September 4, 2024
IN THE MATTER OF
THE SECURITIES LEGISLATION OF ONTARIO
(the Jurisdiction)
AND
IN THE MATTER OF
THE PROCESS FOR EXEMPTIVE RELIEF APPLICATIONS
IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS
AND
IN THE MATTER OF
MANULIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC.
(the Filer)
DECISION
Background
The principal regulator in the Jurisdiction has received an application from the Filer on behalf of Manulife Strategic Income Fund, Manulife Strategic Income Plus Fund and Manulife Alternative Opportunities Fund (the Existing Funds) and such other mutual funds as are managed or may be managed by the Filer now or in the future that offer ETF Securities (as defined below) and Mutual Fund Securities (as defined below) (collectively, the Future Funds and together with the Existing Funds, the Funds, and each, a Fund), for a decision under the securities legislation of the Jurisdiction (the Legislation) that:
(a) exempts the Filer and each Fund from the requirement to prepare and file a long form prospectus for the ETF Securities in the form prescribed by Form 41-101F2 Information Required in an Investment Fund Prospectus (the Form 41-101F2) provided that the Filer files (i) a prospectus for the ETF Securities in accordance with the provisions of National Instrument 81-101 Mutual Fund Prospectus Disclosure (NI 81-101), other than the requirements pertaining to the filing of a fund facts document; and (ii) an ETF Facts (as defined below) in accordance with Part 3B of National Instrument 41-101 General Prospectus Requirements (NI 41-101) (the ETF Prospectus Form Relief); and
(b) to permit the Filer and each Fund to treat the ETF Securities and the Mutual Fund Securities as if such securities were separate funds in connection with their compliance with the provisions (the Sales and Redemptions Requirements) of Parts 9, 10 and 14 of National Instrument 81-102 Investment Funds (NI 81-102) (the Sales and Redemptions Relief),
(collectively, the ETF Prospectus Form Relief and the Sales and Redemptions Relief, the
Exemption Sought).
Under National Policy 11-203 Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions
(for a passport application):
(a) the Ontario Securities Commission is the principal regulator; and
(b) the Filer has provided notice that section 4.7(1) of Multilateral Instrument 11-102 Passport System (MI 11-102) is intended to be relied upon in all of the provinces and territories of Canada other than Ontario (together with Ontario, the Jurisdictions).
Interpretation
Capitalized terms used herein have the meaning ascribed thereto below (or in National Instrument 14-101 Definitions, MI 11-102 and NI 81-102, as applicable) unless otherwise defined in this Decision.
Affiliate Dealer means a registered dealer that is an affiliate of an Authorized Dealer or Designated Broker and that participates in the re-sale of Creation Units (as defined below) from time to time.
Authorized Dealer means a registered dealer that has entered, or intends to enter, into an agreement with the manager of a Fund authorizing the dealer to subscribe for, purchase and redeem Creation Units from one or more Funds on a continuous basis from time to time.
Basket of Securities means, in relation to the ETF Securities of a Fund, a group of some or all of the constituent securities of the Fund, a group of securities or assets representing the constituents of the Fund, or a group of securities selected by the portfolio manager or sub-advisor, as applicable, from time to time.
CBOE Canada means CBOE Canada Inc.
Designated Broker means a registered dealer that has entered, or intends to enter, into an agreement with the Filer or an affiliate of the Filer on behalf of a Fund to perform certain duties in relation to the ETF Securities of the Fund, including the posting of a liquid two-way market for the trading of the Fund’s ETF Securities on the TSX, CBOE Canada or another Marketplace.
ETF Facts means an ETF facts document prepared, filed and delivered in accordance with Part 3B of NI 41-101.
ETF Securities means securities of an exchange-traded series of a Fund that are listed or will be listed on the TSX, CBOE Canada or another Marketplace and that will be distributed pursuant to a simplified prospectus prepared in accordance with NI 81-101 and Form 81-101F1.
Form 81-101F1 means Form 81-101F1 Contents of Simplified Prospectus.
Fund Facts means a prescribed summary disclosure document required pursuant to NI 81-101 in the form prescribed by Form NI 81-101F3, in respect of one or more series of Mutual Fund Securities being distributed under a simplified prospectus.
Marketplace means a “marketplace” as defined in National Instrument 21-101 Marketplace Operation that is located in Canada.
Mutual Fund Securities means securities of a non-exchange-traded series of a Fund that are or will be distributed pursuant to a simplified prospectus prepared in accordance with NI 81-101 and Form 81-101F1.
Other Dealer means a registered dealer that is not an Authorized Dealer, Designated Broker or Affiliate Dealer.
Prescribed Number of ETF Securities means, in relation to a Fund, the number of ETF Securities of the Fund determined by the Filer from time to time for the purpose of subscription orders, exchanges, redemptions or for other purposes.
Prospectus Delivery Requirement means the requirement that a dealer, not acting as agent of the purchaser, who receives an order or subscription for a security offered in a distribution to which the prospectus requirement of the Legislation applies, send or deliver to the purchaser or its agent, unless the dealer has previously done so, the latest prospectus and any amendment either before entering into an agreement of purchase and sale resulting from the order or subscription, or not later than midnight on the second business day after entering into that agreement.
Securityholders means beneficial or registered holders of ETF Securities or Mutual Fund Securities of a Fund, as applicable.
TSX means the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Representations
This decision is based on the following facts represented by the Filer:
The Filer
The Filer is a corporation amalgamated under the laws of Canada and its head office is located in Toronto, Ontario.
The Filer is registered as: (a) a commodity trading manager in Ontario; (b) a portfolio manager in each province and territory of Canada, (c) a derivatives portfolio manager in Québec, and (d) an investment fund manager in each of Ontario, Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Filer, or an affiliate of the Filer, is, or will be, the investment fund manager of each of the Funds.
The Filer is not in default of securities legislation in any of the Jurisdictions.
The Funds
Each Fund is, or will be, a mutual fund established under the laws of a Jurisdiction. Each Fund is, or will be, a reporting issuer in the Jurisdictions in which its securities are distributed. Each Fund that relies on the Exemption Sought will offer ETF Securities and Mutual Fund Securities.
Subject to any exemptions therefrom that have been, or may be, granted by the applicable securities regulatory authorities, each Fund is, or will be, subject to NI 81-102 and Securityholders will have the right to vote at a meeting of Securityholders in respect of matters prescribed by NI 81-102.
The Existing Funds currently offer multiple series of Mutual Fund Securities under a simplified prospectus dated August 1, 2024 in respect of Manulife Strategic Income Fund and a simplified prospectus dated May 9, 2024 in respect of Manulife Strategic Income Plus Fund and Manulife Alternative Opportunities Fund (the Simplified Prospectuses).
In or around September 2024, amendments to the Simplified Prospectuses in respect of the ETF Securities of the Existing Funds, as well as ETF Facts for each series of ETF Securities of the Existing Funds, will be filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the Jurisdictions.
The Filer will apply to list any ETF Securities of the Funds on the TSX, CBOE Canada or another Marketplace. The Filer will not file a final or amended simplified prospectus for any of the Funds in respect of the ETF Securities until the TSX, CBOE Canada or other applicable Marketplace has conditionally approved the listing of the ETF Securities.
The Existing Funds are not in default of securities legislation in any of the Jurisdictions.
Mutual Fund Securities may be subscribed for or purchased directly from a Fund through appropriately registered dealers.
ETF Securities will be distributed on a continuous basis in one or more of the Jurisdictions under a simplified prospectus. ETF Securities may generally only be subscribed for or purchased directly from the Funds (Creation Units) by Authorized Dealers or Designated Brokers. Generally, subscriptions or purchases may only be placed for a Prescribed Number of ETF Securities (or a multiple thereof) on any day when there is a trading session on the TSX, CBOE Canada or other Marketplace. Authorized Dealers or Designated Brokers subscribe for Creation Units for the purpose of facilitating investor purchases of ETF Securities on the TSX, CBOE Canada or another Marketplace.
In addition to subscribing for and reselling their Creation Units, Authorized Dealers, Designated Brokers and Affiliate Dealers will also generally be engaged in purchasing and selling ETF Securities of the same class or series as the Creation Units in the secondary market.
Each Designated Broker or Authorized Dealer that subscribes for Creation Units must deliver, in respect of each Prescribed Number of ETF Securities to be issued, a Basket of Securities and/or cash in an amount sufficient so that the value of the Basket of Securities and/or cash delivered is equal to the net asset value of the Prescribed Number of ETF Securities next determined following the receipt of the subscription order. In the discretion of the Filer, the Funds may also accept subscriptions for Creation Units in cash only and in securities other than Baskets of Securities and/or cash, in each case in an amount equal to the net asset value of the Prescribed Number of ETF Securities next determined following the receipt of the subscription order.
The Designated Brokers and Authorized Dealers will not receive any fees or commissions in connection with the issuance of Creation Units to them. On the issuance of Creation Units, the Filer or the Fund may, in the Filer’s discretion, charge a fee to a Designated Broker or an Authorized Dealer to offset the expenses incurred in issuing the Creation Units.
Each Fund will appoint a Designated Broker to perform certain other functions, which include standing in the market with a bid and ask price for ETF Securities for the purpose of maintaining liquidity for the ETF Securities.
Except for Authorized Dealer and Designated Broker subscriptions for Creation Units, as described above, and other distributions that are exempt from the Prospectus Delivery Requirement under the Legislation, ETF Securities generally will not be able to be purchased directly from a Fund. Investors are generally expected to purchase and sell ETF Securities, directly or indirectly, through dealers executing trades through the facilities of the TSX, CBOE Canada or another Marketplace. ETF Securities may also be issued directly to Securityholders upon a reinvestment of distributions of income or capital gains.
Securityholders that are not Designated Brokers or Authorized Dealers that wish to dispose of their ETF Securities may generally do so by selling their ETF Securities on the TSX, CBOE Canada or other Marketplace, through a registered dealer, subject only to customary brokerage commissions. A Securityholder that holds a Prescribed Number of ETF Securities or multiple thereof may exchange such ETF Securities for Baskets of Securities and/or cash, securities other than Baskets of Securities and/or cash or cash only, in the discretion of the Filer. Securityholders may also redeem ETF Securities for cash at a redemption price equal to 95% of the net asset value of the ETF Securities on the date of redemption, subject to a maximum redemption price of the applicable net asset value per ETF Security.
ETF Prospectus Form Relief
The Filer believes it is more efficient and expedient to include all series of Mutual Fund Securities and ETF Securities of each Fund in one prospectus form instead of two different prospectus forms and that this presentation will assist in providing full, true and plain disclosure of all material facts relating to the securities of the Funds by permitting disclosure relating to all series of securities to be included in one prospectus.
The Filer will file ETF Facts in the form prescribed by Form 41-101F4 in respect of ETF Securities of the Funds and will file Fund Facts in the form prescribed by Form 81-101F3 in respect of Mutual Fund Securities of the Funds.
The Filer will ensure that any additional disclosure included in the simplified prospectus of the Funds relating to the ETF Securities will not interfere with an investor’s ability to differentiate between the Mutual Fund Securities and the ETF Securities and their respective attributes.
The Funds will comply with the provisions of NI 81-101 when filing any prospectus or amendment thereto.
The Funds will comply with Part 3B of NI 41-101 when preparing, filing and delivering ETF Facts for the ETF Securities of the Funds.
Sales and Redemptions Relief
Parts 9, 10 and 14 of NI 81-102 do not contemplate both Mutual Fund Securities and ETF Securities being offered in a single fund structure. Accordingly, without the Sales and Redemptions Relief, the Filer and the Funds would not be able to technically comply with those parts of NI 81-102.
The Sales and Redemptions Relief will permit the Filer and the Funds to treat the ETF Securities and the Mutual Fund Securities as if such securities were separate funds in connection with their compliance with Parts 9, 10 and 14 of NI 81-102. The Exemption Sought will enable each of the ETF Securities and Mutual Fund Securities to comply with Parts 9, 10 and 14 of NI 81-102, as appropriate, for the type of security being offered.
Decision
The principal regulator is satisfied that the decision meets the test set out in the Legislation for the principal regulator to make the decision.
- The decision of the principal regulator is that the ETF Prospectus Form Relief is granted, provided that the Filer will be in compliance with the following conditions:
(a) the Filer files a simplified prospectus in respect of the ETF Securities in accordance with the requirements of NI 81-101 and Form 81-101F1, other than the requirements pertaining to the filing of a fund facts document;
(b) the Filer includes disclosure required pursuant to Form 41-101F2 (that is not contemplated by Form 81-101F1) in respect of the ETF Securities in each Fund’s simplified prospectus; and
(c) the Filer includes disclosure regarding this decision under the heading “Additional Information” in each Fund’s simplified prospectus.
- The decision of the principal regulator is that the Sales and Redemptions Relief is granted, provided that the Filer and each Fund will be in compliance with the following conditions:
(a) with respect to its Mutual Fund Securities, each Fund complies with the provisions of Parts 9, 10 and 14 of NI 81-102 that apply to mutual funds that are not exchange-traded mutual funds; and
(b) with respect to its ETF Securities, each Fund complies with the provisions of Parts 9 and 10 of NI 81-102 that apply to exchange-traded mutual funds.
The decision of the principal regulator is that the Exemption Sought is granted.
“Darren McKall”
Darren McKall
Manager, Investment Management Division
Ontario Securities Commission
Application # 2024/0508
SEDAR+# 6174478