INDEX METHODOLOGY
The Index methodology is published at www.sabrient.com. The Index selection methodology is designed to identify companies with potentially superior risk/return profiles, as determined by Sabrient Systems LLC (“Sabrient” or the “Index Provider”), during periods of weakness in the markets and/or the American economy overall. The Index is designed to actively represent a group of securities that reflect occurrences such as low relative valuations, conservative accounting, dividend payments and a history of outperformance during bearish market periods. The Index constituents represent a “defensive” portfolio with the potential to outperform broad market benchmark indices on a risk-adjusted basis during periods of market weakness, while still providing the potential for positive returns during strong market periods.
The Index constituent selection methodology was developed by Sabrient as an effective, quantitative approach to selecting securities in a diversified portfolio from a broad universe of companies. The Index constituent selection methodology evaluates and selects securities from the qualified universe of companies using a proprietary, 100% rules-based methodology developed by Sabrient.
The Index constituent selection methodology utilizes multi-factor proprietary selection rules to seek to identify those securities that offer the greatest potential from a risk/return perspective during weak market periods. The approach is specifically designed to enhance investment applications and investability. The constituent selection process and portfolio rebalance are repeated once per quarter.
INDEX CONSTRUCTION
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Potential Index constituents include all equities trading on major U.S. exchanges.
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The Defensive Equity Index is comprised of approximately the 100 highest-ranking securities chosen from a subset of eligible companies using a 100% rules-based quantitative ranking methodology. To prevent undue industry sector concentration, limits have been placed on the number of securities in the Index that may share a particular sector or industry classification under the Standard & Poor’s Global Industry Classification System.
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Each security is ranked based on the composite scoring of a handful of specially-targeted factors, and is sorted from highest to lowest. The constituent selection methodology was developed by Sabrient as an effective, quantitative approach designed to identify those companies that offer the greatest potential for maintaining value during difficult market conditions and thus providing the investor with a defensive portfolio.
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The 100 highest-ranking companies are chosen and given a modified equal weighting in the portfolio.
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The constituent selection process and portfolio rebalance are repeated once per quarter.
RISKS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Investors should consider the following risk factors and special considerations associated with investing in the fund, which may cause you to lose money, including the entire principal amount that you invest.
Equity Risk: The value of the equity securities held by the fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the fund invests.
Foreign Investment Risk: The fund’s investments in non-U.S. issuers, although generally limited to ADRs, may involve unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers, including less market liquidity, generally greater market volatility than U.S. securities and less complete financial information than for U.S. issuers. In addition, adverse political, economic or social developments could undermine the value of the fund’s investments or prevent the fund from realizing the full value of its investments.
Small and Medium-Sized Company Risk: Investing in securities of these companies involves greater risk as their securities may be more volatile and less liquid than investing in more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall stock market.
Utilities Sector Risk: Companies in the utilities sector may be adversely affected by changes in economic, political, and regulatory or deregulatory changes, and other occurrences associated with the utilities industry. This concentration may present more risks than investing in securities that are more broadly diversified over numerous sectors of the economy.
MLP Risk: Investments in securities of MLPs involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. Holders of the units of MLPs have more limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. There are also certain tax risks associated with an investment in units of MLPs.
Concentration Risk: If the Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries the fund’s investments will be concentrated accordingly. In such event, the value of the fund’s shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries. In addition the fund is subject to Non-Correlation Risk, Replication Management Risk, and Issuer Specific Changes.
The Fund’s Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund has not been guaranteed, sponsored, recommended, or approved by the United States, or any agency, instrumentality or officer of the United States, has not been insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and is not guaranteed by and is not otherwise an obligation of any bank or insured depository institution.
As with any investment, you should consider how your investment will be taxed. The tax information contained in the prospectus is provided as general information. Investors should consult their own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment as Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC, does not offer tax advice.
The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at NAV only in a large specified number of Shares called a “Creation Unit” or multiples thereof. A Creation Unit consists of 50,000 Shares. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units principally in-kind. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund. Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) and because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares of the Fund may trade at a price greater than or less than NAV.
Investors buying or selling ETF shares on the secondary market may incur brokerage costs and other transactional fees. Shares of ETFs may fluctuate in price due to daily changes in trading volume. At times, shares may not have a high volume of trading.
The product is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Sabrient. Sabrient makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the product particularly or the ability of the Index to track general market performance. Sabrient’s only relationship to Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC is the licensing of the Index which is determined, composed and calculated by Sabrient without regard to Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC or the product. Sabrient has no obligation to take the needs of Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC or the owners of the product into consideration in determining or calculating the Index. Sabrient shall not be liable to any person for any error in the Index nor shall it be under any obligation to advise any person of any error therein.
© 2013 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC, an affiliate of Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC, serves as the investment adviser.