Document
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STRIVE SMALL-CAP ETF
Ticker Symbol: STXK
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SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
November 30, 2024
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Listed on New York Stock Exchange
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www.strivefunds.com/stxk
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Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), which contain more information about the Fund and its risks. The current Prospectus and SAI, each dated November 30, 2024, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. You can find the Fund's Prospectus, reports to shareholders, and other information about the Fund online at www.strivefunds.com/stxk. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 215-330-4476.
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INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Strive Small-Cap ETF (the "Fund") seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of an index composed of U.S. small-capitalization companies.
FEES AND EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund ("Shares"). You may also pay brokerage commissions on the purchase and sale of Shares, which are not reflected in the table or example.
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (EXPENSES THAT YOU PAY EACH YEAR AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENT)
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Management Fee
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0.18
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%
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Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
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None
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Other Expenses2
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0.00
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%
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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0.18
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%
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EXAMPLE
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. You may also pay brokerage commissions on the purchase and sale of Shares, which are not reflected in the example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
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One Year:
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Three Years:
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Five Years:
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Ten Years:
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$18
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$58
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$101
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$230
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PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Fund may pay transaction costs, including commissions when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance. For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 31% of the average value of its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The Fund's Investment Strategy
The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Bloomberg US 600 Index (the "Index"), which measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector in the U.S. equity market as determined by Bloomberg (the "Index Provider" or "Bloomberg"). Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in U.S. small cap equity securities. The Fund defines U.S. small cap equity
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securities as companies listed on U.S. exchanges and are the lower 600 by market capitalization of the Bloomberg US 1500, as described below.
The Index is a free float-adjusted capitalization-weighted index comprised primarily of U.S. equity securities. The Index is a subset of the Bloomberg US 3000 Index, which measures the performance of the broad U.S. equity market, and the Bloomberg US 1500 Index, which consists of the securities ranked 1 to 1500 by market capitalization in the Bloomberg US 3000 Index. The Index consists of the lower 600 in capitalization of the Bloomberg US 1500 Index (i.e., 901 to 1500). The Index primarily measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market. As of July 31, 2024, the Index had 588 constituents and represented approximately 4% of the total market value of the Bloomberg US 3000 Index. As of July 31, 2024, the range of market capitalizations of issuers included in the Index was $846.8 million to $11.9 billion. The average market cap of the Index was $4.0 billion. As of July 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Index is represented by securities of companies in the Industrials and Financials sectors. The components of the Index are likely to change over time.
To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, a security must first meet the following criteria: (i) it is primarily listed in the United States, (ii) it is listed on a U.S. exchange, and (iii) the security's free float must be a minimum of 10% of the security's total shares outstanding. The Index includes common stock and real estate investment trusts ("REITs").
The Index is calculated as a total return index in U.S. dollars. The Index is normally rebalanced on a semi-annual basis in January and July and such changes take effect in March and September. The Index constituents' weights are normally updated in June and December.
Strive Asset Management, LLC (the "Sub-Adviser") uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to "beat" the index it tracks and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.
Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower costs and better after-tax performance by aiming to keep portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively managed investment companies.
The Fund will generally use a "replication" strategy to seek to achieve its investment objective, meaning the Fund will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in the same approximate proportions as in the Index, but may, when the Sub-Adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund, use a "representative sampling" strategy, meaning the Fund may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of the Index as a whole. The Fund will be reconstituted and rebalanced on the same schedule as the Index.
The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Index is concentrated.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS
An investment in the Fund involves risk, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investor may lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. More complete risk descriptions are set forth below under the heading "Additional Information About the Funds' Principal Investment Risks."
Equity Investing Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund holding equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. The values of equity securities could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally.
Investment Risk. When you sell your Shares, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund could lose money due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during market downturns. Securities may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular asset classes or industries represented in the markets. The value of a security may
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decline due to general market conditions, economic trends or events that are not specifically related to the issuer of the security, such as geopolitical events and environmental disasters. The value of a security may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or group of industries. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Small-Capitalization Companies Risk. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large- or mid-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and during adverse circumstances, may be more difficult to sell and receive a sales price comparable to the value assigned to the security by the Fund. These securities are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large- or mid-capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. There is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies, which may make the valuation of such securities more difficult if there isn't a readily available market price.
Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting each of these sectors.
•Industrials Sector Risk. The Fund is expected to have exposure to companies in the Industrials sector, and therefore, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. This sector can be significantly affected by, among other things, business cycle fluctuations, worldwide economy growth, international political and economic developments, exchange rates, commodity prices, environmental issues, government and corporate spending, supply and demand for specific products and manufacturing, and government regulation.
•Financials Sector Risk. The Fund is expected to have exposure to companies in the financials sector, and therefore, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The financials sector includes, for example, banks and financial institutions providing mortgage and mortgage related services. This sector can be significantly affected by, among other things, changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt, and the availability and cost of capital.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Risk. A REIT is a company that owns or finances income-producing real estate. Through its investments in REITs, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in the real estate market, including decreases in property revenues, increases in interest rates, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, legal and regulatory changes, a lack of credit or capital, defaults by borrowers or tenants, environmental problems and natural disasters. Investments in REITs may be volatile. REITs are pooled investment vehicles with their own fees and expenses and the Fund will indirectly bear a proportionate share of those fees and expenses.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Sub-Adviser will not sell any investments due to current or projected underperformance of the securities, industries or sector in which it invests, unless the investment is removed from the Index, sold in connection with a rebalancing of the Index as addressed in the Index methodology, or sold to comply with the Fund's investment limitations (for example, to maintain the Fund's tax status). The Fund will maintain investments until changes to its Index are triggered, which could cause the Fund's return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.
Index Calculation Risk. The Index relies on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including fundamental information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser nor the Index Provider can offer assurances that the Index's calculation methodology or sources of information will provide a correct valuation of securities, nor can they guarantee the availability or timeliness of the production of the Index.
Concentration Risk. In following its methodology, the Index from time to time may be concentrated to a significant degree in securities of issuers located in a single industry or group of industries. To the extent that the Index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund also may concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent. By concentrating its investments in an industry or group of industries, the Fund may face more risks than if it were diversified broadly over numerous industries or groups of
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industries. If the Index is not concentrated in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will not concentrate in a particular industry or group of industries.
Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and its respective Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.
ETF Risks.
•Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants ("APs"). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
•Premium-Discount Risk. The Shares may trade above or below their net asset value ("NAV"). The market prices of Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Shares on New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") or other securities exchanges. The trading price of Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility or limited trading activity in Shares. In addition, you may incur the cost of the "spread," that is, any difference between the bid price and the ask price of the Shares.
•Cost of Trading Risk. Investors buying or selling 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. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for Shares (the "bid" price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the "ask" price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid/ask spread." The bid/ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund's Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund's Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads.
•Trading Risk. Although the Shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of its underlying portfolio holdings, which can be less liquid than Shares, potentially causing the market price of Shares to deviate from its NAV. The spread varies over time for Shares of the Fund based on the Fund's trading volume and market liquidity and is generally lower if the Fund has high trading volume and market liquidity, and higher if the Fund has little trading volume and market liquidity (which is often the case for funds that are newly launched or small in size).
Index Rebalance Risk. Because the Index generally changes its exposure based on data only as of the last week of January and July, (i) the Index's exposure may be affected by significant market movements at or near the rebalance date that are not predictive of the market's performance for the subsequent six-month period and (ii) changes to the Index's exposure may lag a significant change in the market's direction (up or down) by as long as a six months if such changes first take effect at or near the beginning of a rebalance date. Such lags between market performance and changes to the Index's exposure may result in significant underperformance relative to the broader equity market. Unusual market conditions may cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance, which could cause the Index to vary from its normal or expected composition.
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Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
PERFORMANCE
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund's performance for calendar years ended December 31. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for one-year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and the Index. The Fund's past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance information is also available on the Fund's website at www.strivefunds.com or by calling the Fund at (215) 330-4476.
Calendar Year Total Returns as of December 31
The Fund's calendar year-to-date return as of September 30, 2024 was 9.41%. During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund's highest return for a calendar quarter was 15.76% (quarter ended December 31, 2023) and the Fund's lowest return for a calendar quarter was -4.88% (quarter ended September 30, 2023).
Average Annual Total Returns
(for periods ended December 31, 2023)
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Strive Small-Cap ETF
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1 Year
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Since Inception
(11/09/2022)
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Return Before Taxes
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19.97%
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18.27%
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Return After Taxes on Distributions
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19.55%
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17.83%
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Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares
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11.98%
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13.86%
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Bloomberg US 600 Index/Bloomberg US 2000 Index1 (reflects no fees or expenses)
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20.15%
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18.48%
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Bloomberg US 1000 Index (reflects no fees or expenses)
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26.66%
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25.85%
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Effective January 25, 2023, the Fund's investment objective changed to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of an index composed of U.S. small-capitalization companies, and the Fund's investment strategy changed to track the investment results of the Bloomberg 600 Index. Prior to January 25, 2023, the Fund's investment objective was to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of an index composed of U.S. small- and mid-capitalization companies, and the Fund's investment strategy was to track the investment results of the Bloomberg US 2000 Index. Performance shown for the Bloomberg US 600 Index/Bloomberg US 2000 Index for periods prior to January 25, 2023 is that of the Bloomberg US 2000 Index and for periods beginning January 25, 2023 is that of the Bloomberg US 600 Index.
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After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns
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depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account ("IRA") or other tax-advantaged accounts.
INVESTMENT ADVISER & INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISER
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Investment Adviser:
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Empowered Funds, LLC dba EA Advisers (the "Adviser")
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Investment Sub-Adviser:
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Strive Asset Management, LLC (the "Sub-Adviser")
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PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Matthew Cole, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Strive and Jeffrey Sherman a Portfolio Manager of Strive, are each a co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund and are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Mr. Cole has managed the Fund since its inception (November 2022) and Mr. Sherman has managed the Fund since June 2023.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF SHARES
The Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis only in large blocks of Shares known as "Creation Units," and only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem Creation Units. Creation Units generally are issued and redeemed 'in-kind' for securities and partially in cash. Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Once created, individual Shares generally trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day. Market prices of Shares may be greater or less than their NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund's shares are not redeemable securities.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund's distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gain, or some combination of both, unless your investment is made through an Individual Retirement Account ("IRA") or other tax-advantaged account. However, subsequent withdrawals from such a tax-advantaged account may be subject to U.S. federal income tax. You should consult your own tax advisor about your specific tax situation.
PURCHASES THROUGH BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend Shares over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
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