The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) is a widely followed measure of the expected volatility of the S&P 500. Since the VIX is not directly investable S&P 500 volatility exposure is often achieved through VIX futures. Each of the VIX futures indexes measures the movements of a combination of VIX futures and is designed to track changes in the expectation for VIX over a specific time window in the future. As a result the S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures Index and VIXY can be expected to perform differently than the VIX.
The investment objective of HDGE is capital appreciation through short sales of domestically traded equity securities. The HDGE portfolio is sub-advised by Ranger Alternative Management L.P. In selecting short positions the Fund seeks to identify securities with low earnings quality or aggressive accounting which may be intended on the part of company management to mask operational deterioration and bolster the reported earnings per share over a short time period. In addition the portfolio management team seeks to identify earnings driven events that may act as a catalyst to the price decline of a security such as downwards earnings revisions or reduced forward guidance.
DWSH is managed by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright a firm renowned for relative strength investing. Relative strength investing involves buying securities that have appreciated in price more than the other securities in their investment universe and holding those securities until they exhibit sell signals. In implementing DWSH's shorting strategy to its core philosophy of relative strength investing, Dorsey Wright identifies and short sells those securities with the highest relative weakness within an investment universe primarily comprised of large-capitalization U.S.-traded equities. DWSH's investment process is purely systematic and removes any human emotion from the day-to-day decision making.
MJ seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of the Prime Alternative Harvest Index. MJ tracks the Prime Alternative Harvest Index, designed to measure the performance of companies within the cannabis ecosystem benefitting from global medicinal and recreational cannabis legalization initiatives.
The investment objective of UNG is for the changes in percentage terms of the units net asset value to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the price of natural gas delivered at the Henry Hub Louisiana as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on natural gas traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange that is the near month contract to expire except when the near month contract is within two weeks of expiration in which case it will be measured by the futures contract that is the next month contract to expire less UNGs expenses.
XES seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of the S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Select Industry Index (the Index). The S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Select Industry Index represents the oil and gas equipment and services segment of the S&P Total Market Index (S&P TMI). The S&P TMI is designed to track the broad U.S. equity market. The oil and gas equipment and services segment of the S&P TMI comprises the Oil & Gas Drilling sub-industry and the Oil & Gas Equipment & Services sub-industry.
PXJ is based on the Dynamic Oil Services Intellidex Index (Intellidex Index). The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Index. The Intellidex Index thoroughly evaluates companies based on a variety of investment merit criteria, including: price momentum, earnings momentum, quality, management action, and value. The Underlying Intellidex Index is composed of stocks of 30 U.S. companies that assist in the production, processing and distribution of oil and gas.
The investment objective of USO is for the changes in percentage terms of its units net asset value (NAV) to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of light sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing Oklahoma as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract for light sweet crude oil traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (the NYMEX) less USOs expenses.
OIH seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the MVIS US Listed Oil Services 25 Index. The Index is a rules-based index intended to track the overall performance of 25 of the largest U.S. listed, publicly traded oil services companies.
FLBR seeks to provide investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the FTSE Brazil Capped Index. FTSE Brazil Capped Index is a market-capitalization weighted index representing the performance of Brazilian large and mid capitalization stocks.
AMZA seeks to provide a high level of current income, a growing income stream, and long-term capital appreciation. The fund is an actively-managed portfolio of high-quality, midstream energy master limited partnerships (MLPs) and related general partners, utilizing options strategies and modest leverage.
TAIL seeks to mitigate significant downside market risk. The Fund intends to invest in a portfolio of "out of the money" put options purchased on the U.S. stock market. TAIL strategy offers the potential advantage of buying more puts when volatility is low and fewer puts when volatility is high. While a portion of the funds assets will be invested in the basket of long put option premiums, the majority of fund assets will be invested in intermediate term US Treasuries. As the fund is designed to be a hedge against market declines and rising volatility, Cambria expects the fund to produce negative returns in the most years with rising markets or declining volatility.
