive Officer and Secretary of the Sponsor, are obligated to
use commercially reasonable efforts to manage the Sponsor, devote
such amount of time to the Sponsor as would be consistent with
their roles in similarly placed commodity pool operators, and
remain active in managing the Sponsor until they are no longer
managing members of the Sponsor or the Sponsor dissolves. In
addition, the Sponsor expects that operating the Teucrium Funds
will generally constitute the principal and full-time
business activity of its principals, officers and employees.
Notwithstanding these obligations and expectations, the
Sponsor’s principals may be directors, officers or employees
of other entities, and may manage assets of other entities,
including the other Teucrium Funds, through the Sponsor or
otherwise. In particular, the principals could have a conflict
between their responsibilities to the Fund on the one hand and to
those other entities on the other. It is not possible to quantify
the proportion of their time that the Sponsor’s personnel
will devote to the Fund and its management.
The Sponsor and its principals,
officers and employees may trade securities, futures and related
contracts for their own accounts, creating the potential for
preferential treatment of their own accounts. Shareholders will not
be permitted to inspect the trading records of such persons or any
written policies of the Sponsor related to such trading. A conflict
of interest may exist if their trades are in the same markets and
at approximately the same times as the trades for the Fund. A
potential conflict also may occur when the Sponsor’s
principals trade their accounts more aggressively or take positions
in their accounts which are opposite, or ahead of, the positions
taken by the Fund.
The Sponsor has sole current
authority to manage the investments and operations of the Fund, and
this may allow it to act in a way that furthers its own interests
which may create a conflict with your best interests, including the
authority of the Sponsor to allocate expenses to and between the
Teucrium Funds. Shareholders have very limited voting rights with
respect to the Fund, which will limit the ability to influence
matters such as amendment of the Trust Agreement, change in the
Fund’s basic investment policies, or dissolution of the Fund
or the Trust.
The Sponsor serves as the Sponsor
to the Teucrium Funds, and may in the future serve as the Sponsor
or investment adviser to commodity pools other than the Teucrium
Funds. The Sponsor may have a conflict to the extent that its
trading decisions for the Fund may be influenced by the effect they
would have on the other pools it manages. In addition, the Sponsor
may be required to indemnify the officers and directors of the
other pools, if the need for indemnification arises. This potential
indemnification will cause the Sponsor’s assets to decrease.
If the Sponsor’s other sources of income are not sufficient
to compensate for the indemnification, it could cease operations,
which could in turn result in Fund losses and/or termination of the
Fund.
If the Sponsor acquires knowledge
of a potential transaction or arrangement that may be an
opportunity for the Fund, it shall have no duty to offer such
opportunity to the Fund. The Sponsor will not be liable to the Fund
or the Shareholders for breach of any fiduciary or other duty if
Sponsor pursues such opportunity or directs it to another person or
does not communicate such opportunity to the
Fund. Neither the Fund nor any
Shareholder has any rights or obligations by virtue of the Trust
Agreement, the trust relationship created thereby, or this
prospectus in such business ventures or the income or profits
derived from such business ventures. The pursuit of such business
ventures, even if competitive with the activities of the Fund, will
not be deemed wrongful or improper.
Resolution of Conflicts Procedures
The Trust Agreement provides that
whenever a conflict of interest exists between the Sponsor or any
of its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust, any shareholder
of a Trust series, or any other person, on the other hand, the
Sponsor shall resolve such conflict of interest, take such action
or provide such terms, considering in each case the relative
interest of each party (including its own interest) to such
conflict, agreement, transaction or situation and the benefits and
burdens relating to such interests, any customary or accepted
industry practices, and any applicable generally accepted
accounting practices or principles. In the absence of bad faith by
the Sponsor, the resolution, action or terms so made, taken or
provided by the Sponsor shall not constitute a breach of the Trust
Agreement or any other agreement contemplated therein or of any
duty or obligation of the Sponsor at law or in equity or
otherwise.
The Sponsor or any affiliate
thereof may engage in or possess an interest in other profit
seeking or business ventures of any nature or description,
independently or with others, whether or not such ventures are
competitive with the Trust and the doctrine of corporate
opportunity, or any analogous doctrine, shall not apply to the
Sponsor. If the Sponsor acquires knowledge of a potential
transaction, agreement, arrangement or other matter that may be an
opportunity for the Trust, it shall have no duty to communicate or
offer such opportunity to the Trust, and the Sponsor shall not be
liable to the Trust or to the Shareholders for breach of any
fiduciary or other duty by reason of the fact that the Sponsor
pursues or acquires for, or directs such opportunity to, another
person or does not communicate such opportunity or information to
the Trust. Neither the Trust nor any Shareholder shall have any
rights or obligations by virtue of the Trust Agreement or the trust
relationship created thereby in or to such independent ventures or
the income or profits or losses derived therefrom, and the pursuit
of such ventures, even if competitive with the activities of the
Trust, shall not be deemed wrongful or improper. Except to the
extent expressly provided in the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor may
engage or be interested in any financial or other transaction with
the Trust, the Shareholders or any affiliate of the Trust or the
Shareholders.
Interests
of Named Experts and Counsel
No expert hired by the Fund to
give advice on the preparation of this offering document has been
hired on a contingent fee basis, nor do any of them have any
present or future expectation of interest in the Sponsor,
Distributor, Authorized Purchasers, Custodian/Administrator or
other service providers to the Fund.
Provisions of Federal
and State Securities Laws
This offering is made pursuant to
federal and state securities laws. The SEC and state securities
agencies take the position that indemnification of the Sponsor that
arises out of an alleged violation of such laws is prohibited
unless certain conditions are met. Those conditions require that no
indemnification of the Sponsor or any underwriter for the Fund may
be made in respect of any losses, liabilities or expenses arising
from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities
laws unless: (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the
merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as
to the party seeking indemnification and the court approves the
indemnification. (ii) such claim has been dismissed with prejudice
on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the party
seeking indemnification. or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction
approves a settlement of the claims against the party seeking
indemnification and finds that indemnification of the settlement
and related costs should be made, provided that, before seeking
such approval, the Sponsor or other indemnitee must apprise the
court of the position held by regulatory agencies against such
indemnification.
The Trust keeps its books of
record and account at its office located at 115 Christina Landing
Drive Unit 2004, Wilmington, DE 19801, or at the offices of the
Administrator, U.S. Bancorp, LLC, located at 615 East Michigan
Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, or such office, including of an
administrative agent, as it may subsequently designate upon
notice. The books of account of the Fund are open to
inspection by any Shareholder (or any duly constituted designee of
a Shareholder) at all times during the usual business hours of the
Fund upon reasonable advance notice to the extent such access is
required under CFTC rules and regulations. In addition, the
Trust keeps a copy of the Trust Agreement on file in its office
which will be available for inspection by any Shareholder at all
times during its usual business hours upon reasonable advance
notice.
Analysis of Critical
Accounting Policies
The Fund’s critical
accounting policies are set forth in the financial statements that
are incorporated by reference in this prospectus prepared in
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America, which require the use of certain
accounting policies that affect the amounts reported in these
financial statements, including the following: (i) Fund trades are
accounted for on a trade date basis and marked to market on a
daily basis. (ii) the difference between the cost and market value
of Wheat Interests is recorded as “change in unrealized
profit/loss” for open (unrealized) contracts, and recorded as
“realized profit/loss” when open
positions are closed out. and (iii) earned
interest income, as well as the fees and expenses of the Fund, are
recorded on an accrual basis. The Sponsor believes that all
relevant accounting assumptions and policies have been
considered.
Statements, Filings, and Reports
to Shareholders
The Trust will furnish to DTC
Participants for distribution to Shareholders annual reports (as of
the end of each fiscal year) for the Fund as are required to be
provided to Shareholders by the CFTC and the NFA. These annual
reports will contain financial statements prepared by the Sponsor
and audited by an independent registered public accounting firm
designated by the Sponsor. The Trust will also post monthly reports
to the Fund’s website (www.teucriumweatfund.com).
These monthly reports will contain certain unaudited financial
information regarding the Fund, including the Fund’s NAV. The
Sponsor will furnish to the Shareholders other reports or
information which the Sponsor, in its discretion, determines to be
necessary or appropriate. In addition, under SEC rules the Trust
will be required to file quarterly and annual reports for the Fund
with the SEC, which need not be sent to Shareholders but will be
publicly available through the SEC. The Trust will post the same
information that would otherwise be provided in the Trust’s
CFTC, NFA and SEC reports on the Fund’s website www.teucriumweatfund.com.
The Sponsor is responsible for the
registration and qualification of the Shares under the federal
securities laws, federal commodities laws, and laws of any other
jurisdiction as the Sponsor may select. The Sponsor is responsible
for preparing all required reports, but has entered into an
agreement with the Administrator to prepare these reports on the
Trust’s behalf.
The accountants’ report on
its audit of the Fund’s financial statements will be
furnished by the Trust to Shareholders upon request. The Trust will
make such elections, file such tax returns, and prepare,
disseminate and file such tax reports for the Fund, as it is
advised by its counsel or accountants are from time to time
required by any applicable statute, rule or
regulation.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
(“PwC”), 2001 Ross Avenue, Suite 1800, Dallas, Texas
75201-2997, will provide tax information in accordance with
the Code and applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations. Persons treated
as middlemen for purposes of these regulations may obtain tax
information regarding the Fund from PwC or from the Fund’s
website, www.teucriumweatfund.com.
The fiscal year of the Fund is the
calendar year.
The rights of the Sponsor, the
Trust, the Fund, DTC (as registered owner of the Fund’s
global certificate for Shares) and the Shareholders are governed by
the laws of the State of Delaware, expect with respect to causes of
action for violations of U.S. federal or state securities laws. The
Trust Agreement and the effect of every provision thereof shall
control over any contrary or limiting statutory or common law of
the State of Delaware, other than the Delaware Trust
Statute.
Security Ownership
of Principal Shareholders and Management
The following table sets forth
information regarding the beneficial ownership of shares by the
executive officers of the Sponsor as of December 31, 2017.
Except as listed, no other executive officer of the Sponsor is a
beneficial owner of shares of the Fund.
(1)
Title of
Class
|
(2)
Name of
Beneficial Owner
|
(3)
Amount and
nature of Beneficial Ownership
|
(4)
Percent of
Class
|
WEAT
|
Sal Gilbertie
|
200 common units
|
*
|
__________________
*Less than 1%.
The Fund is not aware of any 5%
holder of its Shares.
Litigation and Claims
Within the past 10 years of the
date of this prospectus, there have been no material
administrative, civil or criminal actions against the Sponsor, the
Trust or the Fund, or any principal or affiliate of any of them.
This includes any actions pending, on appeal, concluded,
threatened, or otherwise known to them.
Legal Opinion
Vedder Price, P.C. has been
retained to advise the Trust and the Sponsor with respect to the
Shares being offered hereby and has passed upon the validity of the
Shares being issued hereunder. Vedder Price, P.C. has
also provided the Sponsor with its opinion with respect to federal
income tax matters addressed herein under the heading “U.S.
Federal Income Tax Considerations”.
Experts
The financial statements of the
Trust and the Fund, and management’s assessment of the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of the
Trust and the Fund incorporated by reference in this prospectus and
elsewhere in the registration statement have been so incorporated
by reference in reliance upon the reports of Grant Thornton LLP,
independent registered public accountants, upon the authority of
said firm as experts in accounting and
auditing.
This Privacy Policy explains the
policies of the Sponsor, a commodity pool operator registered with
the CFTC, and (i) the Trust, and (ii) each commodity pool for which
the Sponsor serves as Sponsor currently or in the future including
Teucrium Corn Fund, Teucrium Wheat Fund, Teucrium Sugar Fund, and
Teucrium Soybean Fund, and Teucrium Agricultural Fund (each of
which is a series of the Trust), relating to the collection,
maintenance, and use of nonpublic personal information about the
Teucrium Funds’ investors, as required under federal law.
Federal law gives investors the
right to limit some but not all sharing of their nonpublic personal
information. Federal law also requires the Sponsor to tell
investors how it collects, shares, and protects such nonpublic
personal information. Please read this policy carefully to
understand what the Sponsor does. This Privacy Policy
applies to the nonpublic personal information of investors who are
individuals and who obtain financial products or services from the
Sponsor, the Trust, and the Teucrium Funds primarily for personal,
family, or household purposes. This Privacy Policy applies to both
current and former Fund investors; the Sponsor will only disclose
nonpublic personal information about former investors to the same
extent as for current investors, as described
below.
Collection of Nonpublic Personal Information
The Sponsor may collect or have
access to nonpublic personal information about current and former
Fund investors for certain purposes relating to the operation of
the Teucrium Funds. This information may include information
received from investors, such as their name, social security
number, telephone number, and address, and information about
investors’ holdings and transactions in shares of the
Teucrium Funds.
Use and Disclosure of Nonpublic Personal
Information
The Sponsor recognizes and
respects the privacy expectation of each of the Teucrium
Funds’ investors. The Sponsor believes that the
confidentiality and protection of investors’ nonpublic
personal information is one of its fundamental responsibilities.
This means, most importantly, that the Sponsor does not sell
nonpublic personal information to any third parties. The Sponsor
primarily uses investors’ nonpublic personal information to
complete financial transactions that may be
requested.
Below are the circumstances in
which the Sponsor may disclose investors’ nonpublic personal
information to third parties; investors may not opt out of these
disclosures:
●
The
Sponsor may provide an investor’s nonpublic personal
information to non-affiliated service providers involved in
servicing and administering products and services for, or on behalf
of the Sponsor (e.g.,
accountants, compliance consultants, legal advisors,
broker-dealers, introducing brokers, futures commissions merchants,
investment companies, investment advisers, commodity trading
advisors, commodity pool operators, administrators, and
custodians). In all such cases, the Sponsor will provide the third
party with only the nonpublic personal information necessary to
carry out its assigned responsibilities and only for that
purpose.
●
The
Sponsor will release nonpublic personal information if directed by
an investor to do so. The Sponsor may also release nonpublic
personal information to persons acting in a fiduciary or
representative capacity on behalf of an
investor.
●
The
Sponsor may release an investor’s nonpublic personal
information to courts and other parties related to a subpoena or
other court, government, or SRO order or process, as authorized by
law.
●
The
Sponsor may release an investor’s nonpublic personal
information to regulators (including SROs) or governmental entities
that have made a reasonable request for such information, as
authorized by law.
●
The
Sponsor may release an investor’s nonpublic personal
information to certain governmental entities and others to prevent
money laundering, as authorized by law.
Investors’ nonpublic
personal information, particularly information about
investors’ holdings and transactions in shares of the
Teucrium Funds, may be shared between and amongst the Sponsor and
the Teucrium Funds. An investor
cannot opt-out of the sharing of nonpublic personal information
between and amongst the Sponsor and the Teucrium Funds.
However, the Sponsor and the Teucrium Funds will not use this
information for any cross-marketing purposes. In other words, all investors will be treated
as having “opted out” of receiving marketing
solicitations from Teucrium Funds other than the Teucrium Fund(s)
in which it invests.
Protection of Nonpublic Personal Information
●
The
Sponsor restricts access to investors’ nonpublic personal
information only to those employees, agents, and representatives
who require that information to provide financial products and
services.
●
The
Sponsor requires all employees, financial professionals, and
companies providing services on its behalf to keep investors’
nonpublic personal information confidential.
●
Third parties with whom the
Sponsor shares investor nonpublic personal information must agree
to follow appropriate standards of security and confidentiality,
which includes safeguarding such information physically,
electronically, and procedurally.
●
The
Sponsor maintains physical, technical, administrative, and
procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to protect
the confidentiality and security of investors’ nonpublic
personal information including, where applicable, its
disposal.
●
Employees, agents, and
representatives who have access to shareholder reports or other
correspondence containing investors’ nonpublic personal
information are required to utilize passwords on all electronic
devices used to carry out their professional
responsibilities.
Federal Income
Tax Considerations
The following discussion
summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the
purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares of the Fund and the
U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Fund. Except
where noted otherwise, it deals only with the tax consequences
relating to Shares held as capital assets by U.S. Shareholders (as
defined below) who are not subject to special tax
treatment. For example, in general it does not address
the tax consequences, such as, but not limited to dealers in
securities or currencies or commodities, traders in securities or
dealers or traders in commodities that elect to use a
mark-to-market method of accounting, financial institutions,
tax-exempt entities (except as discussed below), insurance
companies, persons holding Shares as a part of a position in a
“straddle” or as part of a “hedging,”
“conversion” or other integrated transaction for
federal income tax purposes, or holders of Shares whose
“functional currency” is not the U.S.
dollar. Furthermore, the discussion below is based upon
the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”), and regulations (“Treasury
Regulations”), rulings and judicial decisions thereunder as
of the date hereof, and such authorities may be repealed, revoked
or modified (possibly with retroactive effect) so as to result in
U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those discussed
below.
The Sponsor has received the
opinion of Vedder Price, P.C. (“Vedder Price”), counsel
to the Trust, that the material U.S. federal income tax
consequences to the Fund and to U.S. Shareholders and Non-U.S.
Shareholders (as defined below) will be as described in the
following paragraphs. In rendering its opinion, Vedder
Price has relied on the facts and assumptions described in this
prospectus as well as certain factual representations made by the
Trust and the Sponsor. This opinion is not binding on
the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”). No
ruling has been requested from the IRS with respect to any matter
affecting the Fund or prospective investors, and the IRS may
disagree with the tax positions taken by the Trust. If
the IRS were to challenge the Trust’s tax positions in
litigation, they might not be sustained by the
courts.
As used herein, the term
“U.S. Shareholder” means a Shareholder that is, for
United States federal income tax purposes, (i) a citizen or
resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation or partnership
created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or
any political subdivision thereof, (iii) an estate the income of
which is subject to United States federal income taxation
regardless of its source or (iv) a trust that (X) is subject to the
supervision of a court within the United States and the control of
one or more United States persons as described in section
7701(a)(30) of the Code or (Y) has a valid election in effect under
applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a United States
person. A “Non U.S. Shareholder” is a holder that
is not a U.S. Shareholder. If a partnership holds our Shares, the
tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of
the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a
partner of a partnership holding our Shares, you should consult
your own tax advisor regarding the tax
consequences.
EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IS
ADVISED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE U.S. FEDERAL
INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN SHARES, AS WELL AS ANY
APPLICABLE STATE, LOCAL OR FOREIGN TAX CONSEQUENCES, IN LIGHT OF
ITS PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.
Tax Classification of the Trust and the Fund
The Trust is organized and will be
operated as a statutory trust in accordance with the provisions of
the Trust Agreement and applicable Delaware law. Notwithstanding
the Trust’s status as a statutory trust and the Fund’s
status as a series of the Trust, due to the nature of its
activities the Fund will be treated as a partnership rather than a
trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, the
trading of Shares on the NYSE Arca will cause the Fund to be
classified as a “publicly traded partnership” for
federal income tax purposes. Under the Code, a publicly traded
partnership is generally taxable as a corporation. In the case of
an entity (such as the Fund) not
registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
however, an exception to this general rule applies if at least 90%
of the entity’s gross income is “qualifying
income” for each taxable year of its existence (the
“qualifying income exception”). For this purpose,
qualifying income is defined as including, in pertinent part,
interest (other than from a financial business), dividends, and
gains from the sale or disposition of capital assets held for the
production of interest or dividends. In the case of a partnership
of which a principal activity is the buying and selling of
commodities other than as inventory or of futures, forwards and
options with respect to commodities, “qualifying
income” also includes income and gains from commodities and
from futures, forwards, options, and swaps and other notional
principal contracts with respect to commodities. The Trust and the
Sponsor have represented the following to Vedder
Price:
●
at
least 90% of the Fund’s gross income for each taxable year
will constitute “qualifying income” within the meaning
of Code section 7704 (as described above).
●
the
Fund is organized and will be operated in accordance with its
governing documents and applicable law. and
●
the
Fund has not elected, and will not elect, to be classified as a
corporation for U.S. federal income tax
purposes.
Based in part on these
representations, Vedder Price is of the opinion that the Fund will
be treated as a partnership that it is not taxable as a corporation
for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Fund’s taxation as
a partnership rather than a corporation will require the Sponsor to
conduct the Fund’s business activities in such a manner that
it satisfies the requirements of the qualifying income exception
on
a continuing basis. No assurances
can be given that the Fund’s operations for any given year
will produce income that satisfies these requirements. Vedder Price
will not review the Fund’s ongoing compliance with these
requirements and will have no obligation to advise the Trust, the
Fund or the Fund’s Shareholders in the event of any
subsequent change in the facts, representations or applicable law
relied upon in reaching its opinion.
If the Fund failed to satisfy the
qualifying income exception in any year, other than a failure that
is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within
a reasonable time after discovery (in which case, as a condition of
relief, the Fund could be required to pay the government amounts
determined by the IRS), the Fund would be taxable as a corporation
for federal income tax purposes and would pay federal income tax on
its income at regular corporate rates. In that event, Shareholders
would not report their share of the Fund’s income or loss on
their tax returns. Distributions by the Fund (if any) would be
treated as dividend income to the Shareholders to the extent of the
Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits.
Accordingly, if the Fund were to be taxable as a corporation, it
would likely have a material adverse effect on the economic return
from an investment in the Fund and on the value of the
Shares.
The remainder of this summary
assumes that the Fund is classified for federal income tax purposes
as a partnership that it is not taxable as a
corporation.
U.S. Shareholders
Tax Consequences of Ownership of Shares
Taxation of the Fund’s Income. No
U.S. federal income tax is paid by the Fund on its income. Instead,
the Fund files annual partnership returns, and each U.S.
Shareholder is required to report on its U.S. federal income tax
return its allocable share of the income, gain, loss, deductions
and credits reflected on such returns. If the Fund recognizes
income in the form of interest on cash equivalents and net capital
gains from cash settlement of Wheat Interests for a taxable year,
Shareholders must report their share of these items even though the
Fund makes no distributions of cash or property during the taxable
year. Consequently, a Shareholder may be taxable on income
or gain recognized by the Fund but
receive no cash distribution with which to pay the resulting tax
liability, or may receive a distribution that is insufficient to
pay such liability. Because the Sponsor currently does not intend
to make distributions, it is likely that that a U.S. Shareholder
that realizes net income or gain with respect to Shares for a
taxable year will be required to pay any resulting tax from sources
other than Fund distributions. Additionally, individuals with
modified adjusted gross income in excess of $200,000 ($250,000 in
the case of married individuals filing jointly) and certain estates
and trusts are subject to an additional 3.8% tax on their
“net investment income,” which generally includes net
income from interest, dividends, annuities, royalties, and rents,
and net capital gains (other than certain amounts earned from
trades or businesses). Also included as income subject to the
additional 3.8% tax is income from businesses involved in the
trading of financial instruments or
commodities.
Monthly Conventions for Allocations of the
Fund’s Profit and Loss and Capital Account
Restatements. Under Code section 704, the determination of a
partner’s distributive share of any item of income, gain,
loss, deduction or credit is governed by the applicable
organizational document unless the allocation provided by such
document lacks “substantial economic effect.” An
allocation that lacks substantial economic effect nonetheless will
be respected if it is in accordance with the partners’
interests in the partnership, determined by taking into account all
facts and circumstances relating to the economic arrangements among
the partners. Subject to the possible exceptions noted below
concerning certain conventions to be used by the Fund, allocations
pursuant to the Trust Agreement should be considered as having
substantial economic effect or being in accordance with
Shareholders’ interests in the Fund.
In situations where a
partner’s interest in a partnership is redeemed or sold
during a taxable year, the Code generally requires that partnership
tax items for the year be allocated to the partner using either an
interim closing of the books or a daily proration method. The Fund
intends to allocate tax items using an interim closing of the books
method under which income, gains, losses and deductions will be
determined on a monthly basis, taking into account the Fund’s
accrued income and deductions and gains and losses (both realized
and unrealized) for the month. The tax items for each month during
a taxable year will then be allocated among the holders of Shares
in proportion to the number of Shares owned by them as of the close
of trading on the last trading day of the preceding month (the
“monthly allocation convention”).
Under the monthly allocation
convention, an investor who disposes of a Share during the current
month will be treated as disposing of the Share as of the end of
the last day of the calendar month. For example, an investor who
buys a Share on April 10 of a year and sells it on May 20 of the
same year will be allocated all of the tax items attributable to
May (because it is deemed to hold the Share through the last day of
May) but none of those attributable to April. The tax items
attributable to that Share for April will be allocated to the
person who is the actual or deemed holder of the Share as of the
close of trading on the last trading day of March. Under the
monthly allocation convention, an investor who purchases and sells
a Share during the same month, and therefore does not hold (and is
not deemed to hold) the Share at the close of the last trading day
of either that month or the previous month, will receive no
allocations with respect to that Share for any period. Accordingly,
investors may receive no allocations with respect to Shares that
they actually held, or may receive allocations with respect to
Shares attributable to periods that they did not actually hold the
Shares. Investors who hold a Share on the last trading day of the
first month of the Fund’s operation will be allocated the tax
items for that month, as well as the tax items for the following
month, attributable to the Share.
By investing in Shares, a U.S.
Shareholder agrees that, in the absence of new legislation,
regulatory or administrative guidance, or judicial rulings to the
contrary, it will file its U.S. income tax returns in a manner that
is consistent with the monthly allocation convention as described
above and with the IRS Schedule K1 or any successor form
provided to Shareholders by the Fund or the
Trust.
For any month in which a Creation
Basket is issued or a Redemption Basket is redeemed, the Fund will
credit or debit the “book” capital accounts of existing
Shareholders with the amount of any unrealized gain or loss,
respectively, on Fund assets. For this purpose, unrealized gain or
loss will be computed based on the lowest NAV of the Fund’s
assets during the month in which Shares are issued or redeemed,
which may be different than the value of the assets on the date of
an issuance or redemption. The capital accounts as adjusted in this
manner will be used in making tax allocations intended to account
for differences between the tax basis and fair market value of
property owned by the Fund at the time new Shares are issued or
outstanding Shares are redeemed (so called “reverse
Code section 704(c) allocations”). The intended effect of
these adjustments is to equitably allocate among Shareholders any
unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the Fund’s assets
existing at the time of a contribution or redemption for book and
tax purposes.
As noted above, the conventions
used by the Fund in making tax allocations may cause a Shareholder
to be allocated more or less income or loss for U.S. federal income
tax purposes than its proportionate share of the economic income or
loss realized by the Fund during the period it held its Shares.
This mismatch between taxable and economic income or loss in some
cases may be temporary, reversing itself in a later year when the
Shares are sold, but could be permanent. For example, a Shareholder
could be allocated income accruing after it sold its Shares,
resulting in an increase in the basis of the Shares (see
“Tax Basis of
Shares” below). In connection with the disposition of
the Shares, the additional basis might produce a capital loss the
deduction of which may be limited (see “Limitations on Deductibility of Losses and
Certain Expenses” below).
Section 754 election. The Fund intends
to make the election permitted by section 754 of the Code, which
election is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS. The effect
of this election is that when a secondary market sale of Shares
occurs, the Fund adjusts the purchaser’s proportionate share
of the tax basis of the Fund’s assets to fair market value,
as reflected in the price paid for the Shares, as if the purchaser
had directly acquired an interest in the Fund’s assets. The
section 754 election is intended to eliminate disparities between a
partner’s basis in its partnership interest and its share of
the tax basis of the partnership’s assets, so that the
partner’s allocable share of taxable gain or loss on a
disposition of an asset will correspond to its share of the
appreciation or depreciation in the value of the asset since it
acquired its interest. Depending on the price paid for Shares and
the tax basis of the Fund’s assets at the time of the
purchase, the effect of the section 754 election on a purchaser of
Shares may be favorable or unfavorable. In order to make the
appropriate basis adjustments in a cost effective manner, the Fund
will use certain simplifying conventions and assumptions. In
particular, the Fund will obtain information regarding secondary
market transactions in its Shares and use this information to make
adjustments to the Shareholders’ indirect basis in Fund
assets. It is possible the IRS could successfully assert that the
conventions and assumptions applied are improper and require
different basis adjustments to be made, which could adversely
affect some Shareholders.
Section 1256 Contracts. Under the Code,
special rules apply to instruments constituting “section 1256
contracts.” A section 1256 contract is defined as including,
in relevant part: (1) a futures contract that is traded on or
subject to the rules of a national securities exchange which is
registered with the SEC, a domestic board of trade designated as a
contract market by the CFTC, or any other board of trade or
exchange designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, and with
respect to which the amount required to be deposited and
the amount that may be withdrawn
depends on a system of “marking to market”. and (2) a
non-equity option traded on or subject to the rules of a
qualified board or exchange. Section 1256 contracts held at the end
of each taxable year are treated as if they were sold for their
fair market value on the last business day of the taxable year
(i.e., are “marked to
market”). In addition, any gain or loss realized from a
disposition, termination or marking to market of a
section 1256 contract is treated as long-term capital gain or
loss to the extent of 60% thereof, and as short-term capital
gain or loss to the extent of 40% thereof, without regard to the
actual holding period (“6040
treatment”).
Many of the Fund’s Wheat
Futures Contracts will qualify as “section 1256
contracts” under the Code. Some Other Wheat Interests that
are cleared through a qualified board or exchange will also
constitute section 1256 contracts. Gain or loss recognized as a
result of the disposition, termination or marking to
market of the Fund’s section 1256 contracts during a
calendar month will be subject to 6040 treatment and
allocated to Shareholders in accordance with the monthly allocation
convention. Commodity swaps will most likely not qualify as section
1256 contracts. If a commodity swap is not taxable as a section
1256 contract, any gain or loss on the swap will be recognized at
the time of disposition or termination as long-term or
short-term capital gain or loss depending on the holding
period of the swap in the Fund’s hands.
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses and
Certain Expenses. A number of different provisions of the
Code may defer or disallow the deduction of losses or expenses
allocated to Shareholders by the Fund, including but not limited to
those described below.
A Shareholder’s deduction of
its allocable share of any loss of the Fund is limited to the
lesser of (1) the tax basis in its Shares or (2) in the case of a
Shareholder that is an individual or a closely held corporation,
the amount which the Shareholder is considered to have “at
risk” with respect to the Fund’s
activities. In general, the amount at risk initially
will be a Shareholder’s invested capital. Losses
in excess of the amount at risk must be deferred until years in
which the Fund generates additional taxable income against which to
offset such carryover losses or until additional capital is placed
at risk.
Individuals and other
non-corporate taxpayers are permitted to deduct capital
losses only to the extent of their capital gains for the taxable
year plus $3,000 of other income. Unused capital losses can be
carried forward and used to offset capital gains in future years.
In addition, a non-corporate taxpayer may elect to carry back
net losses on section 1256 contracts to each of the three preceding
years and use them to offset section 1256 contract gains in those
years, subject to certain limitations. Corporate taxpayers
generally may deduct capital losses only to the extent of capital
gains, subject to special carryback and carryforward
rules.
The deduction for expenses
incurred by non-corporate taxpayers constituting
“miscellaneous itemized deductions,” generally
including investment-related expenses (other than interest and
certain other specified expenses), is suspended for taxable years
beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026.
During these taxable years, non-corporate taxpayers will not be
able to deduct miscellaneous itemized deductions. Provided the
suspension is extended, for taxable years ending on or after
January 1, 2026, miscellaneous itemized deductions are deductible
only to the extent they exceed 2% of the taxpayer’s adjusted
gross income for the year. Although the matter is not
free from doubt, we believe management fees the Fund pays to the
Sponsor and other expenses of the Fund constitute
investment-related expenses subject to this miscellaneous itemized
deduction limitation, rather than expenses incurred in connection
with a trade or business, and will report these expenses consistent
with that interpretation. For taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2026, the Code imposes additional limitations on the
amount of certain itemized deductions allowable to individuals with
adjusted gross income in excess of certain amounts by reducing the
otherwise allowable portion of such deductions by an amount equal
to the lesser of:
● 3% of the
individual’s adjusted gross income in excess of certain
threshold amounts; or
● 80% of the amount of
certain itemized deductions otherwise allowable for the taxable
year.
Non-corporate Shareholders
generally may deduct “investment interest expense” only
to the extent of their “net investment
income.” Investment interest expense of a
Shareholder will generally include any interest accrued by the Fund
and any interest paid or accrued on direct borrowings by a
Shareholder to purchase or carry its Shares, such as interest with
respect to a margin account. Net investment income
generally includes gross income from property held for investment
(including “portfolio income” under the passive loss
rules but not, absent an election, long-term capital gains or
certain qualifying dividend income) less deductible expenses other
than interest directly connected with the production of investment
income.
If the Fund incurs indebtedness,
the Fund’s ability to deduct interest on its indebtedness
allocable to its trade or business is limited to an amount equal to
the sum of (1) the Fund’s business interest income during the
year and (2) 30% of the Fund’s adjusted taxable income for
such taxable year. If the Fund is not entitled to fully deduct its
business interest in any taxable year, such excess business
interest expense will be allocated to each Shareholder as excess
business interest and can be carried forward by the Shareholder to
successive taxable years and used to offset any excess taxable
income allocated by the Fund to such Shareholder. Any excess
business interest expense allocated to a Shareholder will reduce
such Shareholder’s basis in its Shares in the year of the
allocation even if the expense does not give rise to a deduction to
the Shareholder in that year. Immediately prior to a
Shareholder’s disposition of its Shares, the
Shareholder’s basis will be increased by the amount by which
such basis reduction exceeds the excess interest expense that has
been deducted by such Shareholder.
To the extent that the Fund
allocates losses or expenses to you that must be deferred or are
disallowed as a result of these or other limitations in the Code,
you may be taxed on income in excess of your economic income or
distributions (if any) on your Shares. As one example, you could be
allocated and required to pay tax on your share of interest income
accrued by the Fund for a particular taxable year, and in the same
year allocated a share of a capital loss that you cannot deduct
currently because you have insufficient capital gains against which
to offset the loss. As another example, you could be allocated and
required to pay tax on your share of interest income and capital
gain for a year, but be unable to deduct some or all of your share
of management fees and/or margin account interest incurred by you
with respect to your Shares. Shareholders are urged to consult
their own professional tax advisor regarding the effect of
limitations under the Code on their ability to deduct your
allocable share of the Fund’s losses and
expenses.
Tax Basis of Shares
A Shareholder’s tax basis in
its Shares is important in determining (1) the amount of taxable
gain or loss it will realize on the sale or other disposition of
its Shares, (2) the amount of non-taxable distributions that
it may receive from the Fund, and (3) its ability to utilize its
distributive share of any losses of the Fund on its tax return. A
Shareholder’s initial tax basis of its Shares will equal its
cost for the Shares plus its share of the Fund’s liabilities
(if any) at the time of purchase. In general, a Shareholder’s
“share” of those liabilities will equal the sum of (i)
the entire amount of any otherwise nonrecourse liability of the
Fund as to which the Shareholder or an affiliate of the Shareholder
is the creditor (a “partner nonrecourse liability”) and
(ii) a pro rata share of any nonrecourse liabilities of the Fund
that are not partner nonrecourse liabilities as to any
Shareholder.
A Shareholder’s tax basis in
its Shares generally will be (1) increased by (a) its allocable
share of the Fund’s taxable income and gain and (b) any
additional contributions by the Shareholder to the Fund and (2)
decreased (but not below zero) by (a) its allocable share of the
Fund’s tax deductions and losses and (b) any distributions by
the Fund to the Shareholder. For this purpose, an increase in a
Shareholder’s share of the Fund’s liabilities will be
treated as a contribution of cash by the Shareholder to the Fund
and a decrease in that share will be treated as a distribution of
cash by the Fund to the Shareholder. Pursuant to certain IRS
rulings, a Shareholder will be required to maintain a single,
“unified” basis in all Shares that it owns. As a
result, when a Shareholder that acquired its Shares at different
prices sells less than all of its Shares, such Shareholder will not
be entitled to specify particular Shares (e.g., those with a higher basis) as
having been sold. Rather, it must determine its gain or loss on the
sale by using an “equitable apportionment” method to
allocate a portion of its unified basis in its Shares to the Shares
sold.
Treatment of Fund
Distributions. If the Fund makes non-liquidating
distributions to Shareholders, such distributions generally will
not be taxable to the Shareholders for federal income tax purposes
except to the extent that the sum of (i) the amount of cash and
(ii) the fair market value (subject to certain exceptions and
adjustments) of marketable securities distributed exceeds the
Shareholder’s adjusted basis of its interest in the Fund
immediately before the distribution. Any cash
distributions and such fair market value of the marketable
securities distributed that are in excess of a Shareholder’s
tax basis generally will be treated as gain from the sale or
exchange of Shares.
Tax Consequences of
Disposition of Shares
If a Shareholder sells its Shares,
it will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the
amount realized and its adjusted tax basis for the Shares sold. A
Shareholder’s amount realized will be the sum of the cash or
the fair market value of other property received plus its share of
the Fund’s liabilities.
Gain or loss recognized by a
Shareholder on the sale or exchange of Shares held for more than
one year will generally be taxable as long-term capital gain
or loss. otherwise, such gain or loss will generally be taxable as
short-term capital gain or loss. A special election is
available under the Treasury Regulations that allows Shareholders
to identify and use the actual holding periods for the Shares sold
for purposes of determining whether the gain or loss recognized on
a sale of Shares will give rise to long-term or
short-term capital gain or loss. It is expected that most
Shareholders will be eligible to elect, and generally will elect,
to identify and use the actual holding period for Shares sold. If a
Shareholder fails to make the election or is not able to identify
the holding periods of the Shares sold, the Shareholder will have a
split holding period in the Shares sold.
Under such circumstances, a
Shareholder will be required to determine its holding period in the
Shares sold by first determining the portion of its entire interest
in the Fund that would give rise to long-term capital gain or
loss if its entire interest were sold and the portion that would
give rise to short-term capital gain or loss if the entire
interest were sold. The Shareholder would then treat each Share
sold as giving rise to long-term capital gain or loss and
short-term capital gain or loss in the same proportions as if
it had sold its entire interest in the
Fund.
Under Section 751 of the Code, a
portion of a Shareholder’s gain or loss from the sale of
Shares (regardless of the holding period for such Shares), will be
separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss to the
extent attributable to “unrealized receivables” or
“inventory” owned by the Fund. The term
“unrealized receivables” includes, among other things,
market discount bonds and short-term debt instruments to the
extent such items would give rise to ordinary income if sold by the
Fund. However, the short term capital gain on section 1256
contracts resulting from 6040 treatment, described above,
should not be subject to this rule.
If some or all of a
Shareholder’s Shares are lent by its broker or other agent to
a third party — for example, for use by the third party in
covering a short sale — the Shareholder may be considered as
having made a taxable disposition of the loaned Shares, in which
case —
●
the
Shareholder may recognize taxable gain or loss to the same extent
as if it had sold the Shares for cash.
●
any
of the income, gain, loss or deduction allocable to those Shares
during the period of the loan is not reportable by the Shareholder
for tax purposes. and
●
any
distributions the Shareholder receives with respect to the Shares
under the loan agreement will be fully taxable to the Shareholder,
most likely as ordinary income.
Shareholders desiring to avoid
these and other possible consequences of a deemed disposition of
their Shares should consider modifying any applicable brokerage
account agreements to prohibit the lending of their
Shares.
Other Tax Matters
Information Reporting. The Fund
provides tax information to the Shareholders and to the IRS, as
needed. Shareholders of the Fund are treated as partners for
federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, the Fund will furnish
Shareholders each year, with tax information on IRS
ScheduleK1 (Form 1065), which will be used by the
Shareholders in completing their tax returns. The IRS has ruled
that assignees of partnership interests who have not been admitted
to a partnership as partners but who have the capacity to exercise
substantial dominion and control over the assigned partnership
interests will be considered partners for federal income tax
purposes. On the basis of this ruling, except as otherwise provided
herein, we will treat as a Shareholder any person whose shares are
held on their behalf by a broker or other nominee if that person
has the right to direct the nominee in the exercise of all
substantive rights attendant to the ownership of the
Shares.
Persons who hold an interest in
the Fund as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to
us the following information: (1) the name, address and taxpayer
identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee; (2)
whether the beneficial owner is (a) a person that is not a U.S.
person, (b) a foreign government, an international organization or
any wholly-owned agency or instrumentality of either of the
foregoing, or (c) a tax-exempt entity; (3) the number and a
description of Shares acquired or transferred for the beneficial
owner; and (4) certain information including the dates of
acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers,
and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net
proceeds from sales. Brokers and financial institutions
are required to furnish additional information, including whether
they are U.S. persons and certain information on Shares they
acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A
penalty of $250 per failure (as adjusted for inflation), up to a
maximum of $3,000,000 per calendar year (as adjusted for
inflation), is imposed by the Code for failure to report such
information correctly to the Fund. If the failure to
furnish such information correctly is determined to be willful, the
per failure penalty increases to $500 (as adjusted for inflation)
or, if greater, 10% of the aggregate amount of items required to be
reported, and the $3,000,000 maximum does not apply. The nominee is
required to supply the beneficial owner of the Shares with the
information furnished to the Fund.
Partnership Audit Procedures. The IRS
may audit the federal income tax returns filed by the Fund.
Adjustments resulting from any such audit may require a Shareholder
to adjust a prior year’s tax liability and could result in an
audit of the Shareholder’s own return. Any audit of a
Shareholder’s return could result in adjustments of
non-partnership items as well as Fund items. Partnerships are
generally treated as separate entities for purposes of federal tax
audits, judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS,
and tax settlement proceedings. The tax
treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction
are determined at the partnership level in a unified partnership
proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the partners.
The Code provides for one partner to be designated as the
“tax matters partner” and to represent the partnership
for purposes of these proceedings. The Trust Agreement appoints the
Sponsor as the tax matters partner of the Fund.
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015
adopted a new partnership level audit and assessment
procedure for all entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal
income tax purposes. These new rules generally apply to partnership
taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Under these rules,
tax deficiencies (including interest and penalties) that arise from
an adjustment to partnership items generally would be assessed and
collected from the partnership (rather than from the partners), and
generally would be calculated using maximum applicable tax rates
(although such partnership level tax may be reduced or eliminated
under limited circumstances). A narrow category of partnerships
(generally, partnerships having no more than 100 partners that
consist exclusively of individuals, C corporations, S corporations
and estates) are permitted to elect out of the new partnership
level audit rules. As an alternative to partnership
level tax liability, a partnership may elect to furnish adjusted
Schedule K1s to the IRS and to each person who was a partner
in the audit year, stating such partner’s share
of any partnership adjustments, and each such partner would then
take the adjustments into account on its tax returns in the year in
which it receives its adjusted Schedule K1 (rather than by
amending their tax returns for the audited year). If the Fund were
subject to a partnership level tax as a result of these new rules,
the economic return of all Shareholders (including Shareholders
that did not own Shares in the Fund during the taxable year to
which the audit relates) may be affected.
To address these new rules, the
Sponsor amended the Trust Agreement so that if the Fund becomes
subject to any tax as a result of any adjustment to taxable income,
gain, loss, deduction or credit for any taxable year of the Fund
(pursuant to a tax audit or otherwise), such Shareholder (and each
former Shareholder) is obligated to indemnify the Fund and the
Sponsor against any such taxes (including any interest and
penalties) to the extent such tax (or portion thereof) is properly
attributable to such Shareholder (or former Shareholder). In
addition, the Sponsor, on behalf of the Fund, will be authorized to
take any action permitted under applicable law to avoid the
assessment of any such taxes against the Fund (including an
election to issue adjusted Schedule K1s to the Shareholders
(and/or former Shareholders) which takes such adjustments to
taxable income, gain, loss, deduction or credit into
account.
Reportable Transaction Rules. In
certain circumstances the Code and Treasury Regulations require
that the IRS be notified of transactions through a disclosure
statement attached to a taxpayer’s United States federal
income tax return. These disclosure rules may apply to transactions
irrespective of whether they are structured to achieve particular
tax benefits. They could require disclosure by the Trust or
Shareholders if a Shareholder incurs a loss in excess of a
specified threshold from a sale or redemption of its Shares and
possibly in other circumstances. While these rules generally do not
require disclosure of a loss recognized on the disposition of an
asset in which the taxpayer has a “qualifying basis”
(generally a basis equal to the amount of cash paid by the taxpayer
for such asset), they apply to a loss recognized with respect to
interests in a pass-through entity, such as the Shares, even
if the taxpayer’s basis in such interests is equal to the
amount of cash it paid. In addition, significant monetary penalties
may be imposed in connection with a failure to comply with these
reporting requirements. Investors should consult their own tax
advisor concerning the application of these reporting requirements
to their specific situation.
Tax Exempt Organizations. Subject
to numerous exceptions, qualified retirement plans and individual
retirement accounts, charitable organizations and certain other
organizations that otherwise are exempt from U.S. federal income
tax (collectively “exempt organizations”) nonetheless
are subject to the tax on unrelated business taxable income
(“UBTI”).
Generally, UBTI means the gross
income derived by an exempt organization from a trade or business
that it regularly carries on, the conduct of which is not
substantially related to the exercise or performance of its exempt
purpose or function, less allowable deductions directly connected
with that trade or business. If the Fund were to regularly carry on
(directly or indirectly) a trade or business that is unrelated with
respect to an exempt organization Shareholder, then in computing
its UBTI, the Shareholder must include its share of (1) the
Fund’s gross income from the unrelated trade or business,
whether or not distributed, and (2) the Fund’s allowable
deductions directly connected with that gross
income.
UBTI generally does not include
dividends, interest, or payments with respect to securities loans
and gains from the sale of property (other than property held for
sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business).
Nonetheless, income on, and gain from the disposition of,
“debtfinanced property” is UBTI. Debt
financed property generally is income producing property
(including securities), the use of which is not substantially
related to the exempt organization’s tax exempt
purposes, and with respect to which there is “acquisition
indebtedness” at any time during the taxable year (or, if the
property was disposed of during the taxable year, the 12
month period ending with the disposition). Acquisition
indebtedness includes debt incurred to acquire property, debt
incurred before the acquisition of property if the debt would not
have been incurred but for the acquisition, and debt incurred
subsequent to the acquisition of property if the debt would not
have been incurred but for the acquisition and at the time of
acquisition the incurrence of debt was foreseeable. The portion of
the income from debt financed property attributable to
acquisition indebtedness is equal to the ratio of the average
outstanding principal amount of acquisition indebtedness over the
average adjusted basis of the property for the year. The Fund
currently does not anticipate that it will borrow money to acquire
investments. however, the Fund cannot be certain that it will not
borrow for such purpose in the future. In addition, an exempt
organization Shareholder that incurs acquisition indebtedness to
purchase its Shares in the Fund may have UBTI.
The federal tax rate applicable to
an exempt organization Shareholder on its UBTI generally will be
either the corporate or trust tax rate, depending upon the
Shareholder’s form of organization. The Fund may report to
each such Shareholder information as to the portion, if any, of the
Shareholder’s income and gains from the Fund for any year
that will be treated as UBTI. the calculation of that amount is
complex, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s
calculation of UBTI will be accepted by the IRS. An exempt
organization Shareholder will be required to make payments of
estimated federal income tax with respect to its
UBTI.
Regulated Investment Companies.
Interests in and income from “qualified publicly traded
partnerships” satisfying certain gross income tests are
treated as qualifying assets and income, respectively, for purposes
of determining eligibility for regulated investment company
(“RIC”) status. A RIC may invest up to 25% of its
assets in interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships. The
determination of whether a publicly traded partnership such as the
Fund is a qualified publicly traded partnership is made on an
annual basis. The Fund expects to be a qualified publicly traded
partnership in each of its taxable years. However, such
qualification is not assured.
Non-U.S. Shareholders
Generally, non-U.S. persons who
derive U.S. source income or gain from investing or engaging in a
U.S. business are taxable on two categories of
income. The first category consists of amounts that are
fixed or determinable, annual or periodic income, such as interest,
dividends and rent that are not connected with the operation of a
U.S. trade or business (“FDAP”). The second
category is income that is effectively connected with the conduct
of a U.S. trade or business (“ECI”). FDAP
income (other than interest that is considered “portfolio
interest;” as discussed below) is generally subject to a 30%
withholding tax, which may be reduced for certain categories of
income by a treaty between the U.S. and the recipient’s
country of residence. In contrast, ECI is generally
subject to U.S. tax on a net basis at graduated rates upon the
filing of a U.S. tax return. Where a non-U.S. person has
ECI as a result of an investment in a partnership, the ECI is
currently subject to a withholding tax at a rate of 37% for
individual Shareholders and a rate of 21% for corporate
Shareholders. The tax withholding on ECI, which is the
highest tax rate under Code section 1 for non-corporate Non-U.S.
Shareholders and Code section 11(b) for corporate Non-U.S.
Shareholders, may increase in future tax years if tax rates
increase from their current levels.
Withholding on Allocations and
Distributions. The Code provides that a nonU.S. person
who is a partner in a partnership that is engaged in a U.S. trade
or business during a taxable year will also be considered to be
engaged in a U.S. trade or business during that
year. Classifying an activity by a
partnership as an investment or an operating business is a factual
determination.
Under certain safe harbors in the
Code, an investment fund whose activities consist of trading in
stocks, securities, or commodities for its own account generally
will not be considered to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business
unless it is a dealer is such stocks, securities, or commodities.
This safe harbor applies to investments in commodities only if the
commodities are of a kind customarily dealt in on an organized
commodity exchange and if the transaction is of a kind customarily
consummated at such place. Although the matter is not free from
doubt, the Fund believes that the activities directly conducted by
the Fund do not result in the Fund being engaged in a trade or
business within in the United States. However, there can be no
assurance that the IRS would not successfully assert that the
Fund’s activities constitute a U.S. trade or
business.
In the event that the Fund’s
activities were considered to constitute a U.S. trade or business,
the Fund would be required to withhold at the highest rate
specified in Code section 1 (currently 37%) on allocations of our
income to non-corporate Non-U.S. Shareholders and the highest rate
specified in Code section 11(b) (currently 21%) on allocations of
our income to corporate Non-U.S. Shareholders, when such income is
distributed. Non-U.S. Shareholders would also be subject
to a 10% withholding tax upon a sale or exchange of such Non U.S.
Shareholder’s Shares, although the IRS has temporarily
suspended this withholding for interests in publicly traded
partnerships until regulations implementing such withholding are
issued. A Non-U.S. Shareholder with ECI will generally be required
to file a U.S. federal income tax return, and the return will
provide the Non-U.S. Shareholder with the mechanism to seek a
refund of any withholding in excess of such Shareholder’s
actual U.S. federal income tax liability. Any amount
withheld by the Fund will be treated as a distribution to the
Non-U.S. Shareholder to the extent possible. In some
cases, the Fund may not be able to match the economic cost of
satisfying its withholding obligations to a particular Non-U.S.
Shareholder, which may result in said cost being borne by the Fund,
generally, and accordingly, by all
Shareholders.
If the Fund is not treated as
engaged in a U.S. trade or business, a non U.S. Shareholder
may nevertheless be treated as having FDAP income, which would be
subject to a 30% withholding tax (possibly subject to reduction by
treaty), with respect to some or all of its distributions from the
Fund or its allocable share of Fund income. Amounts withheld on
behalf of a Non U.S. Shareholder will be
treated as being distributed to such
Shareholder.
To the extent any interest income
allocated to a Non-U.S. Shareholder that otherwise constitutes FDAP
is considered “portfolio interest,” neither the
allocation of such interest income to the non-U.S. Shareholder nor
a subsequent distribution of such interest income to the non-U.S.
Shareholder will be subject to withholding, provided that the
Non-U.S. Shareholder is not otherwise engaged in a trade or
business in the U.S. and provides the Fund with a timely and
properly completed and executed IRS Form W-8BEN or other applicable
form. In general, portfolio interest is interest paid on
debt obligations issued in registered form, unless the recipient
owns 10% or more of the voting power of the issuer. A Non-U.S.
Shareholder’s allocable share of interest on U.S. bank
deposits, certificates of deposit and discount obligations with
maturities from original issue of 183 days or less should qualify
as portfolio interest. Generally, other interest from U.S. sources
paid to the Fund and allocable to Non-U.S. Shareholders will be
subject to withholding.
In order for the Fund to avoid
withholding on any interest income allocable to Non-U.S.
Shareholders that would qualify as portfolio interest, it will be
necessary for all Non-U.S. Shareholders to provide the Fund with a
timely and properly completed and executed Form W-8BEN (or other
applicable form).
Gain from Sale of
Shares. Gain from the sale or exchange of Shares may be
taxable to a Non-U.S. Shareholder if the Non-U.S. Shareholder is a
nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for 183
days or more during the taxable year. In such case, the
nonresident alien individual will be subject to a 30% withholding
tax on the amount of such individual’s
gain.
Branch Profits Tax on Corporate
Non-U.S. Shareholders. In addition to the taxes noted above, any
Non-U.S. Shareholders that are corporations may also be subject to
an additional tax, the branch profits tax, at a rate of 30%. The
branch profits tax is imposed on a non-U.S. corporation’s
dividend equivalent amount, which generally consists of the
corporation’s after-tax earnings and profits that are
effectively connected with the corporation’s U.S. trade or
business but are not reinvested in a U.S. business. This tax may be
reduced or eliminated by an income tax treaty between the United
States and the country in which the Non-U.S. Shareholder is a
“qualified resident.”
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.
Legislation commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax
Compliance Act or “FACTA”, generally imposes a 30% U.S.
withholding tax on payments of certain types of income to foreign
financial institutions that fail to enter into an agreement with
the United States Treasury to report certain required information
with respect to accounts held by U.S. persons (or held by foreign
entities that have U.S. persons as substantial owners). The types
of income subject to the withholding tax include U.S.-source
interest and dividends and the gross proceeds from the sale of any
property that could produce U.S.-source interest or dividends. The
information required to be reported includes the identity and
taxpayer identification number of each account holder that is a
U.S. person and transaction activity within the holder’s
account. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, this
legislation also imposes a 30% U.S. withholding tax on payments to
foreign entities that are not financial institutions unless the
foreign entity certifies that it does not have a greater than 10%
U.S. owner or provides the withholding agent with identifying
information on each greater than 10% U.S. owner. Depending on the
status of a Non-U.S. Shareholder and the status of the
intermediaries through which it holds Shares, a Non-U.S.
Shareholder could be subject to this 30% U.S. withholding tax with
respect to distributions on its Shares and proceeds from the sale
of its Shares. Under certain circumstances, a Non-U.S. Shareholder
may be eligible for a refund or credit of such
taxes.
Prospective
Non U.S. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisor
regarding these and other tax issues unique to Non U.S.
Shareholders.
Backup Withholding
The Fund may be required to
withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”)
from payments to: (1) any Shareholder who fails to furnish the Fund
with his, her or its correct taxpayer identification number or a
certificate that the Shareholder is exempt from backup withholding,
and (2) any Shareholder with respect to whom the IRS notifies the
Fund that the Shareholder is subject to backup withholding. Backup
withholding is not an additional tax and may be returned or
credited against a taxpayer’s regular federal income tax
liability if appropriate information is provided to the IRS. The
backup withholding rate is the fourth lowest rate applicable to
individuals under Code section 1(c) (currently 24%), and may
increase in future tax years.
Other Tax Considerations
In addition to federal income
taxes, Shareholders may be subject to other taxes, such as state
and local income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, business
franchise taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that
may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which the Fund does
business or owns property or where the Shareholders reside.
Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here,
each prospective Shareholder should consider their potential impact
on its investment in the Fund. It is each Shareholder’s
responsibility to file the appropriate U.S. federal, state, local,
and foreign tax returns. Vedder Price has not provided an opinion
concerning any aspects of state, local or foreign tax or U.S.
federal tax other than those U.S. federal income tax issues
discussed herein.
Investment By ERISA
Accounts General
Most employee benefit plans and
individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”) are subject to
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended
(“ERISA”), or the Code, or both. This section discusses
certain considerations that arise under ERISA and the Code that a
fiduciary of: (i) an employee benefit plan as defined in ERISA.
(ii) a plan as defined in Section 4975 of the Code.
or (ii) any collective investment vehicle,
business trust, investment partnership, pooled separate account or
other entity the assets of which are treated as comprised (at least
in part) of “plan assets” under the ERISA “plan
assets” rules (“plan asset entity”) who has
investment discretion should take into account before deciding to
invest the plan’s assets in the Fund. Employee benefit plans
under ERISA, plans under the Code and plan asset entities are
collectively referred to below as “plans,” and
fiduciaries with investment discretion are referred to below as
“plan fiduciaries.”
This summary is based on the
provisions of ERISA and the Code as of the date hereof. This
summary is not intended to be complete, but only to address certain
questions under ERISA and the Code likely to be raised by your
advisors. The summary does not include state or local
law.
Potential plan
investors are urged to consult with their own professional advisors
concerning the appropriateness of an investment in the Fund and the
manner in which Shares should be purchased.
Special Investment Considerations
Each plan fiduciary must consider
the facts and circumstances that are relevant to an investment in
the Fund, including the role that an investment in the Fund would
play in the plan’s overall investment portfolio. Each plan
fiduciary, before deciding to invest in the Fund, must be satisfied
that the investment is prudent for the plan, that the investments
of the plan are diversified so as to minimize the risk of large
losses, and that an investment in the Fund complies with the terms
of the plan. The Sponsor is not undertaking to provide investment
advice, or to give advice in a fiduciary capacity, in connection
with a plan’s investment in the Fund.
The Fund and Plan Assets
A regulation issued under ERISA
contains rules for determining when an investment by a plan in an
equity interest of a statutory trust will result in the underlying
assets of the statutory trust being deemed plan assets for purposes
of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code. Those rules provide that
assets of a statutory trust will not be plan assets of a plan that
purchases an equity interest in the statutory trust if the equity
interest purchased is a publicly offered security. If the
underlying assets of a statutory trust are considered to be assets
of any plan for purposes of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, the
operations of that trust would be subject to and, in some cases,
limited by the provisions of ERISA and Section 4975 of the
Code.
The publicly offered
security exception described above applies if the equity interest
is a security that is:
(1)
freely transferable (determined
based on the relevant facts and circumstances).
(2)
part
of a class of securities that is widely held (meaning that the
class of securities is owned by 100 or more investors independent
of the issuer and of each other). and
(3)
either (a) part of a class of
securities registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange
Act or (b) sold to the plan as part of a public offering pursuant
to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act and the
class of which such security is a part is registered under the
Exchange Act within 120 days (or such later time as may be allowed
by the SEC) after the end of the fiscal year of the issuer in which
the offering of such security occurred.
The plan asset regulations under
ERISA state that the determination of whether a security is freely
transferable is to be made based on all the relevant facts and
circumstances. In the case of a security that is part of an
offering in which the minimum investment is $10,000 or less, the
following requirements, alone or in combination, ordinarily will
not affect a finding that the security is freely transferable: (1)
a requirement that no transfer or assignment of the security or
rights relating to the security be made that would violate any
federal or state law. and (2) a requirement that no transfer or
assignment be made without advance written notice given to the
entity that issued the security.
The Sponsor believes that the
conditions described above are satisfied with respect to the
Shares. The Sponsor believes that the Shares therefore constitute
publicly offered securities, and the underlying assets of the
Fund should not be considered to constitute plan assets of any plan
that purchases Shares.
Prohibited Transactions
ERISA and the Code generally
prohibit certain transactions involving a plan and persons who have
certain specified relationships to the plan. In general, Shares may
not be purchased with the assets of a plan if the Sponsor, the
clearing brokers, the trading advisors (if any), or any of their
affiliates, agents or employees either:
●
exercise any discretionary
authority or discretionary control with respect to management of
the plan.
●
exercise any authority or control
with respect to management or disposition of the assets of the
plan.
●
render investment advice for a fee
or other compensation, direct or indirect, with respect to any
moneys or other property of the plan.
●
have
any authority or responsibility to render investment advice with
respect to any monies or other property of the plan.
or
●
have
any discretionary authority or discretionary responsibility in the
administration of the plan.
Also, a prohibited transaction may
occur under ERISA or the Code when circumstances indicate that (1)
the investment in Shares is made or retained for the purpose of
avoiding application of the fiduciary standards of ERISA, (2) the
investment in Shares constitutes an arrangement under which the
Fund is expected to engage in transactions that would otherwise be
prohibited if entered into directly by the plan purchasing the
Shares, (3) the investing plan, by itself, has the authority or
influence to cause the Fund to engage in such transactions, or (4)
a person who is prohibited from transacting with the investing plan
may, but only with the aid of certain of its affiliates and the
investing plan, cause the Fund to engage in such transactions with
such person.
Special IRA Rules
IRAs are not subject to
ERISA’s fiduciary standards, but are subject to their own
rules, including the prohibited transaction rules of Section 4975
of the Code, which generally mirror ERISA’s prohibited
transaction rules. For example, IRAs are subject to special custody
rules and must maintain a qualifying IRA custodial arrangement
separate and distinct from the Fund and its custodial arrangement.
If a separate qualifying custodial arrangement is not maintained,
an investment in the Shares will be treated as a distribution from
the IRA. Second, IRAs are prohibited
from investing in certain commingled investments, and the Sponsor
makes no representation regarding whether an investment in Shares
is an inappropriate commingled investment for an IRA. Third, in
applying the prohibited transaction provisions of Section 4975 of
the Code, in addition to the rules summarized above, the individual
for whose benefit the IRA is maintained is also treated as the
creator of the IRA. For example, if the owner or beneficiary of an
IRA enters into any transaction, arrangement, or agreement
involving the assets of his or her IRA to benefit the IRA owner or
beneficiary (or his or her relatives or business affiliates)
personally, or with the understanding that such benefit will occur,
directly or indirectly, such transaction could give rise to a
prohibited transaction that is not exempted by any available
exemption. Moreover, in the case of an IRA, the consequences of a
non-exempt prohibited transaction are that the IRA’s
assets will be treated as if they were distributed, causing
immediate taxation of the assets (including any early distribution
penalty tax applicable under Section 72 of the Code), in addition
to any other fines or penalties that may apply.
Exempt Plans
Certain employee benefit plans may
be governmental plans or church plans. Governmental plans and
church plans are generally not subject to ERISA, nor do the
prohibited transaction provisions described above apply to them.
These plans are, however, subject to prohibitions against certain
related-party transactions under Section 503 of the Code,
which are similar to the prohibited transaction rules described
above. In addition, the fiduciary of any governmental or church
plan must consider any applicable state or local laws and any
restrictions and duties of common law imposed upon the
plan.
No view is expressed as to whether
an investment in the Fund (and any continued investment in the
Fund), or the operation and administration of the fund, is
appropriate or permissible for any governmental plan or church plan
under Code Section 503, or under any state, county, local or other
law relating to that type of plan.
Allowing an
investment in the Fund is not to be construed as a representation
by the Trust, the Fund, the Sponsor, any trading advisor, any
clearing broker, the Distributor or legal counsel or other advisors
to such parties or any other party that this investment meets some
or all of the relevant legal requirements with respect to
investments by any particular plan or that this investment is
appropriate for any such particular plan. The person with
investment discretion should consult with the plan’s attorney
and financial advisors as to the propriety of an investment in the
Fund in light of the circumstances of the particular plan, current
tax law and ERISA.
INCORPORATION BY
REFERENCE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION
We are a reporting company and
file annual, quarterly and current reports and other information
with the SEC. The rules of the SEC allow us to “incorporate
by reference” information that we file with them, which means
that we can disclose important information to you by referring you
to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an
important part of this prospectus. This prospectus incorporates by
reference the documents set forth below that have been previously
filed with the SEC and any other future filing that we make with
the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (in each case other than those documents or
portions of those documents not deemed to have been filed in
accordance with SEC rules) between the date of this prospectus and
the termination of the offering of the securities to be issued
under the registration statement:
●
our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2017, filed with the SEC on March 16, 2018.
Any statement contained in a
document incorporated by reference in this prospectus shall be
deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus
to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in
any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to
be incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or
supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded
shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to
constitute a part of this prospectus.
We will provide to each person to
whom a prospectus is delivered, including any beneficial owner, a
copy of any document incorporated by reference in the prospectus
(excluding any exhibits to those documents unless the exhibit is
specifically incorporated by reference in that document) at no
cost, upon written or oral request at the following address or
telephone number:
Teucrium Wheat Fund Attention:
Barbara Riker
115 Christina Landing Drive Unit
2004
Wilmington, DE
19801
(302) 543-5977
Our Internet website is
www.teucriumwheatfund.com. We
make our electronic filings with the SEC, including our annual
reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q,
current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports
available on our website free of charge as soon as practicable
after we file or furnish them with the SEC. The information
contained on our website is not incorporated by reference in this
prospectus and should not be considered a part of this
prospectus.
INFORMATION YOU
SHOULD KNOW
This prospectus contains
information you should consider when making an investment decision
about the Shares. You should rely only on the information contained
in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. None of
the Trust, the Fund or the Sponsor has authorized any person to
provide you with different information and, if anyone provides you
with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on
it. This prospectus is not an offer to sell the Shares in any
jurisdiction where the offer or sale of the Shares is not
permitted.
The information contained in this
prospectus was obtained from us and other sources believed by us to
be reliable.
You should disregard anything we
said in an earlier document that is inconsistent with what is
included in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus
supplement. Where the context requires, when we refer to this
“prospectus,” we are referring to this prospectus and
(if applicable) the relevant prospectus
supplement.
You should not assume that the
information in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus
supplement is current as of any date other than the date on the
front page of this prospectus or the date on the front page of any
applicable prospectus supplement.
We include cross references in
this prospectus to captions in these materials where you can find
further related discussions. The table of contents tells you where
to find these captions.
WHERE
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
The Trust has filed on behalf of
the Fund a registration statement on Form S-1 with the SEC
under the 1933 Act. This prospectus does not contain all of the
information set forth in the registration statement (including the
exhibits to the registration statement), parts of which have been
omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC.
For further information about the Trust, the Fund or the Shares,
please refer to the registration statement, which you may inspect,
without charge, at the public reference facilities of the SEC at
the below address or online at www.sec.gov, or obtain at prescribed
rates from the public reference facilities of the SEC at the
below address. Information about the
Trust, the Fund and the Shares can also be obtained from the
Fund’s website, which is www.teucriumweatfund.com.
The Fund’s website address is only provided here as a
convenience to you and the information contained on or connected to
the website is not part of this prospectus or the registration
statement of which this prospectus is part. The Trust is subject to
the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and will file
certain reports and other information with the SEC under the
Exchange Act. The Sponsor will file an updated prospectus annually
for the Fund pursuant to the 1933 Act. The reports and
other information can be inspected at
the public reference facilities of the SEC located at 100 F Street,
N.E., Washington, DC 20549 and online at www.sec.gov which is an
Internet site maintained by the SEC that contains reports, proxy
and information statements and other information regarding issuers that
file electronically with the SEC. You may also obtain copies of
such material from the public reference facilities of the SEC at
100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. You
may obtain more information concerning the operation of the public
reference facilities of the SEC by calling the SEC at
1800-SEC-0330 or visiting online at www.sec.gov.
Glossary of
Defined Terms
In this prospectus, each of the
following terms have the meanings set forth after such
term:
Administrator: U.S. Bancorp Fund
Services, LLC
Authorized Purchaser: One that purchases
or redeems Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets, respectively,
from or to the Fund.
Benchmark: A weighted average of daily
changes in the closing settlement prices of (1) the
second-to-expire Wheat Futures Contract traded on the
CBOT, weighted 35%, (2) the third-to-expire CBOT Wheat
Futures Contract, weighted 30%, and (3) the CBOT Wheat Futures
Contract expiring in the December following the expiration month of
third-to-expire contract, weighted
35%.
Benchmark Component Futures Contracts:
The three Wheat Futures Contracts that at any given time make up
the Benchmark.
Business Day: Any day other than a day
when any of the NYSE Arca, the CBOT or the New York Stock Exchange
is closed for regular trading.
CFTC: Commodity Futures Trading
Commission, an independent federal agency with the mandate to
regulate commodity futures and options in the United
States.
Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT): The
primary exchange on which Wheat Futures Contracts are traded in the
U.S. The Fund expressly disclaims any association with the CBOT or
endorsement of the Fund by the CBOT and acknowledges that
“CBOT” and “Chicago Board of Trade” are
registered trademarks of such exchange. The CBOT is part of the CME
Group.
Code: Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended.
Commodity Pool: An enterprise in which
several individuals contribute funds in order to trade futures
contracts or options on futures contracts
collectively.
Commodity Pool Operator or CPO: Any
person engaged in a business which is of the nature of an
investment trust, syndicate, or similar enterprise, and who, in
connection therewith, solicits, accepts, or receives from others,
funds, securities, or property, either directly or through capital
contributions, the sale of stock or other forms of securities, or
otherwise, for the purpose of trading in any swap or commodity for
future delivery or commodity option on or subject to the rules of
any contract market.
Creation Basket: A block of 25,000
Shares used by the Fund to issue Shares.
Custodian: U.S. Bank,
N.A.
Distributor:
Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
DTC: The Depository Trust Company. DTC
will act as the securities depository for the
Shares.
DTC Participant: An entity that has an
account with DTC.
Exchange Act: The Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.
Exchange for Related Position: A
privately negotiated and simultaneous exchange of a futures
contract position for a swap or other over the counter
instrument on the corresponding commodity.
FINRA: Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, formerly the National Association of Securities
Dealers.
Indirect Participants: Banks, brokers,
dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a
custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or
indirectly.
Limited Liability Company (LLC): A type
of business ownership combining several features of corporation and
partnership structures.
Margin: The amount of equity required
for an investment in futures contracts.
NAV: Net Asset Value of the
Fund.
NFA: National Futures
Association.
NSCC: National Securities Clearing
Corporation.
1933 Act: The Securities Act of
1933.
Option: The right, but not the
obligation, to buy or sell a futures contract or forward contract
at a specified price on or before a specified
date.
Other Wheat Interests: Other wheat
related investments such as options on Wheat Futures Contracts,
swaps agreements and forward contracts relating to wheat, and
over the counter transactions that are based on the
price of wheat, Wheat Futures Contracts and indices based on the
foregoing.
Over the Counter Derivative:
A financial contract, whose value is designed to track the return
on stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities, or some other benchmark,
that is traded over the counter or off organized
exchanges.
Redemption Basket: A block of 25,000
Shares used by the Fund to redeem Shares.
SEC: Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Secondary Market: The stock exchanges
and the over the counter market. Securities are first
issued as a primary offering to the public. When the securities are
traded from that first holder to another, the issues trade in these
secondary markets.
Shareholders: Holders of
Shares.
Shares: Common units representing
fractional undivided beneficial interests in the
Fund.
Sponsor: Teucrium Trading, LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company, which is registered as a
Commodity Pool Operator, who controls the investments and other
decisions of the Fund.
Spot Contract: A cash market transaction
in which the buyer and seller agree to the immediate purchase and
sale of a commodity, usually with a two-day
settlement.
Swap Agreement: An over the
counter derivative that generally involves an exchange of a stream
of payments between the contracting parties based on a notional
amount and a specified index.
Tracking Error: Possibility that the
daily NAV of the Fund will not track the
Benchmark.
Trust Agreement: The Second Amended and
Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement of the Trust
effective as of October 21, 2010.
Valuation Day: Any day as of which the
Fund calculates its NAV.
Wheat Futures Contracts: Futures
contracts for wheat that are traded on the CBOT, the Kansas City
Board of Trade, the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, or foreign
exchanges.
Wheat Interests: Wheat Futures Contracts
and Other Wheat Interests.
You: The owner of
Shares.
STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TEUCRIUM WHEAT FUND
This statement of additional
information is the second part of a two part document. The first
part is the Fund’s disclosure document. The disclosure
document and this statement of additional information are bound
together, and both parts contain important information. This
statement of additional information should be read in conjunction
with the disclosure document. To obtain a copy of the disclosure
document without charge, call the Fund at (302) 543-5977. Before
you decide whether to invest, you should read the entire prospectus
carefully and consider the risk factors beginning on page
17.
This statement of additional
information and accompanying disclosure document are both dated
April 30, 2018.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
|
Page
|
Commodity Market
Participants
|
103
|
Regulation
|
103
|
Potential Advantages of
Investment
|
106
|
Fund
Performance
|
106
|
|
|
Commodity
Market Participants
The two broad classes of persons
who trade commodities are hedgers and speculators. Hedgers include
financial institutions that manage or deal in interest rate
sensitive instruments, foreign currencies or stock portfolios, and
commercial market participants, such as farmers and manufacturers,
that market or process commodities. Hedging is a protective
procedure designed to effectively lock in prices that would
otherwise change due to an adverse movement in the price of the
underlying commodity, such as, the adverse price movement between
the time a merchandiser or processor enters into a contract to buy
or sell a raw or processed commodity at a certain price and the
time he must perform the contract. For example, if a hedger
contracts to physically sell the commodity at a future date, he may
simultaneously buy a futures or forward contract for the necessary
equivalent quantity of the commodity. At the time for performance
of the physical contract, the hedger may accept delivery under his
futures contract and sell the commodity quantity as required by the
physical contract or he may buy the actual commodity, sell it under
the physical contract and close out his futures contract position
by making an offsetting sale.
The Commodity Interest markets
enable the hedger to shift the risk of price fluctuations. The
usual objective of the hedger is to protect the profit that he
expects to earn from farming, merchandising, or processing
operations rather than to profit from his
trading. However, at times the
impetus for a hedge transaction may result in part from speculative
objectives and hedgers can end up paying higher prices than they
would have if they did not enter into a Commodity Interest
transaction if current market prices are lower than the
locked in price.
Unlike the hedger, the speculator
generally expects neither to make nor take delivery of the
underlying commodity. Instead, the speculator risks his capital
with the hope of making profits from price fluctuations in the
commodities. The speculator is, in effect, the risk bearer who
assumes the risks that the hedger seeks to avoid. Speculators
rarely make or take delivery of the underlying commodity. rather
they attempt to close out their positions prior to the delivery
date. A speculator who takes a long position generally will make a
profit if the price of the underlying commodity goes up and incur a
loss if the price of the underlying commodity goes down, while a
speculator who takes a short position generally will make a profit
if the price of the underlying commodity goes down and incur a loss
if the price of the underlying commodity goes
up.
Regulation
The regulation of futures markets,
futures contracts, and futures exchanges has historically been
comprehensive. The CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take
extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency including,
for example, the retroactive implementation of speculative position
limits, increased margin requirements, the establishment of daily
price limits and the suspension of trading on an exchange or
trading facility.
Pursuant to authority in the CEA,
the NFA has been formed and registered with the CFTC as a
registered futures association. At the present time, the NFA
is the only SRO for commodity interest professionals, other than
futures exchanges. The CFTC has delegated to the NFA
responsibility for the registration of CPOs and FCMs and their
respective associated persons. The Sponsor and the
Fund’s clearing broker are members of the NFA. As such,
they will be subject to NFA standards relating to fair trade
practices, financial condition and consumer protection. The
NFA also arbitrates disputes between members and their customers
and conducts registration and fitness screening of applicants for
membership and audits of its existing members. Neither the
Trust nor the Teucrium Funds are required to become a member of the
NFA. The regulation of commodity interest transactions in the
United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to
ongoing modification by governmental and judicial action.
Considerable regulatory attention has been focused on
non-traditional investment pools that are publicly distributed in
the United States. There is a possibility of future regulatory
changes within the United States altering, perhaps to a material
extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund, or the ability of
a Fund to continue to implement its investment strategy. In
addition, various national governments outside of the United States
have expressed concern regarding the disruptive effects of
speculative trading in the commodities markets and the need to
regulate the derivatives markets in general. The effect of any
future regulatory change on the Teucrium Funds is impossible to
predict but could be substantial and adverse.
The CFTC possesses exclusive
jurisdiction to regulate the activities of commodity pool operators
and commodity trading advisors with respect to "commodity
interests," such as futures and swaps and options, and has adopted
regulations with respect to the activities of those persons and/or
entities. Under the Commodity Exchange Act
(“CEA”), a registered commodity pool operator, such as
the Sponsor, is required to make annual filings with the CFTC and
the NFA describing its organization, capital structure, management
and controlling persons. In addition, the CEA authorizes the
CFTC to require and review books and records of, and documents
prepared by, registered commodity pool operators. Pursuant to
this authority, the CFTC requires commodity pool operators to keep
accurate, current and orderly records for each pool that they
operate. The CFTC may suspend the registration of a commodity
pool operator (1) if the CFTC finds that the operator’s
trading practices tend to disrupt orderly market conditions, (2) if
any controlling person of the operator is subject to an order of
the CFTC denying such person trading privileges on any exchange,
and (3) in certain other circumstances. Suspension,
restriction or termination of the Sponsor’s registration as a
commodity pool operator would prevent it, until that registration
were to be reinstated, from managing the Fund, and might result in
the termination of the Fund if a successor sponsor is not elected
pursuant to the Trust Agreement. Neither the Trust nor the
Fund is required to be registered with the CFTC in any
capacity.
The Fund’s investors are
afforded prescribed rights for reparations under the CEA.
Investors may also be able to maintain a private right of action
for violations of the CEA. The CFTC has adopted rules
implementing the reparation provisions of the CEA, which provide
that any person may file a complaint for a reparations award with
the CFTC for violation of the CEA against a floor broker or an FCM,
introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, CPO, and their
respective associated persons.
The regulations of the CFTC and
the NFA prohibit any representation by a person registered with the
CFTC or by any member of the NFA, that registration with the CFTC,
or membership in the NFA, in any respect indicates that the CFTC or
the NFA has approved or endorsed that person or that person’s
trading program or objectives. The registrations and
memberships of the parties described in this summary must not be
considered as constituting any such approval or endorsement.
Likewise, no futures exchange has given or will give any similar
approval or endorsement.
Trading venues in the United
States are subject to varying degrees of regulation under the CEA
depending on whether such exchange is a designated contract market
(i.e. a futures exchange) or a swap execution facility. Clearing
organizations are also subject to the CEA and the rules and
regulations adopted thereunder as administered by the CFTC. The
CFTC’s function is to implement the CEA’s objectives of
preventing price manipulation and excessive speculation and
promoting orderly and efficient commodity interest markets. In
addition, the various exchanges and clearing organizations
themselves as SROs exercise regulatory and supervisory authority
over their member firms.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform
and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) was
enacted in response to the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009 and it
significantly altered the regulatory regime to which the securities
and commodities markets are subject. To date, the CFTC has issued
proposed or final versions of almost all of the rules it is
required to promulgate under the Dodd-Frank Act, and it continues
to issue proposed versions of additional rules that it has
authority to promulgate. Provisions of the new law include the
requirement that position limits be established on a wide range of
commodity interests, including agricultural, energy, and
metal-based commodity futures contracts, options on such futures
contracts and uncleared swaps that are economically equivalent to
such futures contracts and options (“Reference
Contracts”); new registration and recordkeeping requirements
for swap market participants; capital and margin requirements for
“swap dealers” and “major swap
participants,” as determined by the new law and applicable
regulations; reporting of all swap transactions to swap data
repositories; and the mandatory use of clearinghouse mechanisms for
sufficiently standardized swap transactions that were historically
entered into in the over-the-counter market, but are now designated
as subject to the clearing requirement; and margin requirements for
over-the-counter swaps that are not subject to the clearing
requirements.
In addition, considerable
regulatory attention has recently been focused on non-traditional
publicly distributed investment pools such as the Fund.
Furthermore, various national governments have expressed concern
regarding the disruptive effects of speculative trading in certain
commodity markets and the need to regulate the derivatives markets
in general. The effect of any future regulatory change on the
Teucrium Funds is impossible to predict, but could be substantial
and adverse.
The Dodd-Frank Act was intended to
reduce systemic risks that may have contributed to the 2008/2009
financial crisis. Since the first draft of what became the
Dodd-Frank Act, opponents have criticized the broad scope of the
legislation and, in particular, the regulations implemented by
federal agencies as a result. Since 2010, and most notably in 2015
and 2016, Republicans have proposed comprehensive legislation both
in the House and the Senate of the US Congress. These bills are
intended to pare back some of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act
of 2010 that critics view as overly broad, unnecessary to the
stability of the U.S. financial system, and inhibiting the growth
of the U.S. economy. Further, during the campaign and after taking
office, President Donald J. Trump has promised and issued several
executive orders intended to relieve the financial burden created
by the Dodd-Frank Act, although these executive orders only set
forth several general principles to be followed by the federal
agencies and do not mandate the wholesale repeal of the Dodd-Frank
Act. The scope of the effect that passage of new financial reform
legislation could have on U.S. securities, derivatives and
commodities markets is not clear at this time because each federal
regulatory agency would have to promulgate new regulations to
implement such legislation. Nevertheless, regulatory reform may
have a significant impact on U.S.-regulated
entities.
Position Limits, Aggregation Limits, Price Fluctuation
Limits
On December 16, 2016, the CFTC
issued a final rule to amend part 150 of the CFTC’s
regulations with respect to the policy for aggregation under the
CFTC’s position limits regime for futures and option
contracts on nine agricultural commodities (“the Aggregation
Requirements”). This final rule addressed the circumstances
under which market participants would be required to aggregate all
their positions, for purposes of the position limits, of all
positions in Reference Contracts of the 9 agricultural commodities
held by a single entity and its affiliates, regardless of whether
such positions exist on US futures exchanges, non-US futures
exchanges, or in over-the-counter swaps. An affiliate of a
market participant is defined as two or more persons acting
pursuant to an express or implied agreement or understanding.
On August 10, 2017, the CFTC issued No-Action Relief Letter No.
17-37 to clarify several provisions under regulation 150.4
regarding position aggregation filing requirements of market
participants. The Aggregation Requirements became effective on
February 14, 2017. The Sponsor does not anticipate that this order
will have an impact on the ability of the Fund to meet its
respective investment objectives.
In addition, on December 30, 2016,
the CFTC reproposed regulations that would establish revised
specific limits on speculative positions in futures contracts,
option contracts and swaps on 25 agricultural, energy and metals
commodities (the “Proposed Position Limit
Rules”).
The Proposed Position Limit Rules
were a reproposal and the CFTC has requested comments from the
public. It remains to be seen whether the Proposed Position Limit
Rules will become effective as the CFTC has proposed, as comments
could result in modifications to the proposed limits or
implementation could be delayed for other reasons. In general, the
Proposed Position Limit Rules do not appear to have a substantial
or adverse effect on the Fund. However, if the total net assets of
the Fund were to increase significantly from current levels, the
Position Limit Rules as proposed could negatively impact the
ability of the Fund to meet its respective investment objectives
through limits that may inhibit the Sponsor’s ability to sell
additional Creation Baskets of the Fund. However, it is not
expected that the Fund will reach asset levels that would cause
these position limits to be reached in the near
future.
In addition, the Proposed Position
Limit Rules state that the CFTC will review, and may amend, the
Position Limit Rules at a minimum every two years and more often as
deemed necessary. Such future amendments may affect the Fund, and
it may, at that time, be substantial and adverse. By way of
example, future amendments, in combination with the Position Limit
Rules, may negatively impact the ability of the Fund to meet its
respective investment objectives through limits that may inhibit
the Sponsor’s ability to sell additional Creation Baskets of
the Fund, if the total net assets of a Fund grow significantly from
current levels.
The futures exchanges, e.g. the
CME, may under the Proposed Position Limit Rules impose position
limits which are lower than those imposed by the CFTC. Such a limit
by an exchange on which the Fund trades futures contracts may
negatively and adversely impact the ability of the Fund to meet its
respective investment objectives through limits that may inhibit
the Sponsor’s ability to sell additional Creation Baskets of
the Fund. No such lower limits by an exchange are currently in
place.
The aggregate position limits
currently in place under the current position limits and the
Aggregation Requirements are as follows for each of the commodities
traded by the Fund:
Commodity
Future
|
Spot Month
Position Limit
|
All Month
Aggregate Position Limit
|
wheat
|
600 contracts
|
12,000
contracts
|
The aggregate speculative position
limits currently as proposed in the Proposed Position Limit Rules
are as follows for each of the commodities traded by the
Fund:
Commodity
Future
|
Spot Month
Position Limit
|
All Month
Aggregate Position Limit
|
wheat
|
600 contracts
|
32,800
contracts
|
Accountability levels differ from
position limits in that they do not represent a fixed ceiling, but
rather a threshold above which a futures exchange may exercise
greater scrutiny and control over an investor’s
positions. If the Fund were to exceed an applicable
accountability level for investments in futures contracts, the
exchange will monitor the Fund’s exposure and may ask for
further information on its activities, including the total size of
all positions, investment and trading strategy, and the extent of
liquidity resources of the Fund. If deemed necessary by the
exchange, the Fund could be ordered to reduce its aggregate net
position back to the accountability
level.
In addition to position limits and
accountability levels, the exchanges set daily price fluctuation
limits on futures contracts. The daily price fluctuation
limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of futures
contracts may vary either up or down from the previous day’s
settlement price. Once the daily price fluctuation limit has
been reached in a particular futures contract, no trades may be
made at a price beyond that limit.
As of May 1, 2014, the CME
replaced the fixed price fluctuation limits with variable price
limits for wheat. The change, which is now effective and is
described in the CME Group Special Executive Report S7038 and
can be accessed at http://www.cmegroup.com/toolsinformation/lookups/advisories/ser/SER7038.html.
Margin for OTC
Uncleared Swaps
During 2015 and 2016, the CFTC and
the US bank prudential regulators completed their rulemakings under
the Dodd-Frank Act on margin for uncleared over-the-counter swaps
(and option agreements that qualify as swaps). Margin requirements
went into effect for the largest swap entities in September 2016,
and went into effect for financial end users in March 2017. Under
these regulations, swap dealers (such as sell-side counterparties
to swaps), major swap participants, and financial end users (such
as buy-side counterparties to swaps who are not physical traders)
are required in most instances, to post and collect initial and
variation margin, depending on the regulatory classification of
their counterparty. European and Asian regulators are also
implementing similar regulations, which were scheduled to become
effective on the same dates as the US-promulgated rules. As a
result of these requirements, additional capital will be required
to be committed to the margin accounts to support transactions
involving uncleared over-the-counter swaps and, consequently, these
transactions may become more expensive. While the Fund currently
does not generally engage in uncleared over the counter swaps, to
the extent they do so in the future, the additional margin required
to be posted could adversely impact the profitability (if any) to
the Fund from entering into these transactions.
FCMs
The CEA requires all FCMs, such as
the Teucrium Funds’ clearing brokers, to meet and maintain
specified fitness and financial requirements, to segregate customer
funds from proprietary funds and account separately for all
customers’ funds and positions, and to maintain specified
books and records open to inspection by the staff of the CFTC. The
CFTC has similar authority over introducing brokers, or persons who
solicit or accept orders for commodity interest trades but who do
not accept margin deposits for the execution of trades. The
CEA
authorizes the CFTC to regulate
trading by FCMs and by their officers and directors, permits the
CFTC to require action by exchanges in the event of market
emergencies, and establishes an administrative procedure under
which customers may institute complaints for damages arising from
alleged violations of the CEA. The CEA also gives the states powers
to enforce its provisions and the regulations of the
CFTC.
On November 14, 2013, the CFTC
published final regulations that require enhanced customer
protections, risk management programs, internal monitoring and
controls, capital and liquidity standards, customer disclosures and
auditing and examination programs for FCMs. The rules are intended
to afford greater assurances to market participants that customer
segregated funds and secured amounts are protected, customers are
provided with appropriate notice of the risks of futures trading
and of the FCMs with which they may choose to do business, FCMs are
monitoring and managing risks in a robust manner, the capital and
liquidity of FCMs are strengthened to safeguard the continued
operations and the auditing and examination programs of the CFTC
and the SROs are monitoring the activities of FCMs in a thorough
manner.
Potential
Advantages of Investment
Interest Income
Unlike some alternative investment
funds, the Fund does not borrow money in order to obtain leverage,
so the Fund does not incur any interest expense. Rather, the
Fund’s margin deposits and cash reserves are maintained in
cash and cash equivalents and interest is generally earned on
available assets, which include unrealized profits credited to the
Fund’s accounts
Fund
Performance
The following graph sets forth the
historical performance of the Fund from commencement of operations
on September 19, 2011 until January 31, 2018.
PAST
PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE
RESULTS