As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, 2013

Securities Act File No. 333-170122

Investment Company File No. 811-22487

 

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

   THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933    x
   Pre-Effective Amendment No.    ¨
   Post-Effective Amendment No. 29    x

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

   THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940   x
   Amendment No. 31   x

(Check appropriate box or boxes)

 

 

DBX ETF TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

60 Wall Street

New York, New York 10005

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (212) 250-2077

 

 

Alex Depetris

DBX ETF Trust

60 Wall Street

New York, New York 10005

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

Copy to:

Stuart Strauss, Esq.

Dechert LLP

1095 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10036

 

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective: (check appropriate box)

 

  ¨ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
  x on October 1, 2013 pursuant to paragraph (b)
  ¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  ¨ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  ¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
  ¨ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

  ¨ this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment

 

 

 


db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged

Equity Fund

NYSE Arca, Inc.: DBEM

db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged

Equity Fund

NYSE Arca, Inc.: DBEF

db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged

Equity Fund

NYSE Arca, Inc.: DBBR

db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged

Equity Fund

NYSE Arca, Inc.: DBGR

db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged

Equity Fund

NYSE Arca, Inc.: DBJP

db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged

Equity Fund

NYSE Arca, Inc.: DBAP

db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged

Equity Fund

NYSE Arca, Inc.: DBEU

db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged

Equity Fund

NYSE Arca, Inc.: DBUK

db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund

NYSE Arca, Inc.: UTLT

db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund

NYSE Arca, Inc.: RVNU

PROSPECTUS

October 1, 2013

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. Shares in a Fund are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other agency of the U.S. Government, nor are shares deposits or obligations of any bank.

Such shares in a Fund involve investment risks, including the loss of principal.


Table of Contents

 

Fund Summaries

     1   

Additional Information About Funds’ Investment Strategies and Risks

     107   

Portfolio Holdings Information

     138   

Management

     139   

Shareholder Information

     146   

Dividends and Distributions

     150   

Distribution

     156   

Fund Service Providers

     157   

Index Providers

     157   

Disclaimers

     157   

Premium/Discount Information

     159   

Financial Highlights

     160   

 

i


db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets

Hedged Equity Fund

 

Ticker: DBEM   Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca

Investment Objective

The db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EM US Dollar Hedged Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a

percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fee

   0.65

Other Expenses

   0.00
  

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   0.65

Expense information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees under the Fund’s investment advisory agreement as of October 1, 2013.

 

 

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Example. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

$66   $208   $362   $810

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as 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 Fund 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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 15% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to equity securities in the global emerging markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected emerging market currencies. As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers from the following 21 emerging market countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey. As of May 31, 2013, the MSCI EM US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 823 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $4.53 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $340.6 million. The Underlying Index hedges each foreign currency in the Underlying Index to U.S. dollars by selling the applicable foreign currency forward at the one-month forward rate published by WM/Reuters.

For U.S. investors, international equity investments include two components of return. The first is the return attributable to stock prices in the non-U.S.

 

 

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market or markets in which an investment is made. The second is the return attributable to the value of non-U.S. currencies in these markets relative to the U.S. dollar. The Underlying Index and the Fund seek to track the performance of equity securities in these emerging markets that is attributable solely to stock prices.

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Underlying Index. The Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser expect that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser use a representative sampling indexing strategy in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics

(such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts designed to offset the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. A forward currency contract is a contract between two parties to buy or sell a specific currency in the future at an agreed-upon rate. The amount of forward contracts in the Fund is based on the aggregate exposure of the Fund and Underlying Index to each non-U.S. currency based on currency weights as of the beginning of each month. While this approach is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on Fund returns, this does not necessarily eliminate exposure to all currency fluctuations. The return of the forward currency contracts may not perfectly offset the actual fluctuations of non-U.S. currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in the equity securities of issuers from emerging markets countries and in instruments designed to hedge against the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. In addition, the Fund will invest

 

 

3


 

at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts (which are securities issued by banks representing an issuer’s shares that are publicly traded in another country) in respect of equity securities that comprise the Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards the 80% investment policy discussed above with respect to instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

Industry Concentration Policy. 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 the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated.

As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of issuers in the financial services sector.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal

risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective, as well as numerous other risks that are described in greater detail in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Further Discussion of Principal Risks” and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Foreign and Emerging Market Securities Risk. The Fund’s investments in foreign and emerging markets may be subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in the U.S. Such risks may include:

(i) greater market volatility, (ii) lower trading volume, (iii) political and economic instability, (iv) high levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, (v) greater social, political and economic uncertainty, (vi) greater risk of market shut down, (vii) higher transactional and custody costs, (viii) taxation by foreign governments, (ix) decreased market liquidity, (x) various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions, (xi) more governmental limitations on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital than those typically found in a developed market, and (xii) the risk that

 

 

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companies may be held to lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards than companies in more developed countries. Because the Fund will invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and the income received by the Fund will generally be in foreign currency, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Fund’s return. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, the Fund may invest in depositary receipts which involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than the risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries.

Currency Risk. The Fund enters into forward currency contracts to attempt to minimize the impact of changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar. These contracts may not be successful. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies may affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. To the extent the Fund’s forward currency

contracts are not successful in hedging against such changes, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar.

Furthermore, because no changes in the currency weights in the Underlying Index are made during the month to account for changes in the Underlying Index due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes, changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar during the month may affect the value of the Fund’s investment. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in the Fund may also go up or down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money.

Forward Currency Contracts Risk. The Fund invests in forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the

 

 

5


 

spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Forward currency contracts may be used to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to gain or modify exposure to a particular currency. Hedging the Fund’s currency risks involves the risk of mismatching the Fund’s objectives under a forward contract with the value of securities denominated in a particular currency. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. There is an additional risk to the extent that currency contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Fund’s securities are not denominated. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts.

Counterparty Risk. The foreign currency markets in which the Fund effects its transactions are over-the-counter or “interdealer” markets. The counterparty to an over-the-counter spot contract is generally a single bank or other financial institution rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial

institutions. Participants in over-the-counter markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as members of “exchange-based” markets. Because the Fund executes over-the-counter transactions, the Fund constantly takes credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those involved in exchange-traded transactions which generally are characterized by clearing organization guaranties, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from these protections and the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with agreed terms and conditions.

Equity Securities Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes.

 

 

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Financial Services Sector Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers in the financial services sector in order to track the Underlying Index’s allocation to that sector. The financial services sector is subject to extensive government regulation, can be subject to relatively rapid change due to increasingly blurred distinctions between service segments, and can be significantly affected by availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. In addition, the deterioration of the credit markets since late 2007 generally has caused an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. In particular, events in the financial sector since late 2008 have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. This situation has created instability in the financial markets and caused certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the

valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many financial services companies to experience a dramatic decline in value. Moreover, certain financial companies have avoided collapse due to intervention by the U.S. or foreign regulatory authorities, but such interventions have often not averted a substantial decline in the value of such companies’ common stock. Issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected by the foregoing events and the general market turmoil, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue.

Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in equity securities, including general economic conditions and sudden and unpredictable drops in value. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like security prices generally, will fluctuate within a wide range in response to these and other factors.

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization

 

 

7


 

companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market. Often small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its Underlying Index for a number of reasons, including operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.

Cash Redemption Risk. Because the Fund invests a portion of its assets in foreign currency forward contracts, the Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. The Fund may be required to unwind such contracts or sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had

 

 

8


 

made a redemption in-kind. As a result the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell shares at market prices on an exchange.

Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry.

Geographic Concentration Risk. As of May 31, 2013, a significant percentage of the Underlying Index is comprised of securities of issuers from China and South Korea. To the extent the Underlying Index is significantly comprised of securities of issuers from a single country, and thus the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of such country (including China and South Korea), the Fund would be more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting those countries. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

Performance Information

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s

 

 

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average annual returns for one year and since inception compare with those of the Underlying Index and a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.dbxus.com.

Calendar Year Total Return as of 12/31

 

LOGO

The Fund’s year-to-date return was -9.07% as of June 30, 2013.

During the periods shown in the above chart, the Fund’s highest and lowest calendar quarter returns were 9.42% and -6.89%, respectively, for the quarters ended March 31, 2012 and June 30, 2012.

Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012

 

    1 Year     Since
Inception
 

Returns Before Taxes

    11.03     (2.11 %) 

Returns After Taxes on Distributions

    10.69     (2.64 %) 

Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

    7.92     (1.81 %) 

MSCI EM US Dollar Hedged Index

    14.01     0.53

MSCI EM Index

    18.22     (2.66 %) 

All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of any state or local tax. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Fund in tax-deferred accounts such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) or employee-sponsored retirement plans.

Management

Investment Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC.

Sub-Adviser. TDAM USA Inc.

 

 

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Portfolio Managers. Vishal Bhatia and Dino Bourdos, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team. Messrs. Bhatia and Bourdos have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since the Fund’s inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

11


db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund

 

Ticker: DBEF   Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca

Investment Objective

The db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE US Dollar Hedged Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a

percentage of the value of your investment)

  

 

Management Fee

   0.35

Other Expenses

   0.00
  

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   0.35

Expense information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees under the Fund’s investment advisory agreement as of October 1, 2013.

 

 

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Example. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

$36   $113   $197   $443

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as 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 Fund 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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 14% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to equity securities in developed international stock markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected non-U.S. currencies. As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers from the following 22 developed market countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As of May 31, 2013, the MSCI EAFE US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 905 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $12.8 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $10.2 million. The Underlying Index hedges each foreign currency in the Underlying Index to the U.S. dollar by selling the applicable foreign currency forward at the one-month forward rate published by WM/Reuters.

For U.S. investors, international equity investments include two components of return. The first is the return attributable to stock

 

 

13


 

prices in the non-U.S. market or markets in which an investment is made. The second is the return attributable to the value of non-U.S. currencies in these markets relative to the U.S. dollar. The Underlying Index and the Fund seek to track the performance of equity securities in these developed markets that is attributable solely to stock prices.

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Underlying Index. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser expect that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser use a representative sampling indexing strategy in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics

(such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts designed to offset the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. A forward currency contract is a contract between two parties to buy or sell a specific currency in the future at an agreed-upon rate. The amount of forward contracts in the Fund is based on the aggregate exposure of the Fund and Underlying Index to each non-U.S. currency based on the currency weights as of the beginning of each month. While this approach is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on Fund returns, this does not necessarily eliminate exposure to all currency fluctuations. The return of the forward currency contracts may not perfectly offset the actual fluctuations of non-U.S. currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of issuers from Europe, Australia and the Far East and in instruments designed to hedge the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. In addition, the Fund will invest

 

 

14


 

at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts (which are securities issued by banks representing an issuer’s shares that are publicly traded in another country) in respect of equity securities that comprise the Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards the 80% investment policy discussed above with respect to instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

Industry Concentration Policy. 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 the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated.

As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of issuers in the financial services sector.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal

risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective, as well as numerous other risks that are described in greater detail in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Further Discussion of Principal Risks” and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity, political instability and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions. Because the Fund will invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and the income received by the Fund will generally be in foreign currency, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Fund’s return. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, the Fund may invest in

 

 

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depositary receipts which involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. In addition, the European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and have been adversely affected by concerns about economic downturns, credit rating downgrades, rising government debt levels and possible default on or restructuring of government debt in several European countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. A default or debt restructuring by any European country would adversely impact holders of that country’s debt, and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that country’s creditworthiness (which may be located in countries other than those listed in the previous sentence).

Currency Risk. The Fund enters into forward currency contracts to attempt to minimize the impact of changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar. These contracts may not be successful. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies may affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. To the extent the Fund’s forward currency contracts are not successful in

hedging against such changes, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. Furthermore, because no changes in the currency weights in the Underlying Index are made during the month to account for changes in the Underlying Index due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes, changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar during the month may affect the value of the Fund’s investment. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in the Fund may also go up or down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money.

Forward Currency Contracts Risk. The Fund intends to invest in forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Forward currency

 

 

16


 

contracts may be used to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to gain or modify exposure to a particular currency. Hedging the Fund’s currency risks involves the risk of mismatching the Fund’s objectives under a forward contract with the value of securities denominated in a particular currency. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. There is an additional risk to the extent that currency contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Fund’s securities are not denominated. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts.

Counterparty Risk. The foreign currency markets in which the Fund effects its transactions are over-the-counter or “interdealer” markets. The counterparty to an over-the-counter spot contract is generally a single bank or other financial institution rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial institutions. Participants in over-the-counter markets are typically not subject

to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as members of “exchange-based” markets. Because the Fund executes over-the-counter transactions, the Fund constantly takes credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those involved in exchange-traded transactions which generally are characterized by clearing organization guaranties, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from these protections and the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with agreed terms and conditions.

Equity Securities Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes.

 

 

17


 

Financial Services Sector Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers in the financial services sector in order to track the Underlying Index’s allocation to that sector. The financial services sector is subject to extensive government regulation, can be subject to relatively rapid change due to increasingly blurred distinctions between service segments, and can be significantly affected by availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. In addition, the deterioration of the credit markets since late 2007 generally has caused an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. In particular, events in the financial sector since late 2008 have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. This situation has created instability in the financial markets and caused certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the

valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many financial services companies to experience a dramatic decline in value. Moreover, certain financial companies have avoided collapse due to intervention by the U.S. or foreign regulatory authorities, but such interventions have often not averted a substantial decline in the value of such companies’ common stock.

Issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected by the foregoing events and the general market turmoil, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue.

Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in equity securities, including general economic conditions and sudden and unpredictable drops in value. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like security prices generally, will fluctuate within a wide range in response to these and other factors.

 

 

18


 

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market. Often small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be

lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its Underlying Index for a number of reasons, including operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.

Cash Redemption Risk. Because the Fund invests a portion of its assets in foreign currency forward contracts, the Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. The Fund may be required to unwind such contracts or sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds.

 

 

19


 

This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell shares at market prices on an exchange.

Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry.

Geographic Concentration Risk. As of May 31, 2013, a significant percentage of the Underlying Index is comprised of securities of issuers from the United Kingdom and Japan. To the extent the Underlying Index is significantly comprised of securities of issuers from a single country, and thus the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of such country (including the United Kingdom and Japan), the Fund would be more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting those countries. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

Performance Information

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s

 

 

20


 

average annual returns for one year and since inception compare with those of the Underlying Index and a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.dbxus.com.

Calendar Year Total Return as of 12/31

 

LOGO

The Fund’s year-to-date return was 10.51% as of June 30, 2013.

During the periods shown in the above chart, the Fund’s highest and lowest calendar quarter returns were 10.75% and -5.18%, respectively, for the quarters ended March 31, 2012 and June 30, 2012.

Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012

 

    Year 1     Since
Inception
 

Returns Before Taxes

    18.15     3.19

Returns After Taxes on Distributions

    15.25     1.52

Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

    15.63     2.70

MSCI EAFE US Dollar Hedged Index

    17.54     3.56

MSCI EAFE Index

    17.32     (0.32 %) 

All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of any state or local tax. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Fund in tax-deferred accounts such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) or employee-sponsored retirement plans.

Management

Investment Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC.

Sub-Adviser. TDAM USA Inc.

 

 

21


 

Portfolio Managers. Vishal Bhatia and Dino Bourdos, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team. Messrs. Bhatia and Bourdos have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since the Fund’s inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

22


db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund

 

Ticker: DBBR   Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca

Investment Objective

The db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Brazil US Dollar Hedged Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a

percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fee

   0.60

Other Expenses

   0.00
  

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   0.60

Expense information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees under the Fund’s investment advisory agreement as of October 1, 2013.

 

 

23


 

Example. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

$61   $192   $335   $750

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as 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 Fund 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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 25% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to Brazilian equity markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and Brazilian real. As of May 31, 2013, the MSCI Brazil US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 81 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $5.6 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $340.6 million. The Underlying Index hedges the Brazilian real to the U.S. dollar by selling Brazilian real currency forwards at the one-month forward rate published by WM/Reuters.

For U.S. investors, international equity investments include two components of return. The first is the return attributable to stock prices in the non-U.S. market or markets in which an investment is made. The second is the return attributable to the value of non-U.S. currencies in these markets relative to the U.S. dollar. The Underlying Index and the Fund seek to track the performance of equity securities in the Brazilian markets that is attributable solely to stock prices.

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach,

 

 

24


 

attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Underlying Index. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser expect that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser use a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts designed to offset the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. A forward currency contract is a contract between two parties to buy or sell a specific currency in the future at an agreed-upon rate. The amount of forward

contracts in the Fund is based on the aggregate exposure of the Fund and Underlying Index to each non-U.S. currency based on currency weights as of the beginning of each month. While this approach is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on Fund returns, this does not necessarily eliminate exposure to all currency fluctuations. The return of the forward currency contracts may not perfectly offset the actual fluctuations of non-U.S. currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of issuers from Brazil and in instruments designed to hedge the Fund’s exposure to Brazilian real. In addition, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts (which are securities issued by banks representing an issuer’s shares that are publicly traded in another country) in respect of equity securities that comprise the Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards the 80% investment policy discussed

 

 

25


 

above with respect to instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

Industry Concentration Policy. 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 the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated.

As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of issuers in the financial services sector.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective, as well as numerous other risks that are described in greater detail in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Further Discussion of Principal Risks” and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Risks Related to Investing in Brazil. Investments in securities of Brazilian companies are

subject to regulatory and economic interventions that the Brazilian government has frequently exercised in the past, including the setting of wage and price controls, blocking access to bank accounts, imposing exchange controls and limiting imports. In addition, the Brazilian securities markets may be subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, greater risk of market shut down, higher transactional and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions. The Brazilian government has often changed monetary, taxation, credit, tariff and other policies to influence the core of Brazil’s economy. Investments are also subject to certain restrictions on foreign investment as provided by Brazilian law. The market for Brazilian securities is directly influenced by the flow of international capital, and economic and market conditions of certain countries, especially emerging market countries. The Brazilian economy has historically been subject to high rates of inflation and a high level of debt, all of which may stifle economic growth. Brazil is heavily dependent on exports to its trading partners, including the United States, China and other countries in Central and South America, and reduction in

 

 

26


 

spending on Brazilian products or adverse economic events in any of these countries may impact the Brazilian economy. Despite rapid development in recent years, Brazil still suffers from high levels of corruption, crime and income disparity. There is the possibility that such conditions may lead to social unrest and political upheaval in the future, which may have adverse effects on the Fund’s investments. In addition, the Fund may invest in depositary receipts which involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities.

Currency Risk. The Fund enters into forward currency contracts to attempt to minimize the impact of changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar. These contracts may not be successful. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies may affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. To the extent the Fund’s forward currency contracts are not successful in hedging against such changes, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. Furthermore, because no

changes in the currency weights in the Underlying Index are made during the month to account for changes in the Underlying Index due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes, changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar during the month may affect the value of the Fund’s investment. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in the Fund may also go up or down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money.

Forward Currency Contracts Risk. The Fund invests in forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Forward currency contracts may be used to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to gain or modify exposure to a particular currency. Hedging the Fund’s currency risks involves the risk of mismatching the Fund’s

 

 

27


 

objectives under a forward contract with the value of securities denominated in a particular currency. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. There is an additional risk to the extent that currency contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Fund’s securities are not denominated. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts.

Counterparty Risk. The foreign currency markets in which the Fund effects its transactions are over-the-counter or “interdealer” markets. The counterparty to an over-the-counter spot contract is generally a single bank or other financial institution rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial institutions. Participants in over-the-counter markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as members of “exchange-based” markets. Because the Fund executes over-the-counter transactions, the Fund constantly takes credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also

bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those involved in exchange-traded transactions which generally are characterized by clearing organization guaranties, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from these protections and the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with agreed terms and conditions.

Equity Securities Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes.

Financial Services Sector Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers in the financial services sector in order to track the Underlying Index’s allocation to that sector. The financial services sector is subject to extensive government regulation, can be subject to

 

 

28


 

relatively rapid change due to increasingly blurred distinctions between service segments, and can be significantly affected by availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. In addition, the deterioration of the credit markets since late 2007 generally has caused an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. In particular, events in the financial sector since late 2008 have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. This situation has created instability in the financial markets and caused certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many financial services companies to experience a dramatic decline in value. Moreover, certain financial companies have

avoided collapse due to intervention by the U.S. or foreign regulatory authorities, but such interventions have often not averted a substantial decline in the value of such companies’ common stock.

Issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected by the foregoing events and the general market turmoil, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue.

Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in equity securities, including general economic conditions and sudden and unpredictable drops in value. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like security prices generally, will fluctuate within a wide range in response to these and other factors.

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary,

 

 

29


 

sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market. Often small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its Underlying Index for a number of reasons, including operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause

the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.

Cash Redemption Risk. Because the Fund invests a portion of its assets in foreign currency forward contracts, the Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. The Fund may be required to unwind such contracts or sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem

 

 

30


 

shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell shares at market prices on an exchange.

Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry.

Geographic Concentration Risk. Because the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of a single country, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

Performance Information

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for one year and since inception compare with those of the Underlying Index and a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.dbxus.com.

 

 

31


 

Calendar Year Total Return as of 12/31

 

LOGO

The Fund’s year-to-date return was -13.96% as of June 30, 2013.

During the periods shown in the above chart, the Fund’s highest and lowest calendar quarter returns were 8.59% and -11.14%, respectively, for the quarters ended March 31, 2012 and June 30, 2012.

Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012

 

    Year 1     Since
Inception
 

Returns Before Taxes

    2.53     (5.67 %) 

Returns After Taxes on Distributions

    1.00     (7.06 %) 

Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

    3.15     (5.13 %) 

MSCI Brazil US Dollar Hedged Index

    3.60     (2.97 %) 

MSCI Brazil Index

    0.05     (12.67 %) 

All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of any state or local tax. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Fund in tax-deferred accounts such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) or employee-sponsored retirement plans.

Management

Investment Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC.

Sub-Adviser. TDAM USA Inc.

Portfolio Managers. Vishal Bhatia and Dino Bourdos, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team. Messrs. Bhatia and Bourdos have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since the Fund’s inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The

 

 

32


 

price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor.

Tax Information. The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

33


db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund

 

Ticker: DBGR   Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca

Investment Objective

The db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Germany US Dollar Hedged Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a

percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fee

   0.50

Other Expenses

   0.00
  

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   0.50

Expense information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees under the Fund’s investment advisory agreement as of October 1, 2013.

 

 

34


 

Example. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

$51   $160   $280   $628

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as 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 Fund 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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 108% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to German equity markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and Euro. As of May 31, 2013, the MSCI Germany US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 51 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $19.9 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $1.3 billion. The Underlying Index hedges Euro to the U.S. dollar by selling Euro currency forwards at the one-month forward rate published by WM/Reuters.

For U.S. investors, international equity investments include two components of return. The first is the return attributable to stock prices in the non-U.S. market or markets in which an investment is made. The second is the return attributable to the value of non-U.S. currencies in these markets relative to the U.S. dollar. The Underlying Index and the Fund seek to track the performance of equity securities in the German markets that is attributable solely to stock prices.

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach,

 

 

35


 

attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Underlying Index. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser expect that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser use a representative sampling indexing strategy in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts designed to offset the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. A forward currency contract is a contract between two parties to buy or sell a specific currency in the future at an agreed-upon

rate. The amount of forward contracts in the Fund is based on the aggregate exposure of the Fund and Underlying Index to each non-U.S. currency based on the currency weights as of the beginning of each month. While this approach is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on Fund returns, this does not necessarily eliminate exposure to all currency fluctuations. The return of the forward currency contracts may not perfectly offset the actual fluctuations of non-U.S. currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of issuers from Germany and in instruments designed to hedge the Fund’s exposure to Euro. In addition, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts (which are securities issued by banks representing an issuer’s shares that are publicly traded in another country) in respect of equity securities that comprise the Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards the

 

 

36


 

80% investment policy discussed above with respect to instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

Prior to May 31, 2013, the Fund’s Underlying Index was the MSCI Canada U.S. Dollar Hedged Index. Prior to that date, the Fund invested in the equity securities of issuers from Canada and instruments designed to hedge the Fund’s exposure to Canadian dollars.

Industry Concentration Policy. 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 the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective, as well as numerous other risks that are described in greater detail in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Further Discussion of Principal Risks” and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Risks Related to Investing in Germany. The German economy is dependent on the other countries in Europe as key trade partners. Exports account for more than one-third of Germany’s output and are a key element in German economic expansion. Reduction in spending by European countries on German products and services or negative changes in any of these countries may cause an adverse impact on the German economy. In addition, the U.S. is a large trade and investment partner of Germany. Decreasing U.S. imports, new trade regulations, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rates or a recession in the United States may also have an adverse impact on the German economy.

The Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (the “EU”) requires compliance with restrictions on inflation, deficits, interest rates, public debt and fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may significantly affect each country in Europe. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the Euro, the default or threat of default by an EU country on its sovereign debt, and recessions in an EU country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU countries. The European

 

 

37


 

financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about rising government debt levels of several European countries, including Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Portugal. These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the Euro and may continue to significantly affect other countries in Europe.

Investing in German issuers involves political, social and regulatory risks. Certain sectors and regions of Germany have experienced high unemployment and social unrest. These issues may have an adverse affect on the German economy or the German industries or sectors in which the Fund invests. Heavy regulation of labor and product markets is pervasive in Germany.

These regulations may stifle economic growth or result in extended recessionary periods.

Currency Risk. The Fund enters into forward currency contracts to attempt to minimize the impact of changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar. These contracts may not be successful. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies may affect the value of the Fund’s

investment and the value of your Fund shares. To the extent the Fund’s forward currency contracts are not successful in hedging against such changes, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. Furthermore, because no changes in the currency weights in the Underlying Index are made during the month to account for changes in the Underlying Index due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes, changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar during the month may affect the value of the Fund’s investment. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in the Fund may also go up or down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money.

Forward Currency Contacts Risk. The Fund invests in forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate

 

 

38


 

can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Forward currency contracts may be used to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to gain or modify exposure to a particular currency. Hedging the Fund’s currency risks involves the risk of mismatching the Fund’s objectives under a forward contract with the value of securities denominated in a particular currency. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. There is an additional risk to the extent that currency contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Fund’s securities are not denominated. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts.

Counterparty Risk. The foreign currency markets in which the Fund effects its transactions are over-the-counter or “interdealer” markets. The counterparty to an over-the-counter spot contract is generally a single bank or other financial institution rather than a clearing organization backed

by a group of financial institutions. Participants in over-the-counter markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as members of “exchange-based” markets. Because the Fund executes over-the-counter transactions, the Fund constantly takes credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those involved in exchange-traded transactions which generally are characterized by clearing organization guaranties, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from these protections and the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with agreed terms and conditions.

Equity Securities Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and

 

 

39


 

their values may be more volatile than other asset classes.

Financial Services Sector Risk. The Fund invests in securities of issuers in the financial services sector. The financial services sector is subject to extensive government regulation, can be subject to relatively rapid change due to increasingly blurred distinctions between service segments, and can be significantly affected by availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. In addition, the deterioration of the credit markets since late 2007 generally has caused an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. In particular, events in the financial sector since late 2008 have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. This situation has created instability in the financial markets and caused certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the

valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many financial services companies to experience a dramatic decline in value. Moreover, certain financial companies have avoided collapse due to intervention by the U.S. or foreign regulatory authorities, but such interventions have often not averted a substantial decline in the value of such companies’ common stock. Issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected by the foregoing events and the general market turmoil, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue.

Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in equity securities, including general economic conditions and sudden and unpredictable drops in value. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like security prices generally, will fluctuate within a wide range in response to these and other factors.

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization

 

 

40


 

companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market. Often small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its Underlying Index for a number of reasons, including operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.

Cash Redemption Risk. Because the Fund invests a portion of its assets in foreign currency forward contracts, the Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. The Fund may be required to unwind such contracts or sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had

 

 

41


 

made a redemption in-kind. As a result the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell shares at market prices on an exchange.

Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in

a particular industry, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry.

Geographic Concentration Risk. Because the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of a single country, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

Performance Information

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for one year and since inception compare with those of the Underlying Index and a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.dbxus.com.

 

 

42


 

Calendar Year Total Return as of 12/31

LOGO

The Fund’s year-to-date return was -2.26% as of June 30, 2013.

During the periods shown in the above chart, the Fund’s highest and lowest calendar quarter returns were 6.31% and -5.68%, respectively, for the quarters ended September 30, 2012 and June 30, 2012.

Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012

 

    Year 1     Since
Inception
 

Returns Before Taxes

    5.97     (2.55 %) 

Returns After Taxes on Distributions

    5.72     (2.86 %) 

Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

    5.01     (1.98 %) 

MSCI Canada US Dollar Hedged Index*

    6.34     9.09

MSCI Canada Index

    (2.04 %)      (3.07 %) 

 

* On May 31, 2013, the Fund changed its Underlying Index to the MSCI Germany US Dollar Hedged Index.

All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of any state or local tax. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Fund in tax-deferred accounts such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) or employee-sponsored retirement plans.

Management

Investment Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC.

Sub-Adviser. TDAM USA Inc.

Portfolio Managers. Vishal Bhatia and Dino Bourdos, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team. Messrs. Bhatia and Bourdos have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since the Fund’s inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as

 

 

43


 

an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

 

Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

44


db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund

 

Ticker: DBJP   Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca

Investment Objective

The db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Japan US Dollar Hedged Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fee

   0.50

Other Expenses

   0.00
  

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   0.50

Expense information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees under the Fund’s investment advisory agreement as of October 1, 2013.

 

 

45


 

Example. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

$51   $160   $280   $628

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as 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 Fund 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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to Japanese equity markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen. As of May 31, 2013, the MSCI Japan US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 316 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $7.9 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $932.9 million. The Underlying Index hedges the Japanese yen to the U.S. dollar by selling Japanese yen forwards at the one-month forward rate published by WM/Reuters.

For U.S. investors, international equity investments include two components of return. The first is the return attributable to stock prices in the non-U.S. market or markets in which an investment is made. The second is the return attributable to the value of non-U.S. currencies in these markets relative to the U.S. dollar. The Underlying Index and the Fund seek to track the performance of equity securities in the Japanese markets that is attributable solely to stock prices.

 

 

46


 

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Underlying Index. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser expect that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser use a representative sampling indexing strategy in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts designed to offset the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. A forward currency contract is a contract between two parties to

buy or sell a specific currency in the future at an agreed-upon rate. The amount of forward contracts in the Fund is based on the aggregate exposure of the Fund and Underlying Index to each non-U.S. currency based on currency weights as of the beginning of each month. While this approach is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on Fund returns, this does not necessarily eliminate exposure to all currency fluctuations. The return of the forward currency contracts may not perfectly offset the actual fluctuations of non-U.S. currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of issuers from Japan and in instruments designed to hedge the Fund’s exposure to Japanese yen. In addition, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts (which are securities issued by banks representing an issuer’s shares that are publicly traded in another country) in respect of equity securities that comprise the Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Underlying Index.

 

 

47


 

Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards the 80% investment policy discussed above with respect to instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

Industry Concentration Policy. 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 the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated.

As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of issuers in the financial services, industrials and consumer discretionary sectors.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective, as well as numerous other risks that are described in greater detail in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Further Discussion of Principal Risks” and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Risks Related to Investing in Japan. The growth of Japan’s economy has historically lagged that of its Asian neighbors and other major developed economies. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent on international trade and has been adversely affected by trade tariffs, other protectionist measures, competition from emerging economies and the economic conditions of its trading partners. China has become an important trading partner with Japan, yet the countries’ political relationship has become strained. Should political tension increase, it could adversely affect the economy, especially the export sector, and destabilize the region as a whole. Japan is located in a part of the world that has historically been prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis and is economically sensitive to environmental events. Any such event, such as the major earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan in March 2011, could result in a significant adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japan may be subject to risks relating to political, economic and labor risks. Any of these risks, individually or in the aggregate, could adversely affect investments in the Fund. Japan also remains heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher

 

 

48


 

commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the economy. Furthermore, Japanese corporations often engage in high levels of corporate leveraging, extensive cross-purchases of the securities of other corporations and are subject to a changing corporate governance structure. In addition, the Japanese securities markets may be subject to greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity, political instability and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions. Because the Fund will invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and the income received by the Fund will generally be in foreign currency, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Fund’s return. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, the Fund may invest in depositary receipts which involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities.

Currency Risk. The Fund enters into forward currency contracts to attempt to minimize the impact of changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar. These contracts may not be successful. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies may affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. To the extent the Fund’s forward currency contracts are not successful in hedging against such changes, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. Furthermore, because no changes in the currency weights in the Underlying Index are made during the month to account for changes in the Underlying Index due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes, changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar during the month may affect the value of the Fund’s investment. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in the Fund may also go up or

 

 

49


 

down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money.

Forward Currency Contracts Risk. The Fund invests in forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Forward currency contracts may be used to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to gain or modify exposure to a particular currency. Hedging the Fund’s currency risks involves the risk of mismatching the Fund’s objectives under a forward contract with the value of securities denominated in a particular currency. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. There is an additional risk to the extent that currency contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Fund’s securities are not denominated. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than

if it had not entered into such contracts.

Counterparty Risk. The foreign currency markets in which the Fund effects its transactions are over-the-counter or “interdealer” markets. The counterparty to an over-the-counter spot contract is generally a single bank or other financial institution rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial institutions. Participants in over-the-counter markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as members of “exchange-based” markets. Because the Fund executes over-the-counter transactions, the Fund constantly takes credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those involved in exchange-traded transactions which generally are characterized by clearing organization guaranties, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from these protections and the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in

 

 

50


 

accordance with agreed terms and conditions.

Equity Securities Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes.

Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities issued by companies in the consumer discretionary sector in order to track the Underlying Index’s allocation to that sector. Companies engaged in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to fluctuations in supply and demand. These companies may also be adversely affected by changes in consumer spending as a result of world events, political and economic conditions, commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources and labor relations.

Financial Services Sector Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers in the financial services sector in order to track the Underlying Index’s

allocation to that sector. The financial services sector is subject to extensive government regulation, can be subject to relatively rapid change due to increasingly blurred distinctions between service segments, and can be significantly affected by availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. In addition, the deterioration of the credit markets since late 2007 generally has caused an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. In particular, events in the financial sector since late 2008 have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. This situation has created instability in the financial markets and caused certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many

 

 

51


 

financial services companies to experience a dramatic decline in value. Moreover, certain financial companies have avoided collapse due to intervention by the U.S. or foreign regulatory authorities, but such interventions have often not averted a substantial decline in the value of such companies’ common stock. Issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected by the foregoing events and the general market turmoil, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue.

Industrials Sector Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities issued by companies in the industrials sector in order to track the Underlying Index’s allocation to that sector. The industrials sector includes companies engaged in the manufacture and distribution of capital goods, such as those used in defense, construction and engineering, companies that manufacture and distribute electrical equipment and industrial machinery and those that provide commercial and transportation services and supplies. Because as currently constituted the industrials sector represents a significant portion of the Underlying Index, the Fund will be sensitive to changes

in, and its performance may depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the industrials sector. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by environmental damages, product liability claims and exchange rates.

Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in equity securities, including general economic conditions and sudden and unpredictable drops in value. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like security prices generally, will fluctuate within a wide range in response to these and other factors.

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market.

 

 

52


 

Often small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its Underlying Index for a number of reasons, including operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the

Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.

Cash Redemption Risk. Because the Fund invests a portion of its assets in foreign currency forward contracts, the Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. The Fund may be required to unwind such contracts or sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell

 

 

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shares at market prices on an exchange.

Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry.

Geographic Concentration Risk. Because the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of a single country, it is more likely to be

impacted by events or conditions affecting that country. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

Performance Information

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for one year and since inception compare with those of the Underlying Index and a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.dbxus.com.

 

 

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Calendar Year Total Return as of 12/31

 

LOGO

The Fund’s year-to-date return was 32.09% as of June 30, 2013.

During the periods shown in the above chart, the Fund’s highest and lowest calendar quarter returns were 18.31% and -10.36%, respectively, for the quarters ended March 31, 2012 and June 30, 2012.

Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012

 

    Year 1     Since
Inception
 

Returns Before Taxes

    19.57     3.67

Returns After Taxes on Distributions

    19.43     3.51

Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

    13.23     3.18
    Year 1     Since
Inception
 

MSCI Japan US Dollar Hedged Index

    19.77     4.40

MSCI Japan Index

    8.18     0.12

All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of any state or local tax. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Fund in tax-deferred accounts such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) or employee-sponsored retirement plans.

Management

Investment Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC.

Sub-Adviser. TDAM USA Inc.

Portfolio Managers. Vishal Bhatia and Dino Bourdos, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team. Messrs. Bhatia and Bourdos have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since the Fund’s inception.

 

 

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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless

you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

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db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund

 

Ticker: DBAP   Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca

Investment Objective

The db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan US Dollar Hedged Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a

percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fee

   0.60

Other Expenses

   0.00
  

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   0.60

 

 

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Example. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

$61   $192   $335   $750

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as 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 Fund 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.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to

equity securities in developed and emerging stock markets in the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan), while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected non-U.S. currencies. As of August 13, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers from the following 12 developed and emerging market countries: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. As of August 13, 2013, the MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 684 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $5.5 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $188.2 million. The Underlying Index hedges each foreign currency in the Underlying Index to the U.S. dollar by selling the applicable foreign currency forward at the one-month forward rate published by WM/Reuters.

For U.S. investors, international equity investments include two components of return. The first is the return attributable to stock prices in the non-U.S. market or markets in which an investment is made. The second is the return attributable to the value of non-U.S. currencies in these markets relative to the

 

 

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U.S. dollar. The Underlying Index and the Fund seek to track the performance of equity securities in these developed and emerging markets that is attributable solely to stock prices.

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Underlying Index. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser expect that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser use a representative sampling indexing strategy in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may

or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts designed to offset the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. A forward currency contract is a contract between two parties to buy or sell a specific currency in the future at an agreed-upon rate. The amount of forward contracts in the Fund is based on the aggregate exposure of the Fund and Underlying Index to each non-U.S. currency based on currency weights as of the beginning of each month. While this approach is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on Fund returns, this does not necessarily eliminate exposure to all currency fluctuations. The return of the forward currency contracts may not perfectly offset the actual fluctuations of non-U.S. currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of issuers from the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan) and in instruments designed to hedge the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. In addition, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets, but typically far more, in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

 

 

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The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts (which are securities issued by banks representing an issuer’s shares that are publicly traded in another country) in respect of equity securities that comprise the Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards the 80% investment policy discussed above with respect to instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

Industry Concentration Policy. 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 the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated.

As of August 13, 2013, the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of issuers in the financial services sector.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV, trading price, yield, total

return and ability to meet its investment objective, as well as numerous other risks that are described in greater detail in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Further Discussion of Principal Risks” and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Foreign and Emerging Market Securities Risk. The Fund’s investments in foreign and emerging markets may be subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in the U.S. Such risks may include: (i) greater market volatility, (ii) lower trading volume, (iii) political and economic instability, (iv) high levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, (v) greater social, political and economic uncertainty, (vi) greater risk of market shut down, (vii) higher transactional and custody costs (viii) taxation by foreign governments, (ix) decreased market liquidity, (x) various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions, (xi) more governmental limitations on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital than those typically found in a developed market, and (xii) the risk that companies may be held to lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards

 

 

60


 

than companies in more developed countries. Because the Fund will invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and the income received by the Fund will generally be in foreign currency, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Fund’s return. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, the Fund may invest in depositary receipts which involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than the risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries.

Risks Related to Investing in Asia. Investment in securities of issuers in Asia involves risks and special considerations not typically associated with investment in the U.S. securities markets. Certain Asian economies have experienced high inflation, high unemployment, currency devaluations and restrictions, and over-extension of credit. Many Asian economies have experienced rapid growth and industrialization, and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. During the recent global recession, many of the export-driven Asian

economies experienced the effects of the economic slowdown in the United States and Europe, and certain Asian governments implemented stimulus plans, low-rate monetary policies and currency devaluations. Economic events in any one Asian country may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asian region, as well as on major trading partners outside Asia. Any adverse event in the Asian markets may have a significant adverse effect on some or all of the economies of Asian countries in which the Fund invests. Many Asian countries are subject to political risk, including corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. In addition, many Asian countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions. These risks, among others, may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments.

Currency Risk. The Fund enters into forward currency contracts to attempt to minimize the impact of changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar. These contracts may not be successful. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies may affect

 

 

61


 

the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. To the extent the Fund’s forward currency contracts are not successful in hedging against such changes, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. Furthermore, because no changes in the currency weights in the Underlying Index are made during the month to account for changes in the Underlying Index due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes, changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar during the month may affect the value of the Fund’s investment. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in the Fund may also go up or down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money.

Forward Currency Contracts Risk. The Fund intends to invest in forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future

time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Forward currency contracts may be used to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to gain or modify exposure to a particular currency. Hedging the Fund’s currency risks involves the risk of mismatching the Fund’s objectives under a forward contract with the value of securities denominated in a particular currency. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. There is an additional risk to the extent that currency contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Fund’s securities are not denominated. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts.

Counterparty Risk. The foreign currency markets in which the Fund effects its transactions are over-the-counter or “interdealer” markets. The counterparty to an over-the-counter spot contract is generally a single bank or other financial institution rather than a clearing organization backed by

 

 

62


 

a group of financial institutions. Participants in over-the-counter markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as members of “exchange-based” markets. Because the Fund executes over-the-counter transactions, the Fund constantly takes credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those involved in exchange-traded transactions which generally are characterized by clearing organization guaranties, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from these protections and the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with agreed terms and conditions.

Equity Securities Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes.

Financial Services Sector Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers in the financial services sector in order to track the Underlying Index’s allocation to that sector. The financial services sector is subject to extensive government regulation, can be subject to relatively rapid change due to increasingly blurred distinctions between service segments, and can be significantly affected by availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. In addition, the deterioration of the credit markets since late 2007 generally has caused an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. In particular, events in the financial sector since late 2008 have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. This situation has created instability in the financial markets and caused certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the

 

 

63


 

valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many financial services companies to experience a dramatic decline in value. Moreover, certain financial companies have avoided collapse due to intervention by the U.S. or foreign regulatory authorities, but such interventions have often not averted a substantial decline in the value of such companies’ common stock.

Issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected by the foregoing events and the general market turmoil, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue.

Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in equity securities, including general economic conditions and sudden and unpredictable drops in value. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like security prices generally, will fluctuate within a wide range in response to these and other factors.

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization

companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market. Often small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

 

 

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Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its Underlying Index for a number of reasons, including operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.

Cash Redemption Risk. Because the Fund invests a portion of its assets in foreign currency forward contracts, the Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. The Fund may be required to unwind such contracts or sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had

made a redemption in-kind. As a result the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell shares at market prices on an exchange.

Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

 

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Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry.

Geographic Concentration Risk. As of August 13, 2013, a significant percentage of the Underlying Index is comprised of securities of issuers from Australia and China. To the extent the Index is significantly comprised of securities of issuers from a single country, and thus the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of such country (including Australia and China), the Fund would be more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting those countries. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

Performance Information

As of the date of the Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not report its performance information. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be

accessible on the Fund’s website at www.dbxus.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance and by showing how the Fund’s returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Management

Investment Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC.

Sub-Adviser. TDAM USA Inc.

Portfolio Managers. Vishal Bhatia and Dino Bourdos, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team. Messrs. Bhatia and Bourdos have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since the Fund’s inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will

 

 

66


 

only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor.

Tax Information. The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”). For more information regarding the tax consequences that may be associated with investing in the Fund, please refer to the section of the Prospectus entitled “Taxes on Distributions.”

Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

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db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged

Equity Fund

 

Ticker: DBEU   Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca

Investment Objective

The db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Europe US Dollar Hedged Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a

percentage of the value of your investment)

  

 

Management Fee

   0.45

Other Expenses

   0.00
  

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   0.45

 

 

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Example. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

$46   $144   $252   $567

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as 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 Fund 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.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to

equity securities in developed stock markets in Europe, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected non-U.S. currencies. As of August 13, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers from the following 16 developed market countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As of August 13, 2013, the MSCI Europe US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 438 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $18.1 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $1.2 billion. The Underlying Index hedges each foreign currency in the Underlying Index to the U.S. dollar by selling the applicable foreign currency forward at the one-month forward rate published by WM/Reuters.

For U.S. investors, international equity investments include two components of return. The first is the return attributable to stock prices in the non-U.S. market or markets in which an investment is made. The second is the return attributable to the value of non-U.S. currencies in these markets relative to the

 

 

69


 

U.S. dollar. The Underlying Index and the Fund seek to track the performance of equity securities in these developed markets that is attributable solely to stock prices.

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Underlying Index. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser expect that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser use a representative sampling indexing strategy in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the

securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts designed to offset the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. A forward currency contract is a contract between two parties to buy or sell a specific currency in the future at an agreed-upon rate. The amount of forward contracts in the Fund is based on the aggregate exposure of the Fund and Underlying Index to each non-U.S. currency based on currency weights as of the beginning of each month. While this approach is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on Fund returns, this does not necessarily eliminate exposure to all currency fluctuations. The return of the forward currency contracts may not perfectly offset the actual fluctuations of non-U.S. currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of issuers from Europe and in instruments designed to hedge the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. In addition, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets, but typically far more, in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts (which are

 

 

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securities issued by banks representing an issuer’s shares that are publicly traded in another country) in respect of equity securities that comprise the Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards the 80% investment policy discussed above with respect to instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

Industry Concentration Policy. 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 the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated.

As of August 13, 2013, the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of issuers in the financial services sector.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV, trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective, as well as

numerous other risks that are described in greater detail in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Further Discussion of Principal Risks” and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity, political instability and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions. Because the Fund will invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and the income received by the Fund will generally be in foreign currency, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Fund’s return. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, the Fund may invest in depositary receipts which involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities.

 

 

71


 

European Economic Risk. The Economic and Monetary Union (the “EMU”) of the European Union (“EU”) requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates, debt levels and fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may significantly affect every country in Europe. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the Euro, the default or threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in an EU member country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU member countries and their trading partners. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns or rising government debt levels in several European countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. A default or debt restructuring by any European country would adversely impact holders of that country’s debt, and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that country’s creditworthiness (which may be located in countries other than those listed in the previous sentence). These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the Euro, the common currency of certain

EU countries, and may continue to significantly affect every country in Europe, including countries that do not use the Euro.

Currency Risk. The Fund enters into forward currency contracts to attempt to minimize the impact of changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar. These contracts may not be successful. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies may affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. To the extent the Fund’s forward currency contracts are not successful in hedging against such changes, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. Furthermore, because no changes in the currency weights in the Underlying Index are made during the month to account for changes in the Underlying Index due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes, changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar during the month may affect the value of the

 

 

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Fund’s investment. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in the Fund may also go up or down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money.

Forward Currency Contracts Risk. The Fund intends to invest in forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Forward currency contracts may be used to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to gain or modify exposure to a particular currency. Hedging the Fund’s currency risks involves the risk of mismatching the Fund’s objectives under a forward contract with the value of securities denominated in a particular currency. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. There is an additional risk to the extent that currency contracts create exposure to currencies in which

the Fund’s securities are not denominated. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts.

Counterparty Risk. The foreign currency markets in which the Fund effects its transactions are over-the-counter or “interdealer” markets. The counterparty to an over-the-counter spot contract is generally a single bank or other financial institution rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial institutions. Participants in over-the-counter markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as members of “exchange-based” markets. Because the Fund executes over-the-counter transactions, the Fund constantly takes credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those involved in exchange-traded transactions which generally are characterized by clearing organization guaranties, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two

 

 

73


 

counterparties generally do not benefit from these protections and the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with agreed terms and conditions.

Equity Securities Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes.

Financial Services Sector Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers in the financial services sector in order to track the Underlying Index’s allocation to that sector. The financial services sector is subject to extensive government regulation, can be subject to relatively rapid change due to increasingly blurred distinctions between service segments, and can be significantly affected by availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. In addition, the deterioration of the credit markets since late 2007 generally has caused an adverse impact in a broad range of

markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. In particular, events in the financial sector since late 2008 have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. This situation has created instability in the financial markets and caused certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many financial services companies to experience a dramatic decline in value. Moreover, certain financial companies have avoided collapse due to intervention by the U.S. or foreign regulatory authorities, but such interventions have often not averted a substantial decline in the value of such companies’ common stock.

Issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected by the foregoing events and the general market turmoil,

 

 

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and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue.

Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in equity securities, including general economic conditions and sudden and unpredictable drops in value. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like security prices generally, will fluctuate within a wide range in response to these and other factors.

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market. Often small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting

to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its Underlying Index for a number of reasons, including operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying

 

 

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Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.

Cash Redemption Risk. Because the Fund invests a portion of its assets in foreign currency forward contracts, the Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. The Fund may be required to unwind such contracts or sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell shares at market prices on an exchange.

Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry.

Geographic Concentration Risk. As of August 13, 2013, a significant percentage of the Underlying Index is comprised of securities of issuers from France and the United Kingdom. To the extent the Index is significantly comprised of securities of issuers from a single country, and thus the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of such country (including France and the United Kingdom), the Fund would be more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting

 

 

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those countries. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

Performance Information

As of the date of the Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not report its performance information. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at www.dbxus.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance and by showing how the Fund’s returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Management

Investment Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC.

Sub-Adviser. TDAM USA Inc.

Portfolio Managers. Vishal Bhatia and Dino Bourdos, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a

member of a portfolio manager team. Messrs. Bhatia and Bourdos have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since the Fund’s inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor.

Tax Information. The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”). For more information regarding the tax consequences that may be associated with investing in the Fund, please refer to the section of the Prospectus entitled “Taxes on Distributions.”

 

 

77


 

Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology

platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

78


db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund

 

Ticker: DBUK   Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca

Investment Objective

The db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI United Kingdom US Dollar Hedged Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a

percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fee

   0.45

Other Expenses

   0.00
  

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   0.45

 

 

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Example. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

$46   $144   $252   $567

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as 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 Fund 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.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to

the United Kingdom equity markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and British pound sterling. As of August 13, 2013, the MSCI United Kingdom US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 107 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $24.8 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $1.8 billion. The Underlying Index hedges British pound sterling to the U.S. dollar by selling British pound sterling currency forwards at the one-month forward rate published by WM/Reuters.

For U.S. investors, international equity investments include two components of return.

The first is the return attributable to stock prices in the non-U.S. market or markets in which an investment is made. The second is the return attributable to the value of non-U.S. currencies in these markets relative to the U.S. dollar. The Underlying Index and the Fund seek to track the performance of equity securities in the United Kingdom markets that is attributable solely to stock prices.

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the

 

 

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investment performance of the Underlying Index. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser expect that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser use a representative sampling indexing strategy in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts designed to offset the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. A forward currency contract is a contract between two parties to buy or sell a specific currency in the future at an agreed-upon rate. The amount of forward

contracts in the Fund is based on the aggregate exposure of the Fund and Underlying Index to each non-U.S. currency based on currency weights as of the beginning of each month. While this approach is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on Fund returns, this does not necessarily eliminate exposure to all currency fluctuations. The return of the forward currency contracts may not perfectly offset the actual fluctuations of non-U.S. currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of issuers from the United Kingdom and in instruments designed to hedge the Fund’s exposure to British pound sterling. In addition, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets, but typically far more, in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts (which are securities issued by banks representing an issuer’s shares that are publicly traded in another country) in respect of equity securities that comprise the Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards the

 

 

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80% investment policy discussed above with respect to instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

Industry Concentration Policy. 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 the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated.

As of August 13, 2013, the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of issuers in the financial services sector.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV, trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective, as well as numerous other risks that are described in greater detail in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Further Discussion of Principal Risks” and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Risks Related to Investing in the United Kingdom. Investments in British issuers may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risk specific to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has one of the largest economies in Europe, and the United States and other European countries are substantial trading partners of the United Kingdom. As a result, the British economy may be impacted by changes to the economic health of the United States and other European countries. The British economy, along with certain other European Union (“EU”) economies, experienced a significant economic slowdown during the recent financial crisis; certain British financial institutions were severely under-capitalized and required government intervention to survive.

Currency Risk. The Fund enters into forward currency contracts to attempt to minimize the impact of changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar. These contracts may not be successful. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies may affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. To the extent

 

 

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the Fund’s forward currency contracts are not successful in hedging against such changes, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. Furthermore, because no changes in the currency weights in the Underlying Index are made during the month to account for changes in the Underlying Index due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes, changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in the Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar during the month may affect the value of the Fund’s investment. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in the Fund may also go up or down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money.

Forward Currency Contracts Risk. The Fund intends to invest in forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies

that are the subject of the contract. Forward currency contracts may be used to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to gain or modify exposure to a particular currency. Hedging the Fund’s currency risks involves the risk of mismatching the Fund’s objectives under a forward contract with the value of securities denominated in a particular currency. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. There is an additional risk to the extent that currency contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Fund’s securities are not denominated. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts.

Counterparty Risk. The foreign currency markets in which the Fund effects its transactions are over-the-counter or “interdealer” markets. The counterparty to an over-the-counter spot contract is generally a single bank or other financial institution rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial institutions. Participants in over-

 

 

83


 

the-counter markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as members of “exchange-based” markets. Because the Fund executes over-the-counter transactions, the Fund constantly takes credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those involved in exchange-traded transactions which generally are characterized by clearing organization guaranties, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from these protections and the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with agreed terms and conditions.

Equity Securities Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes.

Financial Services Sector Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers in the financial services sector in order to track the Underlying Index’s allocation to that sector. The financial services sector is subject to extensive government regulation, can be subject to relatively rapid change due to increasingly blurred distinctions between service segments, and can be significantly affected by availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. In addition, the deterioration of the credit markets since late 2007 generally has caused an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. In particular, events in the financial sector since late 2008 have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. This situation has created instability in the financial markets and caused certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the

 

 

84


 

valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many financial services companies to experience a dramatic decline in value. Moreover, certain financial companies have avoided collapse due to intervention by the U.S. or foreign regulatory authorities, but such interventions have often not averted a substantial decline in the value of such companies’ common stock.

Issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected by the foregoing events and the general market turmoil, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue.

Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in equity securities, including general economic conditions and sudden and unpredictable drops in value. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like security prices generally, will fluctuate within a wide range in response to these and other factors.

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization

companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies.

These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market. Often small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

 

 

85


 

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its Underlying Index for a number of reasons, including operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.

Cash Redemption Risk. Because the Fund invests a portion of its assets in foreign currency forward contracts, the Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. The Fund may be required to unwind such contracts or sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had

made a redemption in-kind. As a result the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell shares at market prices on an exchange.

Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

 

86


 

Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry.

Geographic Concentration Risk. Because the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of a single country, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

Performance Information

As of the date of the Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not report its performance information. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at www.dbxus.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance and by showing how the Fund’s returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Management

Investment Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC.

Sub-Adviser. TDAM USA Inc.

Portfolio Managers. Vishal Bhatia and Dino Bourdos, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team. Messrs. Bhatia and Bourdos have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since the Fund’s inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor.

 

 

87


 

Tax Information. The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”). For more information regarding the tax consequences that may be associated with investing in the Fund, please refer to the section of the Prospectus entitled “Taxes on Distributions.”

Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial

intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

88


db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund

 

Ticker: UTLT   Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca

Investment Objective

The db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fee

   0.45

Other Expenses

   0.00
  

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   0.45

Expense information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees under the Fund’s investment advisory agreement as of October 1, 2013.

 

 

89


 

Example . This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods.

The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

$46   $144   $252   $567

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as 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 Fund 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.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index is designed to track the price

movements in shares of companies whose main business operations are in the regulated utilities sector. A company is considered to be in the regulated utilities sector if its ancillary, non-utility businesses and/or unregulated utilities business does not represent more than 25% of the company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) in any year of the previous three years (though this period may not apply to companies which have sold or purchased non-utility or unregulated utility businesses during that time). The Underlying Index contains securities of issuers of large, medium or small market capitalization in the U.S. or other developed markets (with the exception of Japan) which meet certain market capitalization and liquidity requirements. As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of 61 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $9.0 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $927.0 million and contained issuers from the following seven developed market countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Underlying Index is a total return index, which tracks capital gains and

 

 

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assumes that any cash distributions are reinvested back into the Underlying Index.

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Underlying Index. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser expect that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser expect to use a “replication” strategy, in which the Fund will hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index. However, if the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser deem it necessary or advisable, they may instead use a representative sampling indexing strategy in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. In such a case, the securities selected would be expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics

(such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index.

The Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts (which are securities issued by banks representing an issuer’s shares that are publicly traded in another country) in respect of equity securities that comprise the applicable Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Fund’s Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards the Fund’s 80% investment policy discussed above.

Industry Concentration Policy. 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 the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which

 

 

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may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective, as well as numerous other risks that are described in greater detail in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Further Discussion of Principal Risks” and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Utilities Sector Risk. Issuers in the utilities sector are subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including high interest costs associated with capital construction and improvement programs; difficulty in raising adequate capital on reasonable terms in periods of high inflation and unsettled capital markets; governmental regulation of rates the issuer can charge to customers; costs associated with compliance, and adjusting to changes to, environmental and other regulations; effects of economic slowdowns and surplus capacity; increased competition from other providers of utility services; inexperience with, and potential losses resulting from, a developing deregulatory environment; costs associated with the reduced availability of certain types of fuel, occasionally reduced availability and high costs of natural gas for resale, and the effects of energy

conservation policies; effects of a national energy policy and lengthy delays, and greatly increased costs and other problems, associated with the design, construction, licensing, regulation and operation of nuclear facilities for electric generation, including, among other considerations, the problems associated with the use of radioactive materials and the disposal of radioactive wastes; technological innovations that may render existing plants, equipment or products obsolete; difficulty in obtaining regulatory approval of new technologies; lack of compatibility of telecommunications equipment; and potential impact of terrorist activities on the utility industry and its customers and the impact of natural or man-made disasters. The nuclear power plant catastrophe in Japan in March 2011 may have short-term and long-term effects on the nuclear energy industry throughout the world, the extent of which are unknown. Issuers in the utilities sector also may be subject to regulation by various governmental authorities and may be affected by the imposition of special tariffs and changes in tax laws, regulatory policies and accounting standards.

Energy Sector Risk. Changes in worldwide energy prices,

 

 

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exploration and production spending may adversely affect companies in the energy sector. Changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions also affect these companies. In addition, these companies are at risk of civil liability from accidents resulting in injury, loss of life or property, pollution or other environmental damage claims and risk of loss from terrorism and natural disasters. Commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources, development of alternative energy sources, technological developments and labor relations also could adversely affect companies in this sector.

Equity Risk. Equity risk is the risk that the value of the securities the Fund holds will fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities the Fund holds participate or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of securities the Fund holds; the price of securities may be particularly sensitive to general movements in the stock market;

or a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the securities the Fund holds. In addition, securities of an issuer in the Fund’s portfolio may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer of the security experiences a decline in its financial condition.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity, political instability and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions. Because the Fund will invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and the income received by the Fund will generally be in foreign currency, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Fund’s return. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, the Fund may invest in depositary receipts which

 

 

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involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. In addition, the European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and have been adversely affected by concerns about economic downturns, credit rating downgrades, rising government debt levels and possible default on or restructuring of government debt in several European countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. A default or debt restructuring by any European country would adversely impact holders of that country’s debt, and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that country’s creditworthiness (which may be located in countries other than those listed in the previous sentence). Finally, the value of the currency of the country in which the Fund has invested could decline relative to the value of the U.S. dollar, which may affect the value of the investment to U.S. investors. The Fund will not enter into transactions to hedge against declines in the value of the Fund’s assets that are denominated in a foreign currency.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities.

This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its Underlying Index due to operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.

 

 

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Market Risk. Securities in the Underlying Index are subject to market fluctuations. You should anticipate that the value of the Shares will decline, more or less, in correlation with any decline in value of the securities in the Underlying Index.

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market. Often small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Issuer-Specific Changes. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole.

Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days

when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that industry.

Performance Information

As of the date of the Prospectus, the Fund has less than one year of performance and therefore does not report its performance information. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at www.dbxus.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund

 

 

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by showing changes in the Fund’s performance and by showing how the Fund’s returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Management

Investment Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC.

Sub-Adviser. RREEF America L.L.C.

Portfolio Managers. John F. Robertson, John W. Vojticek, Francis Greywitt and Manoj H. Patel, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of

50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

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db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund

 

Ticker: RVNU   Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca

Investment Objective

The db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a

percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fee

   0.30

Other Expenses

   0.00
  

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   0.30

Expense information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees under the Fund’s investment advisory agreement as of October 1, 2013.

 

 

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Example. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

$31   $97   $169   $381

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as 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 Fund 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.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index is designed to track the returns of

the segment of the U.S. long term tax-exempt bond market, consisting of infrastructure revenue bonds. The Underlying Index is comprised of tax-exempt municipal securities issued by states, cities, counties, districts, their respective agencies and other tax-exempt issuers. The Underlying Index is intended to track bonds that have been issued with the intention of funding federal, state and local infrastructure projects such as water and sewer systems, public power systems, toll roads, bridges, tunnels, and many other public use projects. As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of 531 securities with an average amount outstanding of approximately $123.0 million and a minimum amount outstanding of approximately $40.0 million. The Underlying Index is designed to only hold those bonds issued by state and local municipalities where the interest and principal repayments are generated from dedicated revenue streams or double-barreled entities (whose bonds are backed by both a dedicated revenue stream and a general obligation pledge).

The Underlying Index may include private activity bonds, industrial development bonds, special tax bonds and transportation bonds. Private activity bonds are issued by

 

 

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municipalities and other public authorities to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise. The private enterprise pays the principal and interest on the bond, and the issuer does not pledge its full faith, credit and taxing power for repayment. Industrial development bonds are a specific type of revenue bond backed by the credit and security of a private user and therefore have more potential risk. The interest from industrial development bonds, when distributed by the Fund as “exempt-interest dividends” to shareholders, may be subject to the alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). Special tax bonds are payable for and secured by the revenues derived by a municipality from a particular tax ( e.g ., tax on the rental of a hotel room, on the purchase of food and beverages, on the rental of automobiles or on the consumption of liquor). Special tax bonds are not secured by the general tax revenues of the municipality, and they do not represent general obligations of the municipality. Transportation bonds are obligations of issuers that own and operate public transit systems, ports, highways, turnpikes, bridges and other transportation systems.

As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index was

substantially comprised of issuers in the water revenue and highway revenue tolls sectors. In addition, as of such date a significant percentage of the Underlying Index was comprised of New York municipal securities.

In order to be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, the municipal securities must be offered publicly; meet a minimum amount outstanding and deal amount; are investment-grade; have a fixed-rate coupon payment; and are not prefunded/escrowed to maturity. Municipal bonds which are subject to the AMT and state and local taxes are eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index does not attempt to achieve a particular duration (which is a measure of a bond’s sensitivity to interest rates), but the Underlying Index limits eligibility for inclusion to municipal securities which have a stated final maturity of 10 years or longer and are not callable for at least the next 5 years.

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Underlying Index. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser expect that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the

 

 

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Underlying Index before fees and expenses will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser use a representative sampling indexing strategy in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities issued by municipalities across the United States and its territories which are classified as “municipal infrastructure revenue” bonds based on the Underlying Index’s criteria summarized above, whose income is free from regular federal income tax.

Because municipal securities that pay interest subject to the AMT may be included in the Underlying Index without limit, the Fund may invest an unlimited amount of its net assets in municipal securities whose income is subject to the AMT. In addition, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

Industry Concentration Policy. 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 the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective, as well as numerous other risks that are described in greater detail in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Further Discussion of Principal Risks” and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

 

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Municipal Securities Risk. Municipal securities are subject to the risk that litigation, legislation or other political events, local business or economic conditions or the bankruptcy of the issuer could have a significant effect on an issuer’s ability to make payments of principal and/or interest. Municipal securities can be significantly affected by political changes as well as uncertainties in the municipal market related to taxation, legislative changes or the rights of municipal security holders. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance similar projects, especially those relating to education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. In addition, changes in the financial condition of an individual municipal insurer can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities may include revenue bonds, which are generally backed by revenue from a specific project or tax. The issuer of a revenue bond makes interest and principal payments from revenues generated from a particular source or facility, such as a tax on particular property or revenues generated from a municipal water or sewer utility or an airport. Revenue bonds generally are not backed by the

full faith and credit and general taxing power of the issuer. The market for municipal bonds may be less liquid than for taxable bonds. There may be less information available on the financial condition of issuers of municipal securities than for public corporations.

Private Activity Bonds Risk. The issuers of private activity bonds in which the Fund may invest may be negatively impacted by conditions affecting either the general credit of the user of the private activity project or the project itself. The Fund’s private activity bond holdings also may pay interest subject to the AMT. See “Dividends and Distributions” for more details.

Industrial Development Bond Risk. These revenue bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to finance various public and/or privately operated facilities, including those for business and manufacturing, housing, sports, pollution control, airport, mass transit, port and parking facilities. These bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments. Consequently, the credit quality of these securities is dependent upon the ability of the user of the facilities financed by the bonds and any

 

 

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guarantor to meet its financial obligations. These bonds are subject to a wide variety of risks, many of which relate to the nature of the specific project. Generally, the value and credit quality of these bonds are sensitive to the risks related to an economic slowdown.

Special Tax Bond Risk. Special tax bonds are usually backed and payable through a single tax, or series of special taxes such as incremental property taxes. The failure of the tax levy to generate adequate revenue to pay the debt service on the bonds may cause the value of the bonds to decline.

Transportation Bond Risk. Transportation debt may be issued to finance the construction of airports, toll roads, highways or other transit facilities. Airport bonds are dependent on the general stability of the airline industry and on the stability of a specific carrier who uses the airport as a hub. Air traffic generally follows broader economic trends and is also affected by the price and availability of fuel. Toll road bonds are also affected by the cost and availability of fuel as well as toll levels, the presence of competing roads and the general economic health of an area. Fuel costs and availability also affect other transportation related securities, as do the

presence of alternate forms of transportation, such as public transportation.

Interest Rate Risk. When interest rates rise, prices of debt securities generally decline. The longer the duration of the Fund’s debt securities, the more sensitive it will be to interest rate changes. (As a general rule, a 1% rise in interest rates means a 1% fall in value for every year of duration.)

Credit Risk. The Fund’s performance could be hurt if an issuer of a debt security suffers an adverse change in financial condition that results in a payment default, security downgrade or inability to meet a financial obligation. Credit risk is greater for lower-rated securities.

Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund concentrates its investments in a single state, region or sector of the municipal securities market, its performance can be more volatile than that of a fund that invests more broadly. As an example, factors affecting a state, region or sector such as severe fiscal difficulties, an economic downturn, court rulings, increased expenditures on domestic security or reduced monetary support from the federal government could over time impair a states, region or sector’s ability to repay its obligations.

 

 

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Risks Related to Investing in New York. Because the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of New York municipal bonds as of May 31, 2013, a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments consist of New York municipal bonds as well. Accordingly, the Fund has greater exposure to negative political, economic, regulatory or other factors within the State of New York, including the financial condition of its public authorities and political subdivisions, than a fund that invests in a broader base of securities. Unfavorable developments in any economic sector may have a substantial impact on the overall New York municipal market. Certain issuers of New York municipal bonds have experienced serious financial difficulties in the past and reoccurrence of these difficulties may impair the ability of certain New York issuers to pay principal or interest on their obligations.

Market Risk. Deteriorating market conditions might cause a general weakness in the market that reduces the prices of securities in that market. Developments in a particular class of debt securities or the stock market could also adversely affect the Fund by reducing the relative attractiveness of debt securities

as an investment. Also, to the extent that the Fund emphasizes debt securities from any given state or region, it could be hurt if that state or region does not do well.

Tax Risk. Income from municipal securities held by the Fund could be declared taxable because of unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of a securities issuer. In addition, because municipal securities that pay interest subject to the AMT may be included in the Underlying Index without limit, the Fund may invest an unlimited amount of its net assets in municipal securities whose income is subject to the AMT. Further, a portion of the Fund’s otherwise exempt-interest distributions may be taxable to those shareholders subject to the federal AMT.

Liquidity Risk. In certain situations, it may be difficult or impossible to sell an investment in an orderly fashion at an acceptable price.

Prepayment and Extension Risk. When interest rates fall, issuers of high interest debt obligations may pay off the debts earlier than expected (prepayment risk), and the Fund

 

 

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may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower yields. When interest rates rise, issuers of lower interest debt obligations may pay off the debts later than expected (extension risk), thus keeping the Fund’s assets tied up in lower interest debt obligations. Ultimately, any unexpected behavior in interest rates could increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price and yield and could hurt fund performance. Prepayments could also create capital gains tax liability in some instances.

Pricing Risk. If market conditions make it difficult to value some investments, the Fund may value these investments using more subjective methods, such as fair value pricing. In such cases, the value determined for an investment could be different than the value realized upon such investment’s sale. As a result, you could pay more than the market value when buying Fund shares or receive less than the market value when selling Fund shares.

Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. The Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds.

This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell shares at market prices on an exchange.

Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance

 

 

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of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its Underlying Index due to operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This

may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Performance Information

As of the date of the Prospectus, the Fund has less than one year of performance and therefore does not report its performance information. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at www.dbxus.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance and by showing how the Fund’s returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Management

Investment Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC.

Sub-Adviser. Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc.

Portfolio Managers. Philip G. Condon, Ashton P. Goodfield, Blair Ridley and Michael J. Generazo, each a Portfolio Manager since inception, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team.

 

 

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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to meet certain federal income tax requirements so that distributions of tax-exempt interest income will be treated as “exempt-interest dividends.” These dividends are not subject to regular federal income tax. The Fund may invest an unlimited amount of its net assets in municipal securities that generate interest income subject to the AMT for individuals. All exempt-interest dividends may increase certain corporate shareholders’ AMT. The Fund expects that its distributions will consist

primarily of exempt-interest dividends. The Fund’s exempt-interest dividends may be subject to state and local taxes. Any capital gains or income dividends, other than exempt-interest dividends, distributed by the Fund will be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA. For more information regarding the tax consequences that may be associated with investing in the Fund, please refer to the section of the Prospectus entitled “Taxes on Distributions.”

Payment to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

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Additional Information About the Funds’ Investment Strategies and Risks

Principal Investment Strategies

Additional Information about each Fund’s Underlying Index construction is set forth below.

MSCI Hedged Indexes

The MSCI Hedged Indexes are calculated and maintained by MSCI Inc. (“Index Provider”).

The MSCI EM US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to equity securities in the global emerging markets, while at the same time hedging exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected non-U.S. currencies in these emerging market countries. The MSCI Emerging Markets FX Hedge Index in USD measures the performance impact of hedging the currency exposure of the following emerging market indexes: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey, relative to the U.S. dollar. As of May 31, 2013, the MSCI EM US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 823 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $4.5 billion. As of such date, the MSCI EM US Dollar Hedged Index was significantly comprised of issuers in the financial services sector. As of such date, the two countries with the largest representation in the MSCI EM US Dollar Hedged Index were China and South Korea, with approximately 18.5% and 14.9%, respectively, representation in the Underlying Index by weight.

The MSCI EAFE US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to equity securities in developed international stock markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected non-U.S. currencies. The MSCI EAFE FX Hedge Index in USD measures the performance impact of hedging the currency exposure of the following developed market country indexes: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, relative to the U.S. dollar. As of May 31, 2013, the MSCI EAFE US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 905 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $12.8 billion. As of such date, the MSCI EAFE US Dollar Hedged Index was significantly comprised of issuers in the financial services sector. As of such date, the two countries with the largest

 

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representation in the MSCI EAFE US Dollar Hedged Index were the United Kingdom and Japan, with approximately 22.0% and 21.4%, respectively, representation in the Underlying Index by weight.

The MSCI Brazil US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to Brazilian equity markets while at the same time hedging exposure to fluctuations of the Brazilian real relative to the U.S. dollar. As of May 31, 2013, the MSCI Brazil US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 81 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $5.6 billion. As of such date, the MSCI Brazil US Dollar Hedged Index was significantly comprised of issuers in the financial services sector.

The MSCI Germany US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to German equity markets while at the same time hedging exposure to fluctuations of the Euro relative to the U.S. dollar. As of May 31, 2013, the MSCI Germany US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 51 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $19.9 billion.

The MSCI Japan US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to Japanese equity markets while at the same time hedging exposure to fluctuations of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar. As of May 31, 2013, the MSCI Japan US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 316 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $7.9 billion. As of such date, the MSCI Japan US Dollar Hedged Index was significantly comprised of issuers in the consumer discretionary, financial services and industrials sectors.

The MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to equity securities in developed and emerging stock markets in the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan), while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected non-U.S. currencies. The MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan FX Hedge Index in USD measures the performance impact of hedging the currency exposure of the following developed and emerging market indexes: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand, relative to the U.S. dollar. As of August 13, 2013, the MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 684 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $5.5 billion. As of such date, the MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan US Dollar Hedged Index was significantly comprised of issuers in the financial services sector. As of such date, the two countries with the largest representation in the MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan US Dollar Hedged Index were Australia and China, with approximately 25.4% and 18.5%, respectively, representation in the Underlying Index by weight.

 

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The MSCI Europe US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to equity securities in developed stock markets in Europe, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected non-U.S. currencies. The MSCI Europe FX Hedge Index in USD measures the performance impact of hedging the currency exposure of the following developed market country indexes: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, relative to the U.S. dollar. As of August 13, 2013, the MSCI Europe US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 438 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $18.1 billion. As of such date, the MSCI Europe US Dollar Hedged Index was significantly comprised of issuers in the financial services sector. As of such date, the two countries with the largest representation in the MSCI Europe US Dollar Hedged Index were France and the United Kingdom, with approximately 14.9% and 33.4%, respectively, representation in the Underlying Index by weight.

The MSCI United Kingdom US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to the United Kingdom equity markets while at the same time hedging exposure to fluctuations of the British pound sterling relative to the U.S. dollar. As of August 13, 2013, the MSCI United Kingdom US Dollar Hedged Index consisted of 107 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $24.8 billion. As of such date, the MSCI United Kingdom US Dollar Hedged Index was significantly comprised of issuers in the financial services sector.

The MSCI Hedged Indexes hedge each foreign currency in the Underlying Index to the U.S. dollar by selling the applicable foreign currency forward at the one-month forward rate published by WM/Reuters. With respect to each Underlying Index, the weight of each currency corresponds to the relative market cap weight of the securities quoted in that currency in the underlying MSCI Equity Index. More precisely, the weights are derived from the aggregate free-float adjusted market capitalization of the securities quoted in the respective currencies in the underlying MSCI Equity Index as of the close of two business days before the first calendar day of following month, but taking into account any month end changes in the index constituents due to rebalancing and corporate actions. Each Underlying Index is rebalanced monthly on the last trading day of the month, when the index will reflect the effect of rolling into new 1-month forward contracts based on the newly determined weights of currency to be sold for the next month’s index calculation. The currency weights are determined as of the close of two business days before the first calendar day of the following month and remain constant during the month. This means that no changes in the weights are made during the month to account for changes in the indexes due to price movement of securities,

 

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corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes. The daily calculation of each Underlying Index incorporates daily changes in the market value of the one-month forward contracts on a daily basis by using an equal and offsetting forward position.

For U.S. investors, international equity investments include two components of return. The first is the return attributable to stock prices in the non-U.S. market or markets in which an investment is made. The second is the return attributable to the value of non-U.S. currencies in these markets relative to the U.S. dollar. By hedging exposure to the fluctuations in the value of the applicable non-U.S. currency or currencies relative to the U.S. dollar, each Underlying Index seeks to track the performance of equity securities in specified markets that is attributable solely to stock prices.

DBIQ Indexes

The DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index is maintained by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“DBSI” or “Index Provider”) and is administered and calculated by Structured Solutions AG.

The DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index is designed to track the price movements in shares of companies whose main business operations are in the regulated utilities sector. The DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index contains securities of issuers of large, medium or small market capitalization in the U.S. or other developed markets (with the exception of Japan) which meet certain market capitalization and liquidity requirements. As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Regulated Utilities Index consisted of 61 securities with an average market capitalization of approximately $9.03 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $927 million and contained issuers from the following seven developed market countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. As of such date, the country with the largest representation in the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index was the United States, with approximately 76.90%, representation in the DBIQ Index by weight.

The universe of companies eligible for the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index are those companies that fulfill the following conditions:

(a) Legal domicile in a developed market country with the exception of Japan. The following markets are classified as a developed market: Canada, USA, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore;

 

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(b) Listing on a regulated stock exchange in the form of shares tradable for foreign investors without restrictions in a developed market country with the exception of Japan;

(c) Main business operations in the regulated utilities sector;

(d) Free float market capitalization of at least $500 million; or

(e) Average daily trading volume in the last three months of at least $1 million.

A company is considered to be in the regulated utilities sector if its ancillary, non-utility businesses and/or unregulated utilities business does not represent more than 25% of the company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) in any year of the previous three years (though this period may not apply to companies which have sold or purchased non-utility or unregulated utility businesses during that time). The DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index is a total return index, which tracks capital gains and assumes that any cash distributions are reinvested back into the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index.

The composition of the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index is ordinarily adjusted annually on the fifth Business Day after the Selection Day (the “Adjustment Day”). The composition of the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index is determined the first Business Day in October (the “Selection Day”).

The companies meeting the criteria set forth above are ranked according to their market capitalization, from highest to lowest. The companies with the highest ranks are then chosen as index components and the new index composition determined thereby is valid as of the immediately following Adjustment Day.

The minimum number of index components is 30 and the maximum number of index components is 100. The Committee may decide to increase the maximum number of index components on a Selection Day. If a company which is a current index component is assigned a rank on a subsequent Selection Day which would not be high enough to be selected as an index component if such company was not already included in the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index, it shall only be removed from the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index if its rank exceeds the maximum number of index components by more than ten ranks ( e.g ., if the maximum number of index components is 30, the company would not be removed from the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index unless it is ranked 40 or higher on the list of potential index components). If an index component is not removed from the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index on a Selection Day for this reason, then the company with the lowest rank which is selected as an index

 

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component on this Selection Day but which is not currently an index component on the Selection Day will not be included in the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index.

On each Adjustment Day each index component is weighted proportionally according to its market capitalization. The percentage weight of any index component is capped at 5% on the Selection Days. The excess weight is allocated proportionally to all index components whose percentage weights are not capped. The new index composition and weightings are implemented after the close of trading on the Adjustment Day.

The DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index is maintained by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and is administered and calculated by Structured Solutions AG.

The DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index is designed to track the returns of the segment of the U.S. long term tax-exempt bond market, consisting of infrastructure revenue bonds. The DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index is comprised of tax-exempt municipal securities issued by states, cities, counties, districts, their respective agencies and other tax-exempt issuers. The DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index is intended to track bonds that have been issued with the intention of funding federal, state and local infrastructure projects such as water and sewer systems, public power systems, toll roads, bridges, tunnels, and many other public use projects. As of May 31, 2013, the DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index consisted of 531 securities with an average amount outstanding of approximately $123 million and a minimum amount outstanding of approximately $40 million. The DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index is designed to only hold those bonds issued by state and local municipalities where the interest and principal repayments are generated from dedicated revenue streams or double-barreled entities (whose bonds are backed by both a dedicated revenue stream and a general obligation pledge).

The universe of municipal securities eligible for inclusion in the DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index are those municipal bonds that fulfill the following conditions:

(a) Subject to a public offering;

(b) Amount outstanding of each bond must be at least $40 million where, subject to the following additional conditions:

1. Bonds with an amount outstanding of less than $100 million may only be included if they are issued after January 1, 2012.

 

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2. Bonds with an amount outstanding of more than $100 million may be included regardless of issue date.

(c) Deal size of at least $100 million;

(d) Federal tax free (bonds subject to the AMT and state and local taxes) may be included in the DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index without limit;

(e) Investment-grade rating by either Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.;

(f) Fixed-rate coupon payment (zero coupon bonds may not be included in the DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index);

(g) Bonds must not be pre-refunded / escrowed to maturity;

(h) Time to maturity must be at least 10 years or longer;

(i) Callable securities must not be callable within the next 5 years (the next call date must not lie in the next 5 years);

(j) Purpose of the bond proceeds must be for one of the following areas:

1. Transportation (airports, seaports, bridges, toll roads, tunnels, parking facilities, or similar)

2. Recreation (convention centers, stadiums, sports complexes, or similar)

3. Utility (electric public power, water/sewer, sanitation, or similar)

4. Industrial Economic Development (solid waste recovery, malls, shopping centers, or similar)

5. The following industries are excluded: higher education, pollution control, housing, healthcare and tobacco;

(k) Proceeds of debt must be used for infrastructure purposes and principal and interest repayment must come from a pledged revenue source ( e.g . tolls, sales tax, registration fees, user fees) or a double-barreled revenue stream (pledged revenue stream and a general obligation pledge);

(l) Municipal bonds, which are paid back solely using a general obligation pledge or an appropriation, may not be included in the Underlying Index;

 

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(m) Municipal bonds from Puerto Rico which are classified as “Sales Tax” may not be included in the DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index; and

(n) Municipal bonds where the obligor is a corporation may not be included in the DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index.

All municipal bonds which meet the above requirements are included in the DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index. The DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index is rebalanced on the last business day of each month. Newly issued municipal bonds which meet the requirements are generally added to the DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index five days prior to the last business day of each month. Additionally, five days prior to the last business day of each month, any DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index components which no longer meet the above requirements are removed from the DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index.

A Further Discussion of Principal Risks

Each Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV, trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. You could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund could underperform other investments. Risk information is applicable to all Funds unless otherwise noted.

Risks Related to Investing in Brazil. (db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund only) Investments in securities of Brazilian companies are subject to regulatory, economic and political risks related to the significant influence that the Brazilian government exercises over its economy. The Brazilian economy has historically been characterized by frequent, and occasionally drastic, intervention by the Brazilian government. Government efforts to check inflation and shape other aspects of the economy have involved, among others, the setting of wage and price controls, blocking access to bank accounts, imposing exchange controls and limiting imports. There can be no assurances that similar measures will not be instituted in the future. Such measures may have significant effects on the Fund’s investments.

Brazil, like many other South American countries, has historically experienced high rates of inflation and may do so in the future. An increase in prices for petroleum, the depreciation of the real and future governmental measures seeking to maintain the value of the real in relation to the U.S. dollar, may trigger increases in inflation in Brazil and

 

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may slow the rate of growth of the Brazilian economy. Brazil also continues to suffer from a high level of debt and public spending, which may stifle economic growth, contribute to prolonged periods of recession or lower the country’s sovereign debt rating, all of which may adversely impact the Fund’s investments. Investments in Brazilian securities may be subject to certain restriction on foreign investment. Brazilian law provides that whenever a serious imbalance in Brazil’s balance of payments exists or is anticipated, the Brazilian government may impose temporary restrictions on the remittance to foreign investors of the proceeds of their investment in Brazil and on the conversion of Brazilian currency into foreign currency. The likelihood of such restrictions may be affected by the extent of Brazil’s foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign currency in the foreign exchange markets on the date a payment is due, the size of Brazil’s debt service burden relative to the economy as a whole and political constraints to which Brazil may be subject. There can be no assurance that the Brazilian government will not impose restrictions or restrictive exchange control policies in the future.

Brazil is heavily dependent on export to the United States, China and other countries in Central and South America, especially fellow member states in the Mercosur trade bloc. Reduction in spending on Brazilian products and services, or adverse economic events, such as inflation, high interest rates, currency devaluation, political upheaval and high unemployment rates, in any of the trading partner states may impact the Brazilian economy. Further, many economies in Central and South America, including Brazil’s, are heavily dependent on commodity exports and may be particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices.

Despite rapid development in recent years, Brazil still suffers from high levels of corruption, crime and income disparity. There is the possibility that such conditions may lead to social unrest and political upheaval in the future, which may have adverse effects on the Fund’s investments.

Risks Related to Investing in Germany. (db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund and db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund only) The Funds are subject to risks relating to its investment in German securities. The German economy is dependent on the other countries in Europe as key trade partners. Exports account for more than one-third of Germany’s output and are a key element in German economic expansion. Reduction in spending by European countries on German products and services or negative changes in any of these countries may cause an adverse impact on the German economy. In addition, the U.S. is a large trade and investment partner of Germany. Decreasing U.S. imports, new trade regulations, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rates or a recession in the United States may also have an adverse impact on the German economy.

 

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The Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (the “EU”) requires compliance with restrictions on inflation, deficits, interest rates, public debt and fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may significantly affect each country in Europe. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, the default or threat of default by an EU country on its sovereign debt, and recessions in an EU country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU countries. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about rising government debt levels of several European countries, including Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Portugal. These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect other countries in Europe.

During the most recent financial crisis, the German economy, along with certain other EU economies, experienced a significant economic slowdown. Recently, new concerns emerged in relation to the economic health of the EU. These concerns have led to tremendous downward pressure on certain financial institutions, including German financial services companies. During the recent European debt crisis, Germany played a key role in stabilizing the euro. However, such efforts may prove unsuccessful, and any ongoing crisis may continue to significantly affect the economies of every country in Europe, including Germany.

Investing in German issuers involves political, social and regulatory risks. Certain sectors and regions of Germany have experienced high unemployment and social unrest. These issues may have an adverse effect on the German economy or the German industries or sectors in which the Fund invests. Heavy regulation of labor and product markets is pervasive in Germany. These regulations may stifle economic growth or result in extended recessionary periods.

Risks Related to Investing in Japan. (db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund and db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund only) The growth of Japan’s economy has historically lagged that of its Asian neighbors and other major developed economies. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent on international trade and has been adversely affected by trade tariffs, other protectionist measures, competition from emerging economies and the economic conditions of its trading partners. Japan’s relations with its neighbors, particularly China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, have at times been strained due to territorial disputes, historical animosities and defense concerns. Most recently, the Japanese government has shown concern over the increased nuclear and military activity by North Korea. Strained relations may cause uncertainty in the Japanese markets and adversely affect the overall Japanese economy in

 

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times of crisis. China has become an important trading partner with Japan, yet the countries’ political relationship has become strained. Should political tension increase, it could adversely affect the economy, especially the export sector, and destabilize the region as a whole. Japan is located in a part of the world that has historically been prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis and is economically sensitive to environmental events. Any such event, such as the major earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan in March 2011, could result in a significant adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Historically, Japan has been subject to unpredictable national politics and may experience frequent political turnover. Future political developments may lead to changes in policy that might adversely affect the Fund’s investments. In addition, the Japanese economy faces several concerns, including a financial system with large levels of nonperforming loans, over-leveraged corporate balance sheets, extensive cross-ownership by major corporations, a changing corporate governance structure, and large government deficits. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely at times and any increase in its value may cause a decline in exports that could weaken the economy. Furthermore, Japan has an aging workforce. It is a labor market undergoing fundamental structural changes, as traditional lifetime employment clashes with the need for increased labor mobility, which may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness. Japan also remains heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the economy. Furthermore, Japanese corporations often engage in high levels of corporate leveraging, extensive cross-purchases of the securities of other corporations and are subject to a changing corporate governance structure.

Risks Related to Investing in Asia. (db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund only) Investment in securities of issuers in Asia involves risks and special considerations not typically associated with investment in the U.S. securities markets. Certain Asian economies have experienced over-extension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, high unemployment, high inflation, decreased exports and economic recessions. Economic events in any one Asian country can have a significant effect on the entire Asian region as well as on major trading partners outside Asia, and any adverse effect on some or all of the Asian countries and regions in which the Fund invests. The securities markets in some Asian economies are relatively underdeveloped and may subject the Fund to higher action costs or greater uncertainty than investments in more developed securities markets. Such risks may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments.

Governments of many Asian countries have implemented significant economic reforms in order to liberalize trade policy, promote foreign

 

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investment in their economies, reduce government control of the economy and develop market mechanisms. There can be no assurance these reforms will continue or that they will be effective. Despite recent reform and privatizations, significant regulation of investment and industry is still pervasive in many Asian countries and may restrict foreign ownership of domestic corporations and repatriation of assets, which may adversely affect Fund investments. Governments in some Asian countries are authoritarian in nature, have been installed or removed as a result of military coups or have periodically used force to suppress civil dissent. Disparities of wealth, the pace and success of democratization, and ethnic, religious and racial disaffection have led to social turmoil, violence and labor unrest in some countries. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may result in sudden and significant investment losses. Investing in certain Asian countries involves risk of loss due to expropriation, nationalization, or confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and on repatriation of capital invested.

Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced acts of terrorism or strained international relations due to territorial disputes, historical animosities or other defense concerns. For example, North and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical local tensions between the two countries present the risk of war. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries could have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean economy and securities markets. These and other security situations may cause uncertainty in the markets of these geographic areas and may adversely affect the performance of local economies.

Risks Related to Investing in China. (db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund only) The Fund’s investment exposure to China subjects the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. China is a developing market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Over the past 25 years, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and expansion of the sphere for private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on

 

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Chinese products and services, institution of tariffs or other trade barriers, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy.

From time to time, certain of the companies comprising the Index that are located in China may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations and/or in countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. One or more of these companies may be subject to constraints under U.S. law or regulations which could negatively affect the company’s performance, and/or could suffer damage to its reputation if it is identified as a company which invests or deals with countries which are identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism or subject to sanctions. As an investor in such companies, the Fund is indirectly subject to those risks.

Risks Related to Investing in India. (db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund only) India is an emerging market and exhibits significantly greater market volatility from time to time in comparison to more developed markets. Political and legal uncertainty, greater government control over the economy, currency fluctuations or blockage, and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets may result in higher potential for losses. Moreover, governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in India, which could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments. The securities markets in India are comparatively underdeveloped, and stockbrokers and other intermediaries may not perform as well as their counterparts in the United States and other more developed securities markets. The limited liquidity of the Indian securities markets may also affect the Fund’s ability to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time that it desires.

Global factors and foreign actions may inhibit the flow of foreign capital on which India is dependent to sustain its growth. In addition, the Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”) has imposed limits on foreign ownership of Indian securities, which may decrease the liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio and result in extreme volatility in the prices of Indian securities. These factors, coupled with the lack of extensive accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices, as compared to the United States, may increase the Fund’s risk of loss. Further, certain Indian regulatory approvals, including approvals from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”), the RBI, the central government and the tax authorities (to the extent that tax benefits need to be utilized), may be required before the Fund can make investments in the securities of Indian companies.

 

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Risks Related to Investing in South Korea. (db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund only) Investments in South Korean issuers involve risks that are specific to South Korea, including legal, regulatory, political, currency, security and economic risks. Substantial political tensions exist between North Korea and South Korea and recently, these political tensions have escalated. The outbreak of hostilities between the two nations, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities will likely adversely impact the South Korean economy. In addition, South Korea’s economic growth potential has recently been on a decline, mainly because of a rapidly aging population and structural problems.

Risks Related to Investing in France. (db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund only) Investment in French issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risk specific to France. During the most recent financial crisis, the French economy, along with certain other EU economies, experienced a significant economic slowdown. Recently, new concerns emerged in relation to the economic health of the EU. These concerns have led to tremendous downward pressure on certain EU member states, including France. Interest rates on France’s debt may rise to levels that make it difficult for it to service high debt levels without significant financial help from, among others, the European Central Bank and could potentially lead to default. In addition, the French economy is dependent to a significant extent on the economies of certain key trading partners, including Germany and other Western European countries. Reduction in spending on French products and services, or changes in any of the economies may cause an adverse impact on the French economy. France may be subject to acts of terrorism. The French economy is dependent on exports from the agricultural sector. Leading agricultural exports include dairy products, meat, wine, fruit and vegetables, and fish. As a result, the French economy is susceptible to fluctuations in demand for agricultural products.

Risks Related to Investing in the United Kingdom. (db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund and db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund only) Investment in British issuers may subject the Funds to regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to the United Kingdom. The British economy relies heavily on export of financial services to the United States and other European countries. A prolonged slowdown in the financial services sector may have a negative impact on the British economy. In the past, the United Kingdom has been a target of terrorism. Acts of terrorism in the United Kingdom or against British interests abroad may cause uncertainty in the British financial markets and adversely affect the performance of the issuers to which the Fund has exposure. The British economy, along with the United States and certain other EU economies, experienced a significant economic slowdown during the recent financial crisis.

 

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Currency Risk. Each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, enters into forward currency contracts to attempt to minimize the impact of changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in its Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar. These contracts may not be successful. In order to minimize transaction costs or for other reasons, a Fund’s exposure to the currencies included in the Underlying Index may not be fully hedged at all times. For example, a Fund may not hedge against exposure to currencies that represent a relatively smaller portion of the Underlying Index. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies may affect the value of a Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. To the extent a Fund’s forward currency contracts are not successful in hedging against such changes, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. This is true even if the local currency value of securities in a Fund’s holdings goes up. Conversely, the dollar value of your investment in a Fund may go up if the value of the local currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar. The value of the U.S. dollar measured against other currencies is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include: interest rates, national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, economic or financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government intervention, and global energy prices. Political instability, the possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and investment policies may also reduce the value of a country’s currency. Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a country’s government may also influence exchange rates. Furthermore, because no changes in the currency weights in each Fund’s Underlying Index are made during the month to account for changes in each Fund’s Underlying Index due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes, changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in a Fund’s Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar during the month may affect the value of the Fund’s investment. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in a Fund may also go up or down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money. Because a Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of the U.S. dollar, investors may lose money if the local currency depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the local currency value of the Fund’s holdings in that market increases.

Foreign Securities Risks. (all Funds except db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund) Investments in foreign securities

 

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involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. Investments in foreign securities may be subject to risk of loss due to currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a foreign issuer than a U.S. issuer. Foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in foreign securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when a Fund does not price its shares, the value of the securities in a Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell a Fund’s shares. Conversely, Fund shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are close. Each of these factors can make investments in a Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. Finally, the value of the currency of the country in which the db-X trackers Regulated Utilities Fund has invested could decline relative to the value of the U.S. dollar, which may affect the value of the investment to U.S. investors. The db-X trackers Regulated Utilities Fund will not enter into transactions to hedge against declines in the value of the Fund’s assets that are denominated in a foreign currency.

Each Fund may invest in depositary receipts, which involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. Depositary receipts are issued by banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. The issuers of certain depositary receipts are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and may negatively affect the Fund’s ability to replicate the performance of its Underlying Index. In addition, investments in depositary receipts may lead to tracking error.

European Economic Risk. (db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund and db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund only) The Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (the “EU”) requires member countries to comply with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates, debt levels and fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may

 

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significantly affect every country in Europe. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, the default or threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in an EU member country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU member countries and on major trading partners outside Europe. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and have been adversely affected by concerns about economic downturns, credit rating downgrades, rising government debt levels and possible default on or restructuring of government debt in several European countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. A default or debt restructuring by any European country would adversely impact holders of that country’s debt, and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that country’s creditworthiness (which may be located in countries other than those listed in the previous sentence). These events have adversely affected the value and exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect the economies of every country in Europe, including EU member countries that do not use the euro and non-EU member countries.

Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and other entities of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.

Emerging Markets Risk. (db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund and db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund only) Investment in emerging markets subjects a Fund to a greater risk of loss than investments in a developed market. This is due to, among other things, (i) greater market volatility, (ii) lower trading volume, (iii) political and economic instability, (iv) high levels of inflations, deflation or currency devaluation, (v) greater risk of market shut down, (vi) more governmental limitations on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital than those typically found in a developed market, and (vii) the risk that companies may be held to lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards than companies in more developed markets.

 

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The financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than in other countries. As a result, there will tend to be an increased risk of price volatility in a Fund’s investments in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar.

Settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences include delays beyond periods customary in the United States and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, which increase the likelihood of a “failed settlement.” Failed settlements can result in losses to a Fund. Low trading volumes and volatile prices in less developed markets make trades harder to complete and settle, and governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. Local agents are held only to the standards of care of their local markets.

Forward Currency Contracts Risk. Each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, invests in forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is a negotiated agreement between two parties to exchange specified amounts of two or more currencies at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate specified by the forward contract can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Settlement of a forward currency contract for the purchase of most currencies typically must occur at a bank based in the issuing nation. By entering into a forward currency contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of dollars or other currency, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying security transactions, the Fund may be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar or other currency which is being used for the security purchase and the foreign currency in which the security is denominated during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. There is an additional risk to the extent that currency contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Fund’s securities are not denominated. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts. Forward currency contracts may limit gains on portfolio securities that could otherwise be realized had they not been utilized and could result in losses. The contracts also may increase the Fund’s volatility and may involve a significant amount of risk relative to the investment of cash.

 

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Counterparty Risk. The foreign currency markets in which each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, effects its transactions are over-the-counter or “interdealer” markets. The counterparty to an over-the-counter spot contract is generally a single bank or other financial institution rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial institutions. Participants in over-the-counter markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as members of “exchange-based” markets. Because the Funds execute over-the-counter transactions, each Fund constantly takes credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those involved in exchange-traded transactions which generally are characterized by clearing organization guaranties, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from these protections and each Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with agreed terms and conditions.

Further, if a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties, a Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. A Fund may obtain only limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. In addition, a Fund may enter into agreements with a limited number of counterparties which may increase that Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit risk.

In accordance with standard industry practice, a Fund may be required to secure a portion of its obligations to its counterparty. For non-fully funded contracts, this may involve the placing of initial and/or variation margin assets with the counterparty. For contracts that require a Fund to place initial margin assets with a counterparty, such assets may not be segregated from the counterparty’s own assets and, being freely exchangeable and replaceable, the Fund may have a right to the return of equivalent assets rather than the original margin assets deposited with the counterparty. These deposits or assets may exceed the value of the relevant Fund’s obligations to the counterparty in the event that the counterparty requires excess margin or collateral. In addition, as contract terms may provide for collateral to cover the variation margin exposure arising under the contract only if a minimum transfer amount is triggered, the Fund may have an uncollateralized risk exposure to a counterparty.

The use of spot foreign exchange contracts may also expose a Fund to legal risk, which is the risk of loss due to the unexpected application of a law or regulation, or because contracts are not legally enforceable.

 

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Equity Securities Risk. Each Fund, except the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, invests in equity securities, which are subject to volatile changes in value that may be attributable to market perception of a particular issuer or to general stock market fluctuations that affect all issuers. Investments in equity securities may be more volatile than investments in other asset classes.

Market Risk. An investment in equity securities involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. The values of equity securities could decline generally or could underperform other investments. Different types of equity securities tend to go through cycles of outperformance and under-performance in comparison to the general securities markets. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally.

Passive Investment Risk. Each Fund is not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments relating to its Underlying Index. Each Fund invests in securities and other instruments included in, or representative of, its respective Underlying Index regardless of their investment merits. As a result, a Fund may hold constituent securities of its respective Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

Tracking Error Risk. Each Fund’s return may not match the return of its Underlying Index for a number of reasons. For example, a Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to its Underlying Index and incurs costs associated with buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of its Underlying Index and raising cash to meet redemptions or deploying cash in connection with newly created Creation Units. Imperfect correlation between a Fund’s portfolio securities and those in its Underlying Index, rounding of prices, changes to the Underlying Index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of its Underlying Index. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses while its Underlying Index does not. In addition, a Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities and other instruments included in its Underlying Index, or invest in them in the exact proportions

 

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they represent of its Underlying Index, due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by the governments of certain countries or a lack of liquidity on stock exchanges in which such securities trade. Moreover, a Fund may be delayed in purchasing or selling securities and other instruments included in its Underlying Index. Any issues a Fund encounters with regard to currency convertibility (including the cost of borrowing funds, if any) and repatriation may also increase the index tracking risk.

Cash Redemption Risk. Because each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, invests a portion of its assets in foreign currency forward contracts, such Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. Each Fund may be required to unwind such contracts or sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause a Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result a Fund may pay out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell shares at market prices on an exchange.

Valuation Risk. Because non-U.S. exchanges may be open on days when a Fund does not price its shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

Non-Diversification Risk. Each Fund is “non-diversified.” and may invest a larger percentage of its assets in securities of a few issuers or a single issuer than that of a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to the risks associated with these particular issuers, or to a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence affecting these issuers. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

Concentration Risk. To the extent that a Fund’s Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as its Underlying Index. A Fund that concentrates, or otherwise invests a large portion of its assets in a single industry or group of industries, may be more susceptible to any single economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence affecting that industry or group of

 

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industries. In such case, the Fund may be more volatile than funds based on broader or less volatile market segments.

Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent that a Fund’s Underlying Index invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax, or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

Currency Risk. (Each Fund except for the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund) Each Fund enters into forward currency contracts to attempt to minimize the impact of changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in its Underlying Index against the U.S. dollar. These contracts may not be successful. In order to minimize transaction costs or for other reasons, a Fund’s exposure to the currencies included in the Underlying Index may not be fully hedged at all times. For example, a Fund may not hedge against exposure to currencies that represent a relatively smaller portion of the Underlying Index. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies may affect the value of a Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. To the extent a Fund’s forward currency contracts are not successful in hedging against such changes, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. This is true even if the local currency value of securities in a Fund’s holdings goes up. Conversely, the dollar value of your investment in a Fund may go up if the value of the local currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar. The value of the U.S. dollar measured against other currencies is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include: interest rates, national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, economic or financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government intervention, and global energy prices. Political instability, the possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and investment policies may also reduce the value of a country’s currency. Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a country’s government may also influence exchange rates. Furthermore, because no changes in the currency weights in each Fund’s Underlying Index are made during the month to account for changes in each Fund’s Underlying Index due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes, changes in the value of the non-U.S. currencies included in a Fund’s Underlying Index against the U.S.

 

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dollar during the month may affect the value of the Fund’s investment. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in a Fund may also go up or down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money. Because a Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of the U.S. dollar, investors may lose money if the local currency depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the local currency value of the Fund’s holdings in that market increases.

The following risks apply only to the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund.

Credit Risk. The Fund’s performance could be hurt if an issuer of a debt security suffers an adverse change in financial condition that results in a payment default, security downgrade or inability to meet a financial obligation. Credit risk is greater for lower-rated securities.

Some securities issued by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Other securities that are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality are subject to greater credit risk than securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. This is because the U.S. government might provide financial support, but has no obligation to do so, if there is a potential or actual loss of principal or failure to make interest payments.

Because of the rising U.S. government debt burden, it is possible that the U.S. government may not be able to meet its financial obligations or that securities issued by the U.S. government may experience credit downgrades. Such a credit event may also adversely impact the financial markets.

For securities that rely on third-party guarantors to support their credit quality, the same risks may apply if the financial condition of the guarantor deteriorates or the guarantor ceases insuring municipal bonds. Because guarantors may insure many types of bonds, including subprime mortgage bonds and other high-risk bonds, their financial condition could deteriorate as a result of events that have little or no connection to securities owned by the Fund.

Liquidity Risk. In certain situations, it may be difficult or impossible to sell an investment in an orderly fashion at an acceptable price. This risk can be ongoing for any security that does not trade actively or in large volumes, for any security that trades primarily on smaller markets, and for investments that typically trade only among a limited number of large

 

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investors (such as certain types of derivatives or restricted securities). In unusual market conditions, even normally liquid securities may be affected by a degree of liquidity risk. This may affect only certain securities or an overall securities market.

Market Risk. Deteriorating market conditions might cause a general weakness in the market that reduces the overall level of securities prices in that market.

Prepayment and Extension Risk. When interest rates fall, issuers of high interest debt obligations may pay off the debts earlier than expected (prepayment risk), and the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower yields. When interest rates rise, issuers of lower interest debt obligations may pay off the debts later than expected (extension risk), thus keeping the Fund’s assets tied up in lower interest debt obligations. Ultimately, any unexpected behavior in interest rates could increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price and yield and could hurt fund performance. Prepayments could also create capital gains tax liability in some instances.

Pricing Risk. If market conditions make it difficult to value some investments, the Fund may value these investments using more subjective methods, such as fair value pricing. In such cases, the value determined for an investment could be different than the value realized upon such investment’s sale. As a result, you could pay more than the market value when buying fund shares or receive less than the market value when selling fund shares.

Secondary markets may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which may prevent the Fund from being able to realize full value and thus sell a security for its full valuation. This could cause a material decline in the Fund’s net asset value.

Interest Rate Risk. When interest rates rise, prices of debt securities generally decline. The longer the effective duration of the Fund’s debt securities, the more sensitive it will be to interest rate changes. (As a general rule, a 1% rise in interest rates means a 1% fall in value for every year of duration.)

Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. The Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have incurred if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result the Fund may pay

 

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out higher annual capital gains distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Only certain institutional investors known as authorized participants who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor may redeem shares from the Fund directly; all other investors buy and sell shares at market prices on an exchange.

Municipal Securities Risk. Municipal securities are subject to the risk that litigation, legislation or other political events, local business or economic conditions or the bankruptcy of the issuer could have a significant effect on an issuer’s ability to make payments of principal and/or interest. In addition, there is a risk that, as a result of the current economic crisis, the ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal or interest on its municipal bonds may be materially affected.

Municipal securities can be significantly affected by political changes as well as uncertainties in the municipal market related to taxation, legislative changes or the rights of municipal security holders. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance similar projects, especially those relating to education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities may include revenue bonds, which are generally backed by revenue from a specific project or tax. The issuer of a revenue bond makes interest and principal payments from revenues generated from a particular source or facility, such as a tax on particular property or revenues generated from a municipal water or sewer utility or an airport. Revenue bonds generally are not backed by the full faith and credit and general taxing power of the issuer. Municipal securities backed by current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets can be negatively affected by the discontinuance of the taxation supporting the project or assets or the inability to collect revenues for the project or from the assets.

If the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) determines that an issuer of a municipal security has not complied with applicable tax requirements, interest from the security could become taxable and the security could decline significantly in value.

The market for municipal bonds may be less liquid than for taxable bonds. There may also be less information available on the financial condition of issuers of municipal securities than for public corporations. This means that it may be harder to buy and sell municipal securities, especially on short notice, and municipal securities may be more difficult for the Fund to value accurately than securities of public corporations. Since the Fund invests a significant portion of their portfolio in municipal securities, the Fund’s portfolio may have greater exposure to liquidity risk than a fund

 

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that invests in non-municipal securities. In addition, the value and liquidity of many municipal securities have decreased as a result of the recent financial crisis, which has also adversely affected many municipal securities issuers and may continue to do so. The markets for many credit instruments, including municipal securities, have experienced periods of illiquidity and extreme volatility since the latter half of 2007. In response to the global economic downturn, governmental cost burdens may be reallocated among federal, state and local governments. In addition, issuers of municipal securities may seek protection under the bankruptcy laws.

Risks Related to Investing in New York. Because the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of New York municipal bonds as of May 31, 2013, a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments are expected to consist of New York municipal bonds as well. Accordingly, the Fund would have greater exposure to negative political, economic, regulatory or other factors within the State of New York, including the financial condition of its public authorities and political subdivisions, than a fund that invests in a broader base of securities. Unfavorable developments in any economic sector may have a substantial impact on the overall New York municipal market. Certain issuers of New York municipal bonds have experienced serious financial difficulties in the past and reoccurrence of these difficulties may impair the ability of certain New York issuers to pay principal or interest on their obligations. The financial health of New York City affects that of the state, and when New York City experiences financial difficulty, it may have an adverse effect on New York municipal bonds held by the Fund. The growth rate of New York has at times been somewhat slower than the nation overall. The economic and financial condition of New York also may be affected by various financial, social, economic and political factors, including the outcome of pending litigation including the state or its localities.

Private Activity Bonds Risk. The issuers of private activity bonds in which the Fund may invest may be negatively impacted by conditions affecting either the general credit of the user of the private activity project or the project itself. Conditions such as regulatory and environmental restrictions and economic downturns may lower the need for these facilities and the ability of users of the project to pay for the facilities. This could cause a decline in the Fund’s value. The Fund’s private activity bond holdings also may pay interest subject to the AMT. See “Dividends and Distributions” for more details.

Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund concentrates in investments from a single state, region or sector of the municipal securities market, its performance can be more volatile than that of a fund that

 

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invests more broadly. As an example, factors affecting a state, region or sector such as severe fiscal difficulties, an economic downturn, court rulings, increased expenditures on domestic security or reduced monetary support from the federal government could over time impair a states, region or sector’s ability to repay its obligations.

Certain other examples of focus risk in the municipal bond market are set forth below:

Electric Utilities Bond Risk. The electric utilities industry has been experiencing, and will continue to experience, increased competitive pressures. Federal legislation may open transmission access to any electricity supplier, although it is not presently known to what extent competition will evolve. Other risks include: (a) the availability and cost of fuel; (b) the availability and cost of capital; (c) the effects of conservation on energy demand; (d) the effects of rapidly changing environmental, safety and licensing requirements, and other federal, state and local regulations; (e) timely and sufficient rate increases; and (f) the effects of opposition to nuclear power.

Industrial Development Bond Risk. These revenue bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to finance various public and/or privately operated facilities, including those for business and manufacturing, housing, sports, pollution control, airport, mass transit, port and parking facilities. These bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments. Consequently, the credit quality of these securities is dependent upon the ability of the user of the facilities financed by the bonds and any guarantor to meet its financial obligations. These bonds are subject to a wide variety of risks, many of which relate to the nature of the specific project. Generally, the value and credit quality of these bonds are sensitive to the risks related to an economic slowdown.

Transportation Bond Risk. Transportation debt may be issued to finance the construction of airports, toll roads, highways or other transit facilities. Airport bonds are dependent on the general stability of the airline industry and on the stability of a specific carrier who uses the airport as a hub. Air traffic generally follows broader economic trends and is also affected by the price and availability of fuel. Toll road bonds are also affected by the cost and availability of fuel as well as toll levels, the presence of competing roads and the general economic health of an area. Fuel costs and availability also affect other transportation related securities, as do the presence of alternate forms of transportation, such as public transportation.

 

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Water and Sewer Bond Risk. Water and sewer revenue bonds are often considered to have relatively secure credit as a result of their issuer’s importance, monopoly status and generally unimpeded ability to raise rates. Despite this, lack of water supply due to insufficient rain, run off or snow pack is a concern that has led to past defaults. Further, public resistance to rate increases, costly environmental litigation and federal environmental mandates are challenges faced by issuers of water and sewer bonds.

Resource Recovery Bond Risk. Resource recovery bonds are a type of revenue bond issued to build facilities such as solid waste incinerators or waste-to-energy plants. Typically, a private corporation is involved, at least during the construction phase, and the revenue stream is secured by fees or rents paid by municipalities for use of the facilities. The viability of a resource recovery project, environmental protection regulations, and project operator tax incentives may affect the value and credit quality of resource recovery bonds.

Lease Obligations Risk. Lease obligations may have risks not normally associated with general obligation or other revenue bonds. Leases and installment purchase or conditional sale contracts (which may provide for title to the leased asset to pass eventually to the issuer) have developed as a means for governmental issuers to acquire property and equipment without the necessity of complying with the constitutional statutory requirements generally applicable for the issuance of debt.

Certain lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses that provide that the governmental issuer has no obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for that purpose by the appropriate legislative body on an annual or other periodic basis. Consequently, continued lease payments on those lease obligations containing “non-appropriation” clauses are dependent on future legislative actions. If these legislative actions do not occur, the holders of the lease obligation may experience difficulty in exercising their rights, including disposition of the property.

Special Tax Bond Risk. Special tax bonds are usually backed and payable through a single tax, or series of special taxes such as incremental property taxes. The failure of the tax levy to generate adequate revenue to pay the debt service on the bonds may cause the value of the bonds to decline.

 

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Tax Risk. Income from municipal securities held by the Fund could be declared taxable because of unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of a securities issuer. In addition, because municipal securities that pay interest subject to the AMT may be included in the Underlying Index without limit, the Fund may invest an unlimited amount of its net assets in municipal securities whose income is subject to the AMT. Further, a portion of the Fund’s otherwise exempt-interest distributions may be taxable to those shareholders subject to the federal AMT.

Market Risk. Developments in a particular class of debt securities or the stock market could also adversely affect the Fund by reducing the relative attractiveness of debt securities as an investment. Also, to the extent that the Fund emphasizes debt securities from any given state or region, it could be hurt if that state or region does not do well.

Additional Investment Strategies (all Funds except the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund)

Each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund, will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of issuers located in the markets specified in the applicable Fund’s name and in instruments designed to hedge the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. In addition, each Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise the applicable Underlying Index. Each Fund may also invest in depositary receipts in respect of equity securities that comprise the applicable Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Fund’s respective Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards each Fund’s 80% investment policy discussed above with respect to instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

Each Fund may invest its remaining assets in other securities, including securities not in the Underlying Index, cash and cash equivalents, money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements or money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or their affiliates (subject to applicable limitations under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), or exemptions therefrom), convertible securities, structured notes (notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular stock or stock index) and in futures contracts, options on futures

 

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contracts, other types of options and swaps related to its Underlying Index. Each Fund expects to use futures contracts to a limited extent in seeking performance that corresponds to its Underlying Index. The Funds will not invest in money market instruments or other short-term investments as part of a temporary defensive strategy to protect against potential stock market declines.

Each of the policies described herein, including the investment objective and 80% investment policies of each Fund, constitutes a non-fundamental policy that may be changed by the Board of the Trust without shareholder approval. Each Fund’s 80% investment policies require 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders before it can be changed. Certain fundamental policies of the Funds are set forth in the SAI.

Additional Investment Strategies (db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund)

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities issued by municipalities across the United States which are classified as “municipal infrastructure revenue” bonds based on the Underlying Index’s criteria, as well as in other securities whose income is free from regular federal income tax. Because municipal securities that pay interest subject to the AMT may be included in the Underlying Index without limit, the Fund may invest an unlimited amount of its net assets in municipal securities whose income is subject to the AMT. In addition, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise the Underlying Index.

The policy of investing at least 80% of net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal securities and other securities whose income is free from regular federal income tax cannot be changed without shareholder approval. The Fund will not invest in money market instruments or other short-term investments as part of a temporary defensive strategy to protect against potential market declines.

Certain fundamental policies of the Fund are set forth in the SAI.

Borrowing Money

Each Fund may borrow money from a bank up to a limit of 10% of the value of its assets, but only for temporary or emergency purposes.

 

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Additional Risks of Investing in the Funds

Absence of Active Market. Although shares of each Fund are listed for trading on one or more stock exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained.

Trading Risks. Secondary market trading in Fund shares may be halted by a stock exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. In addition, trading in Fund shares on a stock exchange or in any market may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules on the exchange or market. There can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing or trading of Fund shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. Shares of the Funds may trade at, above or below their NAV. The per share NAV of each Fund will fluctuate with changes in the market value of such Fund’s holdings. The trading prices of Shares will fluctuate in accordance with changes in its NAV as well as market supply and demand. However, given that shares can be created and redeemed only in Creation Units at NAV (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAVs), the Adviser and Sub-Adviser believe that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of the shares should not be sustained. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that shares normally will trade close to the Fund’s NAV, disruptions to creations and redemptions may result in trading prices that differ significantly from NAV. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Funds do not price shares, the value of the securities in a Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell shares.

Costs of Buying or Selling Fund Shares. Buying or selling Fund shares involves two types of costs that apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling shares of a Fund through a broker, you will incur a brokerage commission or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. In addition, you will also incur the cost of the “spread” — that is, the difference between what professional investors are willing to pay for Fund shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell Fund shares (the “ask” price). Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Fund shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment results and an investment in Fund shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

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Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments, such as futures and swaps, whose values are based on the value of one or more indicators, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate, or index. Derivatives involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. For example, derivatives involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying indicator. Derivative transactions can create investment leverage, may be highly volatile and a Fund could lose more than the amount it invests. Many derivative transactions are entered into “over-the-counter” (not on an exchange or contract market); as a result, the value of such a derivative transaction will depend on the ability and the willingness of a Fund’s counterparty to perform its obligations under the transaction. If a counterparty were to default on its obligations, the Fund’s contractual remedies against such counterparty may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect the Fund’s rights as a creditor ( e.g ., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive). A liquid secondary market may not always exist for a Fund’s derivative positions at any time.

Futures. (all Funds except the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund) A futures contract is a standardized exchange-traded agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specific price at a specific future time. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying instrument. Depending on the terms of the particular contract, futures contracts are settled through either physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash settlement amount on the settlement date. A decision as to whether, when and how to use futures involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived futures transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. In addition to the derivatives risks discussed above, the prices of futures can be highly volatile, using futures can lower total return and the potential loss from futures can exceed a Fund’s initial investment in such contracts.

Portfolio Holdings Information

A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of each Fund’s portfolio securities is available in each Fund’s SAI. The top holdings of a Fund can be found at www.dbxus.com. Fund fact sheets provide information regarding a Fund’s top holdings and may be requested by calling 1-855-329-3837 (1-855-DBX-ETFS).

 

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Management

Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser. The Adviser has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust and oversight of the Sub-Adviser.

TDAM USA Inc. (“TDAM”), established in 1995, is a registered investment adviser and serves as the investment sub-adviser for each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, and, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the oversight of the Trust’s Board, is responsible for the investment management of the Funds.

RREEF America L.L.C. (“RREEF”), established in 1998, is a registered investment adviser and serves as the investment sub-adviser for the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the oversight of the Trust’s Board, is responsible for the investment management of the Fund.

Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. (“DIMA”), established in 1943, is a registered investment adviser and serves as the investment sub-adviser for the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund and, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the oversight of the Trust’s Board, is responsible for the investment management of the Fund.

For its investment advisory services to each Fund, the Adviser is entitled to receive a unitary management fee from each Fund at an annual rate equal to 0.65% (with respect to db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund), 0.35% (with respect to db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund), 0.60% (with respect to db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund), 0.50% (with respect to db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund), 0.50% (with respect db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund), 0.60% (with respect to db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund), 0.45% (with respect to db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund), 0.45% (with respect to db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund), 0.45% (with respect to db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund) and 0.30% (with respect to the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund) of its average daily net assets.

Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust (entered into on behalf of each Fund), the Adviser is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, including the payments to the Sub-Adviser, the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, compensation paid to the Independent Trustees, legal, audit and other

 

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services except for the fee payments under the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest expense, taxes, brokerage expenses, future distribution fees or expenses, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.

Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with TDAM, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser on a monthly basis a portion of the net advisory fees it receives from the db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund at the annual rate of 0.20% of the first $100 million of such Fund’s daily net assets, 0.15% of the next $400 million of such Fund’s daily net assets and 0.06% of such Fund’s daily net assets in excess of $500 million. For the db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund and db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser on a monthly basis a portion of the advisory fees it receives from such Funds at an annual rate of 0.15% of the first $100 million of such Funds’ daily net assets, 0.07% of the next $400 million of such Funds’ daily net assets and 0.04% of such Funds’ daily net assets in excess of $500 million. For the db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser on a monthly basis a portion of the advisory fees it receives from such Fund at an annual rate of 0.20% of the first $100 million of such Fund’s daily net assets, 0.12% of the next $400 million of such Fund’s daily net assets and 0.06% of such Fund’s daily net assets in excess of $500 million. For the db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser on a monthly basis a portion of the advisory fees it receives from such Fund at an annual rate of 0.12% of the first $100 million of such Fund’s daily net assets, 0.08% of the next $400 million of such Fund’s daily net assets and 0.04% of such Fund’s daily net assets in excess of $500 million.

Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with TDAM, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser on a semi-annual basis a portion of the net advisory fees it receives from the db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund at the annual rate of 0.20% of the first $100 million of such Fund’s daily net assets, 0.12% of the next $400 million of such Fund’s daily net assets and 0.06% of such Fund’s daily net assets in excess of $500 million. For the db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser on a semi-annual basis a portion of the advisory fees it receives from such Fund at an annual rate of 0.15% of the first $100 million of such Fund’s daily net assets, 0.07% of the next $400 million of such Fund’s daily net assets and 0.04% of such Fund’s daily net assets in excess of $500 million. For the db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser on a semi-annual basis a portion of the advisory fees it receives from such Fund at an annual rate of 0.15% of the first $100 million of such Fund’s daily net assets, 0.07% of the

 

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next $400 million of such Fund’s daily net assets and 0.04% of such Fund’s daily net assets in excess of $500 million.

Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with RREEF for the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser on a monthly basis a portion of the advisory fees it receives from such Fund at an annual rate of 0.05% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc., for the db-X trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser on a monthly basis a portion of the net advisory fees it receives from the Fund at the annual rate of 0.05% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

DBX Advisors LLC is located at 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005 and is an, indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG, a multi-national financial services company. The Adviser has been a registered investment adviser since August 2010, with assets under management totaling approximately $386 million as of September 20, 2013.

TDAM USA Inc. is located at 161 Bay Street, 35th Floor, TD Canada Trust Tower, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5J 2T2, is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of The Toronto Dominion Bank. As of June 30, 2013, TDAM USA Inc. had approximately $14.1 billion under management and The Toronto Dominion Bank had approximately $230 billion under management.

RREEF America L.L.C. is located at 875 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611 and had approximately $11.3 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2012.

RREEF America L.L.C. is an affiliate of Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. and may utilize the resources of its global investment platform (collectively, “Deutsche Asset Management”) to provide investment management services through branch offices located outside the U.S. In some cases, RREEF America L.L.C. may also utilize its branch offices or affiliates located in the U.S. or outside the U.S. to perform certain services, such as trade execution, trade matching and settlement, or various administrative, back-office or other services. To the extent services are performed outside the U.S., such activity may be subject to both U.S. and foreign regulation. It is possible that the jurisdiction in which RREEF America L.L.C. or its affiliate performs such services may impose restrictions or limitations on portfolio transactions that are different from, and in addition to, those that apply in the U.S.

Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. is located at 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154 and had approximately $231 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2012.

 

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Under the supervision of the Adviser and oversight of the Board, DIMA makes investment decisions, buys and sells securities for the Fund and conducts research that leads to these purchase and sale decisions. The Sub-Adviser is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. Deutsche Bank AG is a major global banking institution that is engaged in a wide range of financial services, including investment management, mutual funds, retail, private and commercial banking, investment banking and insurance. The DIMA and its predecessors have more than 80 years of experience managing mutual funds and provide a full range of global investment advisory services to institutional and retail clients.

DIMA may utilize the resources of Deutsche Asset Management to provide investment management services through branch offices located outside the U.S. In some cases, the Sub-Adviser may also utilize its branch offices or affiliates located in the U.S. or outside the U.S. to perform certain services, such as trade execution, trade matching and settlement, or various administrative, back-office or other services. To the extent services are performed outside the U.S., such activity may be subject to both U.S. and foreign regulation. It is possible that the jurisdiction in which DIMA or its affiliate performs such services may impose restrictions or limitations on portfolio transactions that are different from, and in addition to, those that apply in the U.S.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreements is available in each Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2013, except for the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund, db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund and db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund, for which the discussion is included in the Fund’s semi-annual report for the six months ending November 30, 2013.

Manager of Managers Structure. The Adviser and the Trust may rely on an exemptive order (the “Order”) from the SEC that permits the Adviser to enter into investment sub-advisory agreements with sub-advisers without obtaining shareholder approval. The Adviser, subject to the review and approval of the Board, selects sub-advisers for each Fund and supervises, monitors and evaluates the performance of each sub-adviser.

The Order also permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board, to replace sub-advisers and amend investment sub-advisory agreements, including fees, without shareholder approval whenever the Adviser and the Board believe such action will benefit a Fund and its shareholders. The Adviser thus has the ultimate responsibility (subject to the ultimate

 

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oversight of the Board) to recommend the hiring and replacement of sub-advisers as well as the discretion to terminate any sub-adviser and reallocate a Fund’s assets for management among any other sub-adviser(s) and itself. This means that the Adviser is able to reduce the sub-advisory fees and retain a larger portion of the management fee, or increase the sub-advisory fees and retain a smaller portion of the management fee. The Adviser compensates each sub-adviser out of its management fee.

Portfolio Managers. (each Fund except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund) Vishal Bhatia and Dino Bourdos, (the “Portfolio Managers”) are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund. John F. Robertson, John W. Vojticek, Francis Greywitt and Manoj H. Patel (together with Messrs. Bhatia and Bourdos, the “Portfolio Managers”) are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund. Each Portfolio Manager is responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including, but not limited to, investing cash inflows, coordinating with members of his or her team to focus on certain asset classes, implementing investment strategy, researching and reviewing investment strategy and overseeing members of his or her portfolio management team with more limited responsibilities.

Vishal Bhatia, CFA, is a Vice President & Director of TDAM for the past five years. Mr. Bhatia joined TD Asset Management Inc. in December 1996. As the lead of the Structured and Equity Index Team, he oversees research, portfolio management, and daily trading activity for U.S., Canadian and global equity funds. Mr. Bhatia is also a Product Specialist specifically responsible for developing and marketing passive and active fundamental equity strategies. In this capacity he works closely with existing and prospective clients to incorporate these strategies into solutions that meet their needs. Mr. Bhatia graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Cell & Molecular Biology and is a CFA charterholder.

Dino Bourdos, CFA, is a Managing Director of TDAM for the past five years. Mr. Bourdos joined TD Asset Management Inc. as part of Canada Trust merger in February 2000. At TDAM, he is responsible for the management of and trading within derivatives-based strategies for a variety of equity, fixed income and currency overlay mandates. He also oversees the Derivatives and Passive & Structured Equity businesses. Mr. Bourdos is also a product specialist and is specifically responsible for developing and marketing portable alpha and derivatives-based strategies. In this capacity, he works closely with existing and prospective clients to provide solutions for managing overall portfolio, market and currency exposures. Prior to joining TDAM, Mr. Bourdos was an analyst and trader with Canada Trust

 

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Investment Management Group Inc. At CT IMG, his responsibilities included analyzing and trading derivatives, fixed income and currency products. Mr. Bourdos was awarded the CFA designation in 1998, completed the Chartered Market Technicians (CMT) program in 2001 and completed the first level of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Program in 2008. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Toronto in 1994.

Portfolio Managers (db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund)

John F. Robertson is a Managing Director with Deutsche Asset Management and has served as Head of Real Estate & Infrastructure Securities since June 2008 and Global Head of Real Estate Securities since 2006. From 2005 to 2006, he was Head of Real Estate Securities, where he led the development of the Company’s global real estate securities organization. Mr. Robertson joined the Company in 1997 as a Senior Securities Analyst until his appointment as Partner in 2002. From 2002 to 2005, John was a Portfolio Manager and Co-Head of Real Estate Securities. Today, Mr. Robertson oversees a global securities team of more than 30 investment professionals, with offices in five locations around the globe and assets under management of more than $14 billion. From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Robertson was with Lincoln Investment Management, Inc., where he was responsible for REIT research for the Delaware Pooled Trust Real Estate Fund and underwrote and managed commercial mortgage loans on office, industrial, retail, multifamily and hotel properties. From 1991 to 1993, he worked as a consultant with Ernst & Young LLP’s Special Services Group, where he specialized in the valuation of all types of income-producing real estate. Mr. Robertson holds a BA in Psychology with a Business Concentration from Wabash College and an MBA from Indiana University and is a chartered financial analyst. He is also a member of the CFA Institute and an associate member of NAREIT.

John W. Vojticek is a Managing Director with Deutsche Asset Management and has served as Chief Investment Officer of Real Estate & Infrastructure Securities and Global Portfolio Manager since July 2011 and was Co-Head of Americas Real Estate Securities from 2006 to July 2011. Mr. Vojticek was responsible for launching the firm’s first listed infrastructure securities strategy in June 2008 and served as Head of the Listed Infrastructure Securities business from June 2008 until his appointment as Chief Investment Officer in July 2011. Mr. Vojticek is an associate member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. Mr. Vojticek holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.

Francis X. Greywitt, III is a Director with Deutsche Asset Wealth Management and has served as Co-Head of Infrastructure Securities and

 

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Co-Lead Portfolio Manager since 2011. Mr. Greywitt joined the Company in 2005 as a Securities Analyst, covering real estate companies in the office and industrial sectors before being promoted in 2008 to the role of Portfolio Manager leading the effort to start the infrastructure securities business. Mr. Greywitt began his career as a REIT Research Analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets covering the apartment, industrial, and office sectors before being promoted to a Senior Analyst covering exclusively the office sector. During his tenure at KeyBanc, Mr. Greywitt led the firm’s research effort in several successful IPOs including First Potomac, BioMed Realty, and Digital Realty Trust. Mr. Greywitt holds a BBA in Finance (Magna Cum Laude) from St. Bonaventure University and an MBA from the University of Chicago with concentrations in International Business, Economics and Finance.

Manoj Patel is a Director with Deutsche Asset Management and has served as Co-Head of Infrastructure Securities and Co-Lead Portfolio Manager since joining the Company in 2011 with eight years of industry experience. He began his career as an Analyst for Brookfield Investment Management (formerly KG Redding/Brookfield Redding) and was promoted to Director and Portfolio Manager in 2008. During his tenure at Brookfield, Mr. Patel spearheaded the formation of their dedicated listed infrastructure business. He was also responsible for the creation of the Dow Jones Brookfield Global Infrastructure Index series. In addition, Mr. Patel managed assets under management of approximately $350 million, performed underwriting, participated in capital raising, developed financial models and investment processes, provided portfolio oversight and managed the team of analysts and traders. Mr. Patel holds a BS in Finance from Indiana University, Bloomington, and holds the CFA designation.

Portfolio Managers (db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund)

Portfolio Managers. Philip G. Condon, Ashton P. Goodfield, Blair Ridley and Michael J. Generazo, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team.

Philip G. Condon is a Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management. Since 2008, he has been Managing Director, Head of the Municipal Bond team, Chief Strategist for U.S. Fixed Income and a Portfolio Manager for DIMA. Mr. Condon joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1983. He obtained his MBA degree and his undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Arts, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

 

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Ashton P. Goodfield, CFA, is a Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management. Since 2008, she has been Managing Director, Head of Municipal Bond Trading and a Portfolio Manager for DIMA. Ms. Goodfield joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1986. She obtained her undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Arts, from Duke University.

Blair Ridley is a Director of Deutsche Asset Management. From 2006 to 2010, he was Vice President, business manager and product specialist for DIMA. Since 2010, Mr. Ridley has been a Director and a Portfolio Manager for DIMA. Mr. Ridley joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1999. He obtained his MS in Investment Management from Boston University and his undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Arts, from the University of California, San Diego.

Michael J. Generazo is a Director of Deutsche Asset Management. Since 2008, he has been a Director and a Portfolio Manager for DIMA. Mr. Generazo joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1999. He obtained his MBA degree from Suffolk University and his undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Science, from Bryant College.

The Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership (if any) of shares in the Funds.

Shareholder Information

Additional shareholder information, including how to buy and sell shares of the Funds, is available free of charge by calling toll-free: 1-855-329-3837 (1-855-DBX-ETFS) or visiting our website at www.dbxus.com.

Buying and Selling Shares. Shares of the Funds will be listed for trading on a national securities exchange during the trading day. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day at market prices like shares of other publicly-traded companies. The Trust does not impose any minimum investment for shares of a Fund purchased on an exchange. Buying or selling Fund shares involves two types of costs that may apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling shares of a Fund through a broker, you will likely incur a brokerage commission or other charges determined by your broker. In addition, you may incur the cost of the “spread” — that is, any difference between the bid price and the ask price. The commission is frequently a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell small amounts of shares. The spread varies over time for shares of a Fund based on its trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund has

 

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a lot of trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund has little trading volume and market liquidity. The Funds’ Shares trade on NYSE Arca under the following symbols:

 

Fund

  

Ticker Symbol

db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund    DBEM
db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund    DBEF
db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund    DBBR
db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund    DBGR
db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund    DBJP
db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund    DBAP
db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund    DBEU
db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund    DBUK
db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund    UTLT
db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund    RVNU

Shares of a Fund may be acquired or redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof, as discussed in the section of this Prospectus entitled “Creations and Redemptions.” Only an Authorized Participant (as defined herein) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with a Fund. Once created, shares of a Fund generally trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.

The Board has evaluated the risks of market timing activities by the Funds’ shareholders. The Board noted that a Fund’s Shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in Creation Units by “Authorized Participants” and that the vast majority of trading in the Funds’ Shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not involve a Fund directly, it is unlikely those trades would cause many of the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Funds’ trading costs and the realization of capital gains. With regard to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units directly with the Funds, to the extent effected in-kind ( i.e ., for securities), such trades do not cause any of the harmful effects (as previously noted) that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent trades are effected in whole or in part in cash, the Board noted that such trades could result in dilution to a Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. However, the Board noted that direct trading by Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Funds’ Shares trade at or close to NAV. The Funds also employ fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. In addition, each Fund imposes both fixed and variable transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Fund Shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by a Fund in

 

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effecting trades. These fees increase if an investor substitutes cash in part or in whole for securities, reflecting the fact that a Fund’s trading costs increase in those circumstances. Given this structure, the Board determined that with respect to each Fund it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of the Funds’ Shares.

The national securities exchange on which a Fund’s shares are listed is open for trading Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in a Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Trust, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust.

Book-Entry. Shares of the Funds are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the Fund and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes.

Investors owning shares of a Fund are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for shares of the Funds. DTC participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book-entry or “street name” form.

Share Prices. The trading prices of a Fund’s shares in the secondary market generally differ from the Fund’s daily NAV per share and are affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. Information regarding the intraday value of shares of a Fund, also known as the “indicative optimized portfolio value” (“IOPV”), is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day by the national securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares are listed or by market data

 

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vendors or other information providers. The IOPV is based on the current market value of the securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit. The IOPV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by a Fund at a particular point in time nor the best possible valuation of the current portfolio. Therefore, the IOPV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV, which is computed only once a day. The IOPV is generally determined by using both current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the portfolio securities held by the Fund. The quotations of certain Fund holdings may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the U.S. The Funds are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IOPV and make no representation or warranty as to its accuracy.

Determination of Net Asset Value. The NAV of each Fund is generally determined once daily Monday through Friday generally as of the regularly scheduled close of business of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open for trading. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the Fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and dividing the result by the number of shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. All valuations are subject to review by the Trust’s Board or its delegate.

In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are available are valued at market value. Equity investments are valued at market value, which is generally determined using the last reported official closing or last trading price on the exchange or market on which the security is primarily traded at the time of valuation. Debt securities’ values are based on price quotations or other equivalent indications of value provided by a third-party pricing service. Any such third-party pricing service may use a variety of methodologies to value some or all of a Fund’s debt securities to determine the market price. For example, the prices of securities with characteristics similar to those held by a Fund may be used to assist with the pricing process. In addition, the pricing service may use proprietary pricing models. In certain cases, some of a Fund’s debt securities may be valued at the mean between the last available bid and ask prices for such securities or, if such prices are not available, at prices for securities of comparable maturity, quality, and type. Short-term securities for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. The approximate value of shares of the applicable Fund, an amount representing on a per share basis the sum of the current value of the deposit securities based on their then current market price and the estimated cash component will be disseminated

 

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every 15 seconds throughout the trading day through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association. As the respective international local markets close, the market value of the deposit securities will continue to be updated for foreign exchange rates for the remainder of the U.S. trading day at the prescribed 15 second intervals. The value of each Underlying Index will not be calculated and disseminated intra-day. The value and return of each Underlying Index is calculated once each trading day by the Index Provider based on prices received from the respective international local markets.

If a security’s market price (or other indicator of market value such as that obtained from a pricing service) is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately reflect the fair value of the security, the security will be valued by another method that the Adviser believes will better reflect fair value in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Money market securities maturing in 60 days or less will be valued at amortized cost. Each Fund may use fair value pricing in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to, situations when the value of a security in a Fund’s portfolio has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the market on which the security is principally traded (such as a corporate action or other news that may materially affect the price of a security) or trading in a security has been suspended or halted. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a Fund’s NAV and the prices used by the Fund’s Underlying Index. This may adversely affect a Fund’s ability to track its Underlying Index. With respect to securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges, the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your shares.

Dividends and Distributions

General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are generally declared and paid semi-annually by a Fund, except for the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund which dividends from net investment income, if any, are generally declared and paid quarterly and monthly, respectively. Distributions of net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Trust may make distributions on a more frequent basis for the Funds. The Trust reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve its status as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income or realized gains.

 

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Dividends and other distributions on shares of the Funds are distributed on a pro rata basis to beneficial owners of such shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners then of record with proceeds received from the Fund.

Dividend Reinvestment Service. No dividend reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners of a Fund for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Beneficial owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require beneficial owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Funds purchased in the secondary market.

Taxes. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in shares of a Fund will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in shares of the Fund.

Unless your investment in Fund shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions or you sell Fund shares.

Taxes on Distributions. Distributions from a Fund’s net investment income (other than qualified dividend income), including distributions of income from securities lending and distributions out of the Fund’s net short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions by a Fund of net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses (capital gain dividends) are taxable to you as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held such Fund’s shares. Distributions by a Fund that qualify as qualified dividend income are taxable to you at long-term capital gain rates. The maximum individual rate applicable to “qualified dividend income” and long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts.

Dividends paid by the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund that are properly designated as exempt-interest dividends will not be subject to regular U.S. federal income tax. The Fund intends to invest its assets in a manner such that a significant portion of their dividend distributions to shareholders will generally be exempt from U.S.

 

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federal income taxes, including the federal AMT for non-corporate shareholders. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in certain “private activity bonds,” and as a result, a portion of the exempt-interest dividends paid by them will be an item of tax preference to shareholders subject to the AMT. Corporate shareholders should note that income that is generally exempt from the federal AMT may in certain situations nonetheless be relevant in determining their federal AMT liability, if any. Depending on a shareholder’s state of residence, exempt-interest dividends from interest earned on municipal securities of a state or its political subdivisions may be exempt in the hands of such shareholder from income tax in that state. However, income from municipal securities of states other than the shareholder’s state of residence generally will not qualify for tax-free treatment for such shareholder.

Dividends are eligible to be qualified dividend income to you, if you meet certain holding period requirements discussed below, if they are attributable to qualified dividend income received by a Fund. Generally, qualified dividend income includes dividend income from taxable U.S. corporations and qualified non-U.S. corporations, provided that a Fund satisfies certain holding period requirements in respect of the stock of such corporations and has not hedged its position in the stock in certain ways. For this purpose, a qualified non-U.S. corporation means any non-U.S. corporation that is eligible for benefits under a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States which includes an exchange of information program or if the stock with respect to which the dividend was paid is readily tradable on an established United States security market. The term excludes a corporation that is a passive foreign investment company.

Dividends received by a Fund from a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) or another RIC generally are qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are made out of qualified dividend income received by such REIT or RIC. It is expected that dividends received by a Fund from a REIT and distributed to a shareholder generally will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income.

For a dividend to be treated as qualified dividend income, the dividend must be received with respect to a share of stock held without being hedged by a Fund, and to a share of the Fund held without being hedged by you, for 61 days during the 121-day period beginning at the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend or in the case of certain preferred stock 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date.

In general, your distributions are subject to U.S. federal income tax for the year when they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year.

 

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If a Fund’s distributions exceed current and accumulated earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made in the taxable year may be re-characterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder’s cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.

If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a non-U.S. entity, a Fund’s ordinary income dividends (which include distributions of net short- term capital gains) will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies, provided that withholding tax will generally not apply to any gain or income realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of any distributions of long-term capital gains or upon the sale or other disposition of shares of a Fund.

Dividends and interest received by a Fund with respect to non-U.S. securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by non-U.S. countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If, as is expected, more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund at the close of a year consist of non-U.S. stocks or securities, the Fund may “pass through” to you certain non-U.S. income taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund. This means that you would be considered to have received as an additional dividend your share of such non-U.S. taxes, but you may, in such case, be entitled to either a corresponding tax deduction in calculating your taxable income, or, subject to certain limitations, a credit in calculating your U.S. federal income tax.

With respect to Brazil, a 6% Imposto sobre Operacões Financeiras (IOF) tax, with the rate subject to change, applies to certain foreign exchange inflows into Brazil with respect to fixed income trades, and a 2% IOF tax, with rates subject to change, applies to certain foreign exchange inflows into Brazil with respect to equity trades. Also, a 1.5% IOF tax applies to the creation of new American or Global Depositary Receipt issuances with respect to Brazilian equities and a 0.38% IOF tax applies to the cancellation of American or Global Depositary Receipts if the underlying equities are then issued in the Brazil (local) markets. If incurred by the Fund, an IOF tax would not be creditable against U.S. income tax liability.

If you are a resident or a citizen of the United States, by law, back-up withholding will apply to your distributions and proceeds if you have not provided a taxpayer identification number or social security number and made other required certifications.

 

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Taxes When Shares are Sold. Currently, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares held for one year or less is generally treated as short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on the sale of shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid with respect to such shares.

Medicare Tax. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceed certain threshold amounts.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the consequences under current U.S. federal tax law of an investment in the Funds. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You may also be subject to state and local taxation on Fund distributions and sales of shares. Consult your personal tax adviser about the potential tax consequences of an investment in shares of the Fund under all applicable tax laws.

Creations and Redemptions. Prior to trading in the secondary market, shares of the Funds are “created” at NAV by market makers, large investors and institutions only in block-size Creation Units of 50,000 shares. Each “creator” or “Authorized Participant” enters into an authorized participant agreement with the Fund’s distributor, ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”). Only an Authorized Participant may create or redeem Creation Units directly with the Funds. Creation Units generally are issued and redeemed in exchange for a specific basket of securities approximating the holdings of a Fund and a designated amount of cash. Because each Fund invests a portion of its assets in foreign currency forward contracts, each Fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable by the Fund. The prices at which creations and redemptions occur are based on the next calculation of NAV after an order is received in a form described in the authorized participant agreement.

Creations and redemptions must be made by an Authorized Participant that is either a member of the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation or a DTC participant, and in each

 

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case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit aggregations. Information about the procedures regarding creation and redemption of Creation Units (including the cut-off times for receipt of creation and redemption orders) is included in the SAI.

Each Fund intends to comply with the U.S. federal securities laws in accepting securities for deposits and satisfying redemptions with redemption securities, including that the securities accepted for deposits and the securities used to satisfy redemption requests will be sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.

Authorized Participants and the Continuous Offering of Shares. Because new shares may be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of a Fund a “distribution,” as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may be occurring. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. Any determination of whether one is an underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular case.

Broker-dealers should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary transactions), and thus dealing with shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the 1933 Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the 1933 Act is available only with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange.

Transaction Fees. Authorized Participants are charged standard creation and redemption transaction fees to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. Purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units for cash are required to pay an additional variable charge (up to the maximum amount shown below) to compensate for brokerage and market impact expenses. The standard and maximum creation transaction fees for each of the Funds are $7,300 for db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund, $4,650 for

 

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db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund, $1,500 for db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund, $850 for db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund, $1,800 for db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund, $5,900 for db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund, $6,000 for db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund, $600 for db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund, $500 for db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, respectively.

Householding. Householding is an option available to certain Fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Distribution

The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares of the Funds. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Funds or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Funds. The Distributor’s principal address is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.

The Adviser or its affiliates may make payments to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries (together, “intermediaries”) related to marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services relating to the Funds and certain other funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates. Such payments, which may be significant to the intermediary, are not made by a Fund. Rather, such payments are made by the Adviser or its affiliates from their own resources, which come directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by the Funds and certain other funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates. Payments of this type are sometimes referred to as revenue sharing payments. A financial intermediary may make decisions about which investment options it recommends or makes available, or the level of services provided, to its customers based on the revenue sharing payments it is eligible to receive. Therefore, such payments to an intermediary create conflicts of interest between the intermediary and its customers and may cause the intermediary to recommend a Fund or other funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates. More information regarding these payments is contained in the Funds’ SAI.

 

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Fund Service Providers

The Bank of New York Mellon, One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286 (“BNY”), is the administrator, custodian and fund accounting and transfer agent for each Fund.

Dechert LLP, 1095 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, serves as legal counsel to the Funds.

Ernst & Young LLP, 5 Times Square, New York, New York 10036, serves as each Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Funds.

Index Providers

MSCI, Inc. (“MSCI”) is a leading provider of global indexes and benchmark related products and services to investors worldwide. MSCI is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, BNY, the Distributor or any of their respective affiliates.

DBSI, which is an affiliate of the Adviser, is responsible for the rules-based methodology of the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index and DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index. See “Affiliated Index Provider” in the SAI. DBSI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. DBSI’s index team (known as “DBIQ”) is responsible for the methodology of the Underlying Index as well as numerous other Deutsche Bank proprietary indices. DBSI, through DBIQ, is a leading provider of indices representing various major asset classes and regions.

Structured Solutions AG is responsible for the administration and calculation of the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index and DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index.

The Adviser has entered into a license agreement with each Index Provider to use each Underlying Index. The Adviser sublicenses rights in each Underlying Index to the Trust at no charge.

Disclaimers

The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MSCI or DBSI or any affiliate of MSCI or DBSI. Neither MSCI or DBSI nor any other party makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Funds or any member of the public regarding advisability of investing in funds generally or in this Fund particularly or the ability of

 

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each Underlying Index to track general stock market performance. MSCI and DBSI are the licensors of certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of MSCI and DBSI and of the Underlying Indexes which are determined, composed and calculated by MSCI and DBSI without regard to the Trust, the Adviser or the Fund. MSCI and DBSI have no obligation to take the needs of the Adviser or the owners of the Funds into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Underlying Indexes. MSCI and DBSI are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Funds to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Funds are redeemable for cash. Neither MSCI or DBSI nor any other party has any obligation or liability to owners of the Funds in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.

Although MSCI and DBSI shall obtain information for inclusion in or for use in the calculation of the indexes from sources which MSCI and DBSI consider reliable, neither MSCI or DBSI nor any other party guarantees the accuracy and/or the completeness of the indexes or any data included therein. Neither MSCI or DBSI nor any other party makes any warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by licensee, licensee’s customers and counterparties, owners of the Funds, or any other person or entity from the use of the indexes or any data included hereunder or for any other use. Neither MSCI or DBSI nor any other party makes any express or implied warranties, and MSCI and DBSI hereby expressly disclaim all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the indexes or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall MSCI or DBSI or any other party have any liability for direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

Shares of the Funds are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca. NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the ability of the Funds to track the total return performance of their Underlying Index or the ability of the Underlying Indexes to track stock market performance. NYSE Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or the calculation of the Underlying Index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of the Funds to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the Funds in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of the Funds.

 

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NYSE Arca does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Underlying Indexes or any data included therein. NYSE Arca makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Trust on behalf of the Funds as licensee, licensee’s customers and counterparties, owners of the shares of the Funds, or any other person or entity from the use of the subject index or any data included therein in connection with the rights licensed as described herein or for any other use. NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Underlying Indexes or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall NYSE Arca have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

The Adviser does not guarantee the accuracy or the completeness of the Underlying Indexes or any data included therein and the Adviser shall have no liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions therein.

The Adviser makes no warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the Funds or to any other person or entity, as to results to be obtained by the Funds from the use of the Underlying Indexes or any data included therein. The Adviser makes no express or implied warranties and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Underlying Indexes or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Adviser have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

Premium/Discount Information

Information regarding how often shares of each Fund traded on NYSE Arca at a price above ( i.e ., at a premium) or below ( i.e ., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the past calendar year can be found at www.dbxus.com.

 

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Financial Highlights

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance since its inception. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate than an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in each Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information regarding each Fund’s initial fiscal period ended May 31, 2012 and fiscal year ended May 31, 2013, has been derived from the Fund’s financial statements which have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, whose report, along with the Funds’ financial statements, are included in the Funds’ Annual Report as of May 31, 2013 and for the fiscal period then ended, which is available upon request. Because the db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund commenced operations after May 31, 2013, no financial highlights are presented for these Funds.

 

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db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund

 

     Year Ended
May 31, 2013
    For the period
June 9, 2011* to
May 31, 2012
 

For a Share outstanding throughout each period

    

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

   $ 20.74      $ 25.00   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from investment operations:

    

Net investment income**

     0.54        0.64   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions

     (0.15     (4.18
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

     0.39        (3.54
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions paid to shareholders from:

    

Net investment income

     (0.54     (0.29

Net realized capital gains

     (1.31     (0.43
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

     (1.85     (0.72
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, end of period

   $ 19.28      $ 20.74   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return***

     1.43     (14.28 )% 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

    

Net Assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

   $ 7,728      $ 4,165   

Ratios to average net assets:

    

Expenses, net of fee waiver and expense reimbursements

     0.68     1.13 %† 

Expenses, prior to fee waiver and expense reimbursements

     0.92       

Net investment income

     2.66     2.89 %† 

Portfolio turnover rate††

     25     34

 

* Commencement of operations.
** Based on average shares outstanding.
*** Total Return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the Net Asset Value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividend distributions at Net Asset Value during the period, and redemption at Net Asset Value on the last day of the period. Total Return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.
Annualized.
†† Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.

 

161


db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund

 

     Year Ended
May 31, 2013
    For the period
June 9, 2011* to
May 31, 2012
 

For a Share outstanding throughout each period

    

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

   $ 22.12      $ 25.00   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from investment operations:

    

Net investment income**

     0.79        0.70   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, futures and foreign currency transactions

     6.26        (3.48
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

     7.05        (2.78
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions paid to shareholders from:

    

Net investment income

     (1.68     (0.10

Net realized capital gains

     (2.40       
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

     (4.08     (0.10
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, end of period

   $ 25.09      $ 22.12   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return***

     35.60     (11.14 )% 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

    

Net Assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

   $ 75,300      $ 30,979   

Ratios to average net assets:

    

Expenses, net of fee waiver and expense reimbursements

     0.48     0.57 %† 

Expenses, prior to fee waiver and expense reimbursements

     0.64       

Net investment income

     3.35     3.04 %† 

Portfolio turnover rate††

     14     14

 

* Commencement of operations.
** Based on average shares outstanding.
*** Total Return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the Net Asset Value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividend distributions at Net Asset Value during the period, and redemption at Net Asset Value on the last day of the period. Total Return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.
Annualized.
†† Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.

 

162


db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund

 

     Year Ended
May 31, 2013
    For the period
June 9, 2011* to
May 31, 2012
 

For a Share outstanding throughout each period

    

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

   $ 21.22      $ 25.00   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from investment operations:

    

Net investment income**

     0.38        0.21   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, futures and foreign currency transactions

     1.01        (3.34
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

     1.39        (3.13
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions paid to shareholders from:

    

Net investment income

     (0.40     (0.06

Net realized capital gains

     (0.25     (0.59
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

     (0.65     (0.65
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, end of period

   $ 21.96      $ 21.22   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return***

     6.54     (12.52 )% 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

    

Net Assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

   $ 8,800      $ 4,261   

Ratios to average net assets:

    

Expenses, net of fee waiver and expense reimbursements

     0.72     1.19 %† 

Expenses, prior to fee waiver and expense reimbursements

     0.94       

Net investment income

     1.72     0.97 %† 

Portfolio turnover rate††

     15     19

 

* Commencement of operations.
** Based on average shares outstanding.
*** Total Return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the Net Asset Value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividend distributions at Net Asset Value during the period, and redemption at Net Asset Value on the last day of the period. Total Return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.
Annualized.
†† Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.

 

163


db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund

 

     Year Ended
May 31, 2013
    For the period
June 9, 2011* to
May 31, 2012
 

For a Share outstanding throughout each period

    

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

   $ 21.57      $ 25.00   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from investment operations:

    

Net investment income**

     0.44        0.27   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, futures and foreign currency transactions

     2.08        (3.30
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

     2.52        (3.03
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions paid to shareholders from:

    

Net investment income

     (0.44     (0.12

Net realized capital gains

     (0.43     (0.28
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

     (0.87     (0.40
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, end of period

   $ 23.22      $ 21.57   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return***

     11.86     (12.14 )% 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

    

Net Assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

   $ 4,663      $ 4,331   

Ratios to average net assets:

    

Expenses, net of fee waiver and expense reimbursements

     0.58     1.04 %† 

Expenses, prior to fee waiver and expense reimbursements

     0.82       

Net investment income

     1.93     1.20 %† 

Portfolio turnover rate††

     108     17

 

* Commencement of operations.
** Based on average shares outstanding.
*** Total Return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the Net Asset Value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividend distributions at Net Asset Value during the period, and redemption at Net Asset Value on the last day of the period. Total Return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.
Annualized.
†† Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.

 

164


db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund

 

     Year Ended
May 31, 2013
    For the period
June 9, 2011* to
May 31, 2012
 

For a Share outstanding throughout each period

    

Net Asset Value, beginning of period

   $ 21.79      $ 25.00   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from investment operations:

    

Net investment income**

     0.39        0.27   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, futures and foreign currency transactions

     12.31        (3.31
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

     12.70        (3.04
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions paid to shareholders from:

    

Net investment income

     (0.41     (0.17

Net realized capital gains

              
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

     (0.41     (0.17
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, end of period

   $ 34.08      $ 21.79   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return***

     59.04     (12.16 )% 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

    

Net Assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

   $ 109,072      $ 4,376   

Ratios to average net assets:

    

Expenses, net of fee waiver and expense reimbursements

     0.52     1.03 %† 

Expenses, prior to fee waiver and expense reimbursements

     0.66       

Net investment income

     1.27     1.15 %† 

Portfolio turnover rate††

     12     16

 

 

* Commencement of operations.
** Based on average shares outstanding.
*** Total Return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the Net Asset Value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividend distributions at Net Asset Value during the period, and redemption at Net Asset Value on the last day of the period. Total Return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.
Annualized.
†† Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.

 

165


For more information:

WWW.DBXUS.COM

1-855-329-3837 (1-855-DBX-ETFS)

Copies of the Prospectus, SAI and recent shareholder reports can be found on our website at www.dbxus.com. For more information about the Funds, you may request a copy of the SAI. The SAI provides detailed information about the Funds and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. This means that the SAI, for legal purposes, is a part of this Prospectus.

If you have any questions about the Trust or shares of the Funds or you wish to obtain the SAI or shareholder report free of charge, please:

 

Call:     

1-855-329-3837 or 1-855-DBX-ETFS (toll free)

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

(Eastern time)

     E-mail:dbxquestions@list.db.com
Write:     

DBX ETF Trust

c/o ALPS Distributors, Inc.

1290 Broadway, Suite 1100

Denver, Colorado 80203

Information about the Funds (including the SAI) can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Funds and their shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep the Prospectus for future reference.

Investment Company Act File No.: 811-22487


DBX ETF Trust

db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund (DBEM)

db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund (DBEF)

db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund (DBBR)

db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund (DBGR)

db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund (DBJP)

db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund (DBAP)

db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund (DBEU)

db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund (DBUK)

db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund (UTLT)

db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund (RVNU)

Statement of Additional Information

Dated October 1, 2013

This combined Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus (the “Prospectus”) for the above-referenced funds (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”) of DBX ETF Trust (the “Trust”), as such Prospectus may be revised or supplemented from time to time. Each Fund is listed on NYSE Arca, Inc.

The Prospectus for the Funds included in this SAI is dated October 1, 2013. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by writing to the Trust’s distributor, ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”), at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203, calling 1-855-329-3837 (1-855-DBX-ETFS) or visiting www.dbxus.com.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

General Description of the Trust and its Funds

     3   

Exchange Listing and Trading

     3   

Investment Strategies and Risks

     4   

General Considerations and Risks

     10   

Proxy Voting

     14   

Portfolio Holdings Information

     14   

Construction and Maintenance of the Underlying Indexes

     14   

Investment Limitations

     17   

Management

     19   

Investment Advisory, Sub-Advisory, Administrative and Distribution Services

     27   

Brokerage Transactions

     37   

Additional Information Concerning the Trust

     40   

Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

     41   

Taxes

     46   

Miscellaneous Information

     53   

Financial Statements

     53   

 

i


General Description of the Trust and its Funds

The Trust currently consists of ten investment series or portfolios. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on October 7, 2010 and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios. The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The offering of each Fund’s shares (the “Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”).

The investment objective of each Fund is to provide investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of a specified benchmark index (each, an “Underlying Index”). Each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, is managed by DBX Advisors LLC (the “Adviser”) and is sub-advised by TDAM USA Inc. (“TDAM”). The db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund is managed by the Adviser and is sub-advised by RREEF America L.L.C. (“RREEF”). The db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund is managed by the Adviser and sub-advised by Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. (“DIMA”). Each of TDAM, RREEF and DIMA is also referred to as a “Sub-Adviser.”

Each Fund offers and issues Shares at their net asset value (“NAV”) per Share only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (“Creation Units”), generally in exchange for a basket of securities and other instruments included in its Underlying Index (the “Deposit Securities”), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”). Shares of the Funds are expected to be listed and trade on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”). Shares trade in the secondary market at market prices that may be at, above or below NAV. Shares are redeemable only in Creation Units and, partially for cash and partially in-kind for securities and other instruments generally included in a Fund’s Underlying Index. A Creation Unit consists of 50,000 Shares thereof.

The Trust reserves the right to offer a “cash” option for creations and redemptions of Shares. Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain with the Trust a cash deposit, equal to at least 115%, which the Adviser may change from time to time, of the market value of the omitted Deposit Securities. See the Creation and Redemption of Creation Units section of this SAI. Transaction fees for cash creations and redemptions may be higher than the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations and redemptions.

Exchange Listing and Trading

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in each Fund is contained in the Shareholder Information section of the Funds’ Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, that section of the Prospectus.

Shares of each Fund will be listed for trading and will trade throughout the day on the Exchange. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of any Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of a Fund from listing if (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of Fund Shares, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of Shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days; (ii) the value of the Underlying Index on which a Fund is based is no longer calculated or available; (iii) the “indicative optimized portfolio value” (“IOPV”) of a Fund is no longer calculated or available; or (iv) any other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will also remove Shares of a Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, when you buy or sell Shares through a broker you will incur a brokerage commission determined by that broker.

In order to provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares of the Fund, the Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other widely disseminated means an updated IOPV for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Trust is not involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IOPVs and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IOPVs.

An IOPV has a securities component and a cash component. The securities values included in an IOPV are the values of the Deposit Securities for a Fund. While the IOPV reflects the current market value of the Deposit Securities required to be deposited in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, it does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by a Fund at a particular point in time because the current portfolio of the Fund may include securities that are not a part of the current Deposit Securities. Therefore, a Fund’s IOPV disseminated during the Exchange trading hours should not be viewed as a real-time update of the Fund’s NAV, which is calculated only once a day.

The cash component included in an IOPV consists of estimated accrued interest, dividends and other income, less expenses. If applicable, each IOPV also reflects changes in currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the applicable currency.

 

3


The Trust reserves the right to adjust the Share prices of Funds in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.

Investment Strategies and Risks

Each Fund is managed to track the performance of its Underlying Index. Each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of issuers located in the markets and sectors specified in the applicable Fund’s name and in instruments designed to hedge the Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. Under normal circumstances, the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund invests at least 80% of net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities issued by municipalities across the United States which are classified as “municipal infrastructure revenue” bonds based on the Underlying Index’s criteria, as well as in other securities whose income is free from regular federal income tax. Because municipal securities that pay interest subject to the alternative minimum tax (“AMT”) may be included in the Underlying Index without limit, the Fund may invest an unlimited amount of its net assets in municipal securities whose income is subject to the AMT. In addition, each Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise its respective Underlying Index. Each Fund may also invest in depositary receipts (which are securities issued by banks representing an issuer’s shares that are publicly traded in another country) in respect of equity securities that comprise the applicable Underlying Index to seek performance that corresponds to the Fund’s respective Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards each Fund’s 80% investment policy discussed above with respect to instruments that comprise the Underlying Index. Each Fund operates as an index fund and will not be actively managed. Adverse performance of a security in each Fund’s portfolio may not result in the elimination of the security from a Fund’s portfolio.

Each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund, engages in representative sampling, which is investing in a sample of securities selected by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser to have a collective investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index. Securities selected have aggregate investment characteristics (based on market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability, earnings valuation and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. Funds that use representative sampling generally do not hold all of the securities that are in the relevant Underlying Index.

Diversification Status. Each Fund is classified as “non-diversified.” A non-diversified fund is a fund that is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. The securities of a particular issuer (or securities of issuers in particular industries) may dominate the underlying index of such a fund and, consequently, the fund’s investment portfolio. This may adversely affect the fund’s performance or subject the fund’s Shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by more diversified investment companies.

Each Fund intends to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct its operations so as to qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) for purposes of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and to relieve the Fund of any liability for U.S. federal income tax to the extent that its earnings are distributed to shareholders, provided that the Fund satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Code may limit the investment flexibility of the Funds and may make it less likely that such Funds will meet their investment objective.

Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is an instrument under which the purchaser ( i.e ., a Fund) acquires the security and the seller agrees, at the time of the sale, to repurchase the security at a mutually agreed upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the purchaser’s holding period. Repurchase agreements may be construed to be collateralized loans by the purchaser to the seller secured by the securities transferred to the purchaser. If a repurchase agreement is construed to be a collateralized loan, the underlying securities will not be considered to be owned by each Fund but only to constitute collateral for the seller’s obligation to pay the repurchase price, and, in the event of a default by the seller, each Fund may suffer time delays and incur costs or losses in connection with the disposition of the collateral.

In any repurchase transaction, collateral for a repurchase agreement may include cash items, obligations issued by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, obligations rated in the highest category by at least two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSRO”), or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser. Collateral, however, is not limited to the foregoing and may include for example obligations rated below the highest category by NRSROs. Collateral for a repurchase agreement may also include securities that a Fund could not hold directly without the repurchase obligation. Irrespective of the type of collateral underlying the repurchase agreement, a repurchase obligation with a particular counterparty must satisfy the credit quality standards applicable to the acquisition of an instrument issued by such counterparty in compliance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act.

Repurchase agreements pose certain risks for a Fund that utilizes them. Such risks are not unique to the Funds but are inherent in repurchase agreements. The Funds seek to minimize such risks but because of the inherent legal uncertainties involved in repurchase agreements, such risks cannot be eliminated. Lower quality collateral and collateral with longer maturities may be subject to greater price fluctuations than higher quality collateral and collateral with shorter maturities. If the repurchase agreement counterparty were to default, lower quality collateral may be more difficult to liquidate than higher quality collateral. Should the counterparty default

 

4


and the amount of collateral not be sufficient to cover the counterparty’s repurchase obligation, a Fund would retain the status of an unsecured creditor of the counterparty ( i.e ., the position the Fund would normally be in if it were to hold, pursuant to its investment policies, other unsecured debt securities of the defaulting counterparty) with respect to the amount of the shortfall. As an unsecured creditor, a Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. Generally the effect of such transactions is that the Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases the Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are advantageous only if the Fund has an opportunity to earn a rate of interest on the cash derived from these transactions that is greater than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available and each Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser believe it will be advantageous to the Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of each Fund’s assets. The Fund’s exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will be covered by assets having a value equal to or greater than such commitments. Each Fund maintains liquid assets in connection with reverse repurchase agreements. Under the 1940 Act, reverse repurchase agreements are considered borrowings.

Currency Transactions. Each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, may enter into forward currency contracts designed to offset a Fund’s exposure to non-U.S. currencies. In addition, the Funds, including the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund, may enter into foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts to facilitate local securities settlements or to protect against currency exposure in connection with distributions to Shareholders. The db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund and db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund invest in forward foreign currency exchange contracts to hedge against changes in the value of the U.S. dollar against specified non-U.S. currencies. Similarly, the db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund and db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund each invest in forward foreign currency exchange contracts to hedge against changes in the value of the U.S. dollar against the Brazilian real, Euro and the Japanese yen, respectively.

A foreign exchange forward contract (“forward contract”) involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are principally traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large, commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no margin deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades.

A non-deliverable forward contract (“NDF”) is a forward contract where there is no physical settlement of two currencies at maturity. NDFs are contracts between parties in which a net settlement amount based on the change in the specified foreign exchange rate is paid by one party to the other. The Fund’s obligations with respect to each NDF is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or liquid securities at least equal to such amount maintained in an account at the Trust’s custodian bank. The risk of loss with respect to NDFs generally is limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make or receive.

A foreign currency futures contract is a contract involving an obligation to deliver or acquire the specified amount of a specific currency, at a specified price and at a specified future time. Futures contracts may be settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the sale and delivery of the underlying currency.

Short-Term Instruments and Temporary Investments. Each Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) Shares of money market funds (including those advised by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser); (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed-time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks (including non-U.S. branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated, at the date of purchase, “Prime-1” by Moody’s ® Investors Service, Inc. or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s ® Rating Service, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P ® ”), or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities ( e.g ., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; (vi) repurchase agreements; and (vii) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of non-U.S. banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by a Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or forward-settled basis. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

 

5


Foreign Securities. Each Fund, except db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, intends to purchase publicly-traded common stocks of foreign issuers. To the extent a Fund invests in stocks of foreign issuers, certain of the Funds’ investments in such stocks may be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and Non-Voting Depositary Receipts (“NVDRs”) (collectively, “Depositary Receipts”). Depositary Receipts are receipts, typically issued by a bank or trust issuer, which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. For other forms of Depositary Receipts, the depository may be a foreign or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may be issued by a foreign or a U.S. issuer. Depositary Receipts are not necessarily denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs, issued in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, NVDRs are designed for use in the Thai securities market and GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world.

The Funds will not invest in any unlisted Depositary Receipt or any Depositary Receipt that the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser deem illiquid at the time of purchase or for which pricing information is not readily available. In general, Depositary Receipts will be sponsored, but a Fund may invest in unsponsored ADRs under certain circumstances. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States. Therefore there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may be no correlation between available information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts.

db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund may invest in fixed income securities issued by entities outside the U.S.

Investing in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involves special risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. These include differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, political instability which could affect U.S. investments in non-U.S. countries, and potential restrictions on the flow of international capital. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to less governmental regulation than U.S. issuers. Moreover, individual non-U.S. economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payment positions.

Restricted Securities/Rule 144A Securities. The Funds may invest in securities offered pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (“Rule 144A securities”), which are restricted securities. They may be less liquid and more difficult to value than other investments because such securities may not be readily marketable in broad public markets. The Funds may not be able to sell a restricted security promptly or at a reasonable price. Although there is a substantial institutional market for Rule 144A securities, it is not possible to predict exactly how the market for Rule 144A securities will develop. A restricted security that was liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid and its value may decline as a result. Restricted securities that are deemed illiquid will count towards a Fund’s 15% limitation on illiquid securities. In addition, transaction costs may be higher for restricted securities than for more liquid securities. The Funds may have to bear the expense of registering Rule 144A securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration.

Securities of Investment Companies. Each Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies (including money market funds) and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) to the extent allowed by law. Pursuant to the 1940 Act, a Fund’s investment in investment companies is limited to, subject to certain exceptions: (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one investment company; (ii) 5% of the Fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company; and (iii) 10% of the Fund’s total assets with respect to investment companies in the aggregate. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, each Fund may invest its assets in the securities of investment companies that are money market funds, including those advised by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser or otherwise affiliated with the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser, in excess of the limits discussed above. Other investment companies in which a Fund invests can be expected to incur fees and expenses for operations, such as investment advisory and administration fees that would be in addition to those incurred by the Fund.

Illiquid Securities. Each Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment). Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets.

Futures and Options. Each Fund may enter into futures contracts and options. These futures contracts and options will be used to simulate investment in the respective Underlying Index, facilitate trading or reduce transaction costs. Each Fund will enter into futures contracts and options that are traded on a U.S. or non-U.S. exchange. No Fund will use futures or options for speculative purposes. Each Fund intends to use futures and options in accordance with Rule 4.5 promulgated under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that each Fund is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA.

 

6


Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific instrument or index at a specified future time and at a specified price. Each Fund may enter into futures contracts to purchase the value of one or more securities indexes when the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser anticipate purchasing the underlying securities and believe prices will rise before the purchase will be made. To the extent required by law, liquid assets committed to futures contracts will be maintained.

A call option gives a holder the right to purchase a specific security at a specified price (“exercise price”) within a specified period of time. A put option gives a holder the right to sell a specific security at a specified exercise price within a specified period of time. The initial purchaser of a call option pays the “writer” a premium, which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. Each Fund may purchase put options to hedge its portfolio against the risk of a decline in the market value of securities held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities it is committed to purchase. Each Fund may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase its ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the securities it holds or is committed to purchase. Investments in futures contracts and other investments that contain leverage may require each Fund to maintain liquid assets. Generally, each Fund maintains an amount of liquid assets equal to its obligations relative to the position involved, adjusted daily on a marked-to-market basis. With respect to futures contracts that are contractually required to “cash-settle,” each Fund maintains liquid assets in an amount at least equal to each Fund’s daily marked-to-market obligation ( i.e ., each Fund’s daily net liability, if any), rather than the contracts’ notional value. By maintaining assets equal to its net obligation under cash-settled futures contracts, the Fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if each Fund set aside assets equal to the futures contracts’ full notional value. Each Fund bases its asset maintenance policies on methods permitted by the staff of the SEC and may modify these policies in the future to comply with any changes in the guidance articulated from time to time by the SEC or its staff.

Options on Futures Contracts. An option on a futures contract, as contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the underlying futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option. Upon exercise of an option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account that represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option plus transaction costs. Because the value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the NAV of each Fund. The potential for loss related to writing call options is unlimited. The potential for loss related to writing put options is limited to the agreed upon price per Share, also known as the strike price, less the premium received from writing the put.

Each Fund may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on an exchange as a hedge against changes in value of its portfolio securities, or in anticipation of the purchase of securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be affected.

Upon entering into a futures contract, a Fund will be required to deposit with the broker an amount of cash or cash equivalents known as “initial margin,” which is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract and is returned to each Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin,” to and from the broker will be made daily as the price of the index underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.” At any time prior to the expiration of a futures contract, each Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate a Fund’s existing position in the contract.

Restrictions on the Use of Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. Pursuant to a claim for exemption filed with the National Futures Association (“NFA”) on behalf of each Fund, the Trust is not deemed to be a “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”), under the CEA, and it is not subject to registration or regulation as such under the CEA. The Investment Adviser is not deemed to be a “commodity trading advisor” with respect to its services as an investment adviser to each Fund. In February 2012, the CFTC adopted certain regulatory changes that may subject the Investment Adviser to register with the CFTC as CPO if a Fund is unable to comply with certain trading and marketing limitations on its investments in futures and certain other instruments. With respect to investments in swap transactions, commodity futures, commodity options or certain other derivatives used for purposes other than bona fide hedging purposes, the Trust, on behalf of each Fund must meet one of the following tests under the amended regulations in order to claim an exemption from being a CPO. First, the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish a Fund’s positions in such investments may not exceed five percent of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments). Alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time of the most recent position established, may not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, a Fund may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps and derivatives markets. In the event that the Investment Adviser is required to

 

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register as a CPO with respect to a Fund, the disclosure and operations of the Fund would need to comply with all applicable CFTC regulations. Compliance with these additional registration and regulatory requirements would increase operational expenses. Other potentially adverse regulatory initiatives could also develop.

Swap Agreements. Over-the-counter (“OTC”) swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make periodic payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. Swap agreements will usually be performed on a net basis, with each Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of liquid assets having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained by each Fund. Cleared swap agreements are contracts in which payments are guaranteed by a central clearinghouse.

The use of interest-rate and index swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. These transactions generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal.

Tracking Stocks. A tracking stock is a separate class of common stock whose value is linked to a specific business unit or operating division within a larger company and which is designed to “track” the performance of such business unit or division. The tracking stock may pay dividends to Shareholders independent of the parent company. The parent company, rather than the business unit or division, generally is the issuer of tracking stock. However, holders of the tracking stock may not have the same rights as holders of the company’s common stock.

The following investment strategies are used only by the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund.

Bonds. The db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund invests in U.S. registered dollar-denominated bonds. A bond is an interest-bearing security issued by a company, governmental unit or, in some cases, a non-U.S. entity. The issuer of a bond has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal (the bond’s face value) periodically or on a specified maturity date. An issuer may have the right to redeem or “call” a bond before maturity, in which case the investor may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates. Most bonds bear interest income at a “coupon” rate that is fixed for the life of the bond. The value of a fixed rate bond usually rises when market interest rates fall, and falls when market interest rates rise. Accordingly, a fixed rate bond’s yield (income as a percent of the bond’s current value) may differ from its coupon rate as its value rises or falls. Other types of bonds bear income at an interest rate that is adjusted periodically. Bonds may be senior or subordinated obligations. Senior obligations generally have the first claim on a corporation’s earnings and assets and, in the event of liquidation, are paid before subordinated obligations. Bonds may be unsecured (backed only by the issuer’s general creditworthiness) or secured (also backed by specified collateral).

U.S. Government Obligations. The db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund may invest a portion of its assets in various types of U.S. Government obligations. U.S. Government obligations are a type of bond. U.S. Government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Payment of principal and interest on U.S. Government obligations (i) may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States (as with U.S. Treasury obligations and Government National Mortgage Association ( i.e ., GNMA) certificates) or (ii) may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself (as with Federal National Mortgage Association ( i.e ., FNMA), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ( i.e ., FHLMC) and Federal Home Loan Bank ( i.e ., FHLB) notes. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities where it is not obligated to do so. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. Government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. Government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms.

Delayed Delivery Transactions. The db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund may use delayed delivery transactions as an investment technique. Delayed delivery transactions, also referred to as forward commitments, involve commitments by the Fund to dealers or issuers to acquire or sell securities at a specified future date beyond the customary settlement for such securities. These commitments may fix the payment price and interest rate to be received or paid on the investment. The Fund may purchase securities on a delayed delivery basis to the extent that it can anticipate having available cash on the settlement date. Delayed delivery agreements will not be used as a speculative or leverage technique.

 

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Investment in securities on a delayed delivery basis may increase the Fund’s exposure to market fluctuation and may increase the possibility that the Fund will incur short-term gains subject to federal taxation or short-term losses if the Fund must engage in portfolio transactions in order to honor a delayed delivery commitment. Until the settlement date, the Fund will segregate liquid assets of a dollar value sufficient at all times to make payment for the delayed delivery transactions. Such segregated liquid assets will be marked-to-market daily, and the amount segregated will be increased if necessary to maintain adequate coverage of the delayed delivery commitments.

The delayed delivery securities, which will not begin to accrue interest or dividends until the settlement date, will be recorded as an asset of the Fund and will be subject to the risk of market fluctuation. The purchase price of the delayed delivery securities is a liability of the Fund until settlement. The Fund may enter into buy/sell back transactions (a form of delayed delivery agreement). In a buy/sell back transaction, the Fund enters a trade to sell securities at one price and simultaneously enters a trade to buy the same securities at another price for settlement at a future date.

When-Issued Securities. The db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund may purchase when-issued securities. Purchasing securities on a “when-issued” basis means that the date for delivery of and payment for the securities is not fixed at the date of purchase, but is set after the securities are issued. The payment obligation and, if applicable, the interest rate that will be received on the securities are fixed at the time the buyer enters into the commitment. The Fund will only make commitments to purchase such securities with the intention of actually acquiring such securities, but the Fund may sell these securities before the settlement date if it is deemed advisable.

Securities purchased on a when-issued basis and the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio are subject to changes in market value based upon the public’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and, if applicable, the changes in the level of interest rates. Therefore, if the Fund is to remain substantially fully invested at the same time that it has purchased securities on a when-issued basis, there will be a possibility that the market value of the Fund’s assets will fluctuate to a greater degree. Furthermore, when the time comes for the Fund to meet its obligations under when-issued commitments, the Fund will do so by using then available cash flow, by sale of the segregated liquid assets, by sale of other securities, or although it would not normally expect to do so, by directing the sale of when-issued securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Fund’s payment obligation).

Investment in securities on a when-issued basis may increase the Fund’s exposure to market fluctuation and may increase the possibility that the Fund will incur short-term gains subject to federal taxation or short-term losses if the Fund must sell another security in order to honor a when-issued commitment. The Fund will employ techniques designed to reduce such risks. If the Fund purchases a when-issued security, the Fund will segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to the when-issued commitment. If the market value of such segregated assets declines, additional liquid assets will be segregated on a daily basis so that the market value of the segregated assets will equal the amount of the Fund’s when-issued commitments.

Lending Portfolio Securities. The db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved borrowers. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. No securities loan shall be made on behalf of the Fund if, as a result, the aggregate value of all securities loans of the particular Fund exceeds one-third of the value of such Fund’s total assets (including the value of the collateral received). The Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. The Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities.

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, the Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of each lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, including those advised by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser; such reinvestments are subject to investment risk.

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk ( i.e ., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk ( i.e ., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. In the event a borrower does not return the Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral does not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities.

The Fund pays a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above and to a securities lending agent who administers the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Trustees”).

 

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Future Developments. The Board may, in the future, authorize each Fund to invest in securities and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Funds’ Prospectus, provided they are consistent with each Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.

General Considerations and Risks

A discussion of some of the risks associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the applicable Prospectus.

An investment in a Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of stocks in general and other factors that affect the market.

All Funds except db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund.

Risks of Equity Securities. An investment in a Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of Shares of a Fund). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic or banking crises. Holders of common stocks incur more risks than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders generally have rights to receive payments from stock issuers inferior to the rights of creditors, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (the value of which, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior to maturity), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity.

Although most of the securities in each Underlying Index are listed on a national securities exchange, the principal trading market for some may be in the over-the-counter market. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of a Fund’s Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for a Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide.

Risks of Derivatives. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset such as a security or an index. A Fund may invest in stock index futures contracts and other derivatives. Compared to conventional securities, derivatives can be more sensitive to changes in interest rates or to sudden fluctuations in market prices and thus the Funds’ losses may be greater if it invests in derivatives than if it invests only in conventional securities.

Risks of Futures and Options Transactions. There are several risks accompanying the utilization of futures contracts and options on futures contracts. First, a position in futures contracts and options on futures contracts may be closed only on the exchange on which the contract was made (or a linked exchange). While each Fund plans to utilize futures contracts only if an active market exists for such contracts, there is no guarantee that a liquid market will exist for the contract at a specified time. Furthermore, because, by definition, futures contracts project price levels in the future and not current levels of valuation, market circumstances may result in a discrepancy between the price of the stock index future and the movement in the Underlying Index. In the event of adverse price movements, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if a Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, a Fund may be required to deliver the instruments underlying the future contracts it has sold.

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies ( e.g ., selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The Funds do not plan to use futures and options contracts in this way. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. The Fund, however, intend to utilize futures and options contracts in a manner designed to limit their risk exposure to levels comparable to a direct investment in the types of stocks in which they invest.

Utilization of futures and options on futures by a Fund involves the risk of imperfect correlation to the Underlying Index if the index underlying the futures contract differs from the Underlying Index. There is also the risk of loss by a Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom a Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option. The purchase of put or call options will be based upon predictions by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser as to anticipated trends, which predictions could prove to be incorrect.

Because the futures market generally imposes less burdensome margin requirements than the securities market, an increased amount of participation by speculators in the futures market could result in price fluctuations. Certain financial futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum

 

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amount by which the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. It is possible that futures contract prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting each Fund to substantial losses. In the event of adverse price movements, each Fund would be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin.

Risks of Swap Agreements. The risk of loss with respect to OTC swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make. Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the swap counterparty will default on its obligations. If such a default occurs, a Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However, such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect such Fund’s rights as a creditor ( e.g ., a Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it contractually is entitled to receive). Cleared swaps are transacted through futures commission merchants (“FCMs”) that are members of central clearinghouses with the clearinghouse serving as a central counterparty similar to transactions in futures contracts. Central clearing is expected to decrease counterparty risk and increase liquidity compared to un-cleared swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterpart to each participant’s swap. However, central clearing does not eliminate counterparty risk or illiquidity risk entirely. In addition depending on the size of a fund and other factors, the margin required under the rules of a clearinghouse and by a clearing member FCM may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted by a fund to support its obligations under a similar un-cleared swap. It is expected, however, that regulators will adopt rules imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on un-cleared swaps in the near future, which could reduce the distinction.

Risks of Currency Transactions. Currency exchange transactions involve a significant degree of risk and the markets in which currency exchange transactions are effected are highly volatile, highly specialized and highly technical. Significant changes, including changes in liquidity and prices, can occur in such markets within very short periods of time, often within minutes. Currency exchange trading risks include, but are not limited to, exchange rate risk, maturity gap, interest rate risk, and potential interference by foreign governments through regulation of local exchange markets, foreign investment or particular transactions in foreign currency. If a Fund utilizes foreign currency transactions at an inappropriate time, such transactions may not serve their intended purpose of improving the correlation of a Fund’s return with the performance of its underlying Index and may lower the Fund’s return. A Fund could experience losses if the value of any currency forwards and futures positions is poorly correlated with its other investments or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid market. Such contracts are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default on its obligations. In addition, each Fund will incur transaction costs, including trading commissions, in connection with certain foreign currency transactions.

Risks of Investing in Non-U.S. Equity Securities. An investment in a Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in a broad-based portfolio of equity securities traded on foreign exchanges. These risks include market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Investing in securities issued by issuers domiciled in countries other than the domicile of the investor and denominated in currencies other than an investor’s local currency entails certain considerations and risks not typically encountered by the investor in making investments in its home country and in that country’s currency. These considerations include favorable or unfavorable changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations and the costs that may be incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies. Investing in a Fund also involves certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in a fund whose portfolio contains exclusively securities of U.S. issuers. These risks include generally less liquid and less efficient securities markets; generally greater price volatility; less publicly available information about issuers; the imposition of withholding or other taxes; the imposition of restrictions on the expatriation of funds or other assets of the Fund; higher transaction and custody costs; delays and risks attendant in settlement procedures; difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations; lower liquidity and significantly smaller market capitalization; different accounting and disclosure standards; lower levels of regulation of the securities markets; more substantial government interference with the economy; higher rates of inflation; greater social, economic, and political uncertainty; the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets; and the risk of war.

Dividend Risk. There is no guarantee that the issuer of the stocks held by a Fund will declare dividends in the future or that if declared, they will either remain at current levels or increase over time.

db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund.

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of stocks in general and other factors that affect the market.

Municipal Securities Risk. The market for municipal bonds may be less liquid than for taxable bonds. There may also be less information available on the financial condition of issuers of municipal securities than for public corporations. This means that it may be harder to buy and sell municipal securities, especially on short notice, and municipal securities may be more difficult for the Fund to value accurately than securities of public corporations. Since the Fund invests a significant portion of its portfolio in municipal securities, the Fund’s portfolio may have greater exposure to liquidity risk than a fund that invests in non-municipal securities.

 

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Municipal securities may include revenue bonds, which are generally backed by revenue from a specific project or tax. The issuer of a revenue bond makes interest and principal payments from revenues generated from a particular source or facility, such as a tax on particular property or revenues generated from a municipal water or sewer utility or an airport. Revenue bonds generally are not backed by the full faith and credit and general taxing power of the issuer.

Some longer-term municipal securities give the investor the right to “put” or sell the security at par (face value) within a specified number of days following the investor’s request – usually one to seven days. This demand feature enhances a security’s liquidity by shortening its effective maturity and enables it to trade at a price equal to or very close to par. If a demand feature terminates prior to being exercised, the Fund would hold the longer-term security, which could experience substantially more volatility.

Municipal securities are subject to credit and market risk. Generally, prices of higher quality issues tend to fluctuate more with changes in market interest rates than prices of lower quality issues and prices of longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices of shorter maturity issues.

Prices and yields on municipal securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money-market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal securities market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. A number of these factors, including the ratings of particular issues, are subject to change from time to time. Available information about the financial condition of an issuer of municipal securities may not be as extensive as that which is made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded. As a result, municipal securities may be more difficult to value than securities of public corporations.

Lease Obligations Risk. Lease obligations may have risks not normally associated with general obligation or other revenue bonds. Leases and installment purchase or conditional sale contracts (which may provide for title to the leased asset to pass eventually to the issuer) have developed as a means for governmental issuers to acquire property and equipment without the necessity of complying with the constitutional statutory requirements generally applicable for the issuance of debt. Certain lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses that provide that the governmental issuer has no obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for that purpose by the appropriate legislative body on an annual or other periodic basis. Consequently, continued lease payments on those lease obligations containing “non-appropriation” clauses are dependent on future legislative actions. If these legislative actions do not occur, the holders of the lease obligation may experience difficulty in exercising their rights, including disposition of the property.

Electric Utilities Bond Risk. The electric utilities industry has been experiencing, and will continue to experience, increased competitive pressures. Federal legislation in the last two years may open transmission access to any electricity supplier, although it is not presently known to what extent competition will evolve. Other risks include: (a) the availability and cost of fuel; (b) the availability and cost of capital; (c) the effects of conservation on energy demand; (d) the effects of rapidly changing environmental, safety and licensing requirements, and other federal, state and local regulations, (e) timely and sufficient rate increases; and (f) the effects of opposition to nuclear power.

Transportation Bond Risk. Transportation debt may be issued to finance the construction of airports, toll roads, highways or other transit facilities. Airport bonds are dependent on the general stability of the airline industry and on the stability of a specific carrier who uses the airport as a hub. Air traffic generally follows broader economic trends and is also affected by the price and availability of fuel. Toll road bonds are also affected by the cost and availability of fuel as well as toll levels, the presence of competing roads and the general economic health of an area. Fuel costs and availability also affect other transportation-related securities, as do the presence of alternate forms of transportation, such as public transportation.

Water and Sewer Bond Risk. Water and sewer revenue bonds are often considered to have relatively secure credit as a result of their issuer’s importance, monopoly status and generally unimpeded ability to raise rates. Despite this, lack of water supply due to insufficient rain, run-off or snow pack is a concern that has led to past defaults. Further, public resistance to rate increases, costly environmental litigation, and federal environmental mandates are challenges faced by issuers of water and sewer bonds.

Industrial Development Bond Risk. Industrial developments bonds are revenue bonds issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to finance various public and/or privately operated facilities, including those for business and manufacturing, housing, sports, pollution control, airport, mass transit, port and parking facilities. These bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments. Consequently, the credit quality of these securities is dependent upon the ability of the user of the facilities financed by the bonds and any guarantor to meet its financial obligations. These bonds are subject to a wide variety of risks, many of which relate to the nature of the specific project. Generally, the value and credit quality of these bonds are sensitive to the risks related to an economic slowdown.

Resource Recovery Risk. Resource recovery bonds are a type of revenue bond issued to build facilities such as solid waste incinerators or waste-to-energy plants. Typically, a private corporation is involved, at least during the construction phase, and the revenue stream is secured by fees or rents paid by municipalities for use of the facilities. The viability of a resource recovery project, environmental protection regulations, and project operator tax incentives may affect the value and credit quality of resource recovery bonds.

 

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Special Tax Bond Risk. Special tax bonds are usually backed and payable through a single tax, or series of special taxes such as incremental property taxes. The failure of the tax levy to generate adequate revenue to pay the debt service on the bonds may cause the value of the bonds to decline.

Tax Risks. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares of the Fund will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares of the Fund.

There is no guarantee that the Fund’s income will be exempt from federal or state income taxes. Events occurring after the date of issuance of a municipal bond or after the Fund’s acquisition of a municipal bond may result in a determination that interest on that bond is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes retroactively to its date of issuance. Such a determination may cause a portion of prior distributions by the Fund to its shareholders to be taxable to those shareholders in the year of receipt. Federal or state changes in income or AMT rates or in the tax treatment of municipal bonds may make municipal bonds less attractive as investments and cause them to lose value.

Municipal Market Disruption Risk. The value of municipal securities may be affected by uncertainties in the municipal market related to legislation or litigation involving the taxation of municipal securities or the rights of municipal securities holders in the event of a bankruptcy. Proposals to restrict or eliminate the federal income tax exemption for interest on municipal securities are introduced before Congress from time to time. Proposals also may be introduced before state legislatures that would affect the state tax treatment of a municipal fund’s distributions. If such proposals were enacted, the availability of municipal securities and the value of a municipal fund’s holdings would be affected. Municipal bankruptcies are relatively rare, and certain provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code governing such bankruptcies are unclear and remain untested. Further, the application of state law to municipal issuers could produce varying results among the states or among municipal securities issuers within a state. These legal uncertainties could affect the municipal securities market generally, certain specific segments of the market, or the relative credit quality of particular securities. There is also the possibility that as a result of litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of issuers to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal on their municipal securities may be materially affected or their obligations may be found to be invalid or unenforceable. Such litigation or conditions may from time to time have the effect of introducing uncertainties in the market for municipal securities or certain segments thereof, or of materially affecting the credit risk with respect to particular bonds. Adverse economic, business, legal or political developments might affect all or a substantial portion of the Fund’s municipal securities in the same manner. Any of these effects could have a significant impact on the prices of some or all of the municipal securities held by the Fund.

Risks Related to Investing in New York. Because the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of New York municipal bonds as of May 31, 2013, a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments are expected to consist of New York municipal bonds as well. Accordingly, the Fund would have greater exposure to negative political, economic, regulatory or other factors within the State of New York, including the financial condition of its public authorities and political subdivisions, than a fund that invests in a broader base of securities. Unfavorable developments in any economic sector may have a substantial impact on the overall New York municipal market. Certain issuers of New York municipal bonds have experienced serious financial difficulties in the past and reoccurrence of these difficulties may impair the ability of certain New York issuers to pay principal or interest on their obligations. The financial health of New York City affects that of the state, and when New York City experiences financial difficulty, it may have an adverse effect on New York municipal bonds held by the Fund. The growth rate of New York has at times been somewhat slower than the nation overall. The economic and financial condition of New York also may be affected by various financial, social, economic and political factors, including the outcome of pending litigation including the state or its localities.

 

13


liquidate holdings to repay amounts borrowed from the lender. In addition, if the Fund’s assets increase, there is no assurance that the lender will be willing to make additional loans to the Fund in order to allow it to borrow the amounts desired by the Fund to facilitate redemptions.

Proxy Voting

The Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by each Fund to the applicable Sub-Adviser. Each Sub-Adviser votes such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are summarized in Appendix A-1 (with respect to TDAM) and A-2 (with respect to RREEF and DIMA) to this SAI. The Board will periodically review each Fund’s proxy voting record.

Information with respect to how the Sub-Adviser voted proxies relating to the Funds’ portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30 will be available: (i) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-855-329-3837 (1-855-DBX-ETFS); and (ii) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Portfolio Turnover

The db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund experienced portfolio turnover of over 100% during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2013. This portfolio turnover resulted from the Fund changing its Underlying Index from MSCI Canada U.S. Dollar Hedged Index to MSCI Germany US Dollar Hedged Index as of May 31, 2013.

Portfolio Holdings Information

The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Trust’s portfolio holdings. The Board must approve all material amendments to this policy.

The Funds’ portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Funds are open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly accessible Internet web sites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for Fund Shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchanges via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”). The basket represents one Creation Unit of each Fund. The Trust, the Adviser and the Administrator will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust.

Construction and Maintenance of the Underlying Indexes

Descriptions of the MSCI Hedged Indexes are provided below.

Defining the Equity Universe. MSCI begins with securities listed in countries in the MSCI Global Index Series. Of these countries, 23 are classified as developed markets and 23 as emerging markets. All listed equity securities and listed securities that exhibit characteristics of equity securities, except mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, equity derivatives, limited partnerships and most investment trusts, are eligible for inclusion in the equity universe. REITs in some countries and certain income trusts in Canada are also eligible for inclusion. Each company and its securities ( i.e ., Share classes) are classified in only one country, which allows for a distinctive sorting of each company by its respective country.

Maintaining the MSCI Hedged Indices. The MSCI Hedged Indices are maintained with an objective of reflecting the evolution of the underlying currency exposures in the MSCI Equity Indexes on a timely basis. In particular, index maintenance involves:

Resetting the weights of the currencies to be sold in the index; and

Rolling the forward contracts over to the next month.

The MSCI Hedged Indices are rebalanced monthly on the last trading day of the month, when the index will take into account the effect of rolling into new 1-month forward contracts based on the newly determined weights of currency to be sold for the next month’s index calculation. The currency weights are determined as of the close of two business days before the first calendar day of following month and remain constant intra month. This means that no changes in the weights are made during the month to account for changes in the indexes due to price movement of securities, corporate events, additions, deletions or any other changes. The daily calculation of MSCI Hedged Indices marks to market the one-month forward contracts on a daily basis by using an equal and offsetting forward position.

MSCI EM US Dollar Hedged Index

Number of Components: approximately 823

Index Description. The MSCI EM US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to equity securities in the global emerging markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected emerging market currencies. As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers from the following 21 emerging market countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey.

 

14


MSCI EAFE US Dollar Hedged Index

Number of Components: approximately 905

Index Description. The MSCI EAFE US Dollar Hedged Index is designed provide exposure to equity securities in developed international stock markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected non-U.S. currencies. As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers from the following 22 developed market countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

MSCI Brazil US Dollar Hedged Index

Number of Components: approximately 81

Index Description. The MSCI Brazil US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to Brazilian equity markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and Brazilian real.

MSCI Germany US Dollar Hedged Index*

Number of Components: approximately 51

Index Description. The MSCI Germany US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to German equity markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and the Euro.

 

* Prior to May 31, 2013, the Fund’s Underlying Index was the MSCI Canada U.S. Dollar Hedged Index.

MSCI Japan US Dollar Hedged Index

Number of Components: approximately 316

Index Description. The MSCI Japan US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to Japanese equity markets, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen.

Additional Information. MSCI and MSCI Index are service marks of MSCI Inc. and have been licensed for use by the Adviser. The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc. Nor does MSCI Inc. make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in any of the Funds.

MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan US Dollar Hedged Index

Number of Components: approximately 684

Index Description. The MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to equity securities in developed and emerging stock markets in the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan), while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected non-U.S. currencies. As of August 13, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers from the following 12 developed and emerging market countries: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.

MSCI Europe US Dollar Hedged Index

Number of Components: approximately 438

Index Description. The MSCI Europe US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to equity securities in developed stock markets in Europe, while at the same time mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the U.S. dollar and selected non-U.S. currencies. As of August 13, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers from the following 16 developed market countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

MSCI United Kingdom US Dollar Hedged Index

Number of Components: approximately 107

Index Description. The MSCI United Kingdom US Dollar Hedged Index is designed to provide exposure to the United Kingdom equity markets while at the same time hedging exposure to fluctuations of the British pound sterling relative to the U.S. dollar.

 

15


Description of the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Indexes are provided below:

DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index

Number of Components: approximately 61

Index Description. The DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index is designed to track the price movements in shares of companies whose main business operations are in the regulated utilities sector. As of May 31, 2013, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers from the following seven developed market countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The universe of companies eligible for the Underlying Index are those companies that fulfill the following conditions:

(a) Legal domicile in a developed market country with the exception of Japan. The following markets are classified as a developed market: Canada, USA, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore;

(b) Listing on a regulated stock exchange in the form of shares tradable for foreign investors without restrictions in a developed market country with the exception of Japan;

(c) Main business operations in the regulated utilities sector;

(d) Free float market capitalization of at least $500 million;

(e) Average daily trading volume in the last three months of at least $1 million.

A company is considered to be in the regulated utilities sector if its ancillary, non-utility businesses and/or unregulated utilities business does not represent more than 25% of the company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) in any year of the previous three years (though this period may not apply to companies which have sold or purchased non-utility or unregulated utility businesses during that time). The Underlying Index is a total return index, which tracks capital gains and assumes that any cash distributions are reinvested back into the Underlying Index.

The composition of the Underlying Index is ordinarily adjusted annually on the fifth Business Day after the Selection Day (the “Adjustment Day”). The composition of the Underlying Index is determined the first Business Day in October (the “Selection Day”).

The companies meeting the criteria set forth above are ranked according to their market capitalization, from highest to lowest. The companies with the highest ranks are then chosen as index components and the new index composition determined thereby is valid as of the immediately following Adjustment Day.

The minimum number of index components is 30 and the maximum number of index components is 100. The Committee may decide to increase the maximum number of index components on a Selection Day. If a company which is a current index component is assigned a rank on a subsequent Selection Day which would not be high enough to be selected as an index component if such company was not already included in the Underlying Index, it shall only be removed from the Underlying Index if its rank exceeds the maximum number of index components by more than ten ranks ( e.g ., if the maximum number of index components is 30, the company would not be removed from the Underlying Index unless it is ranked 40 or higher on the list of potential index components). If an index component is not removed from the Underlying Index on a Selection Day for this reason, then the company with the lowest rank which is selected as an index component on this Selection Day but which is not currently an index component on the Selection Day will not be included in the Underlying Index.

On each Adjustment Day each index component is weighted proportionally according to its market capitalization. The percentage weight of any index component is capped at five percent on the Selection Days. The excess weight is allocated proportionally to all index components whose percentage weights are not capped. The new index composition and weightings are implemented after the close of trading on the Adjustment Day.

DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index

Number of Components: approximately 531

Index Description. The Underlying Index is designed to track the returns of the segment of the U.S. long term tax-exempt bond market, consisting of infrastructure revenue bonds.

The universe of municipal securities eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index are those municipal bonds that fulfill the following conditions:

(a) Subject to a public offering;

 

16


(b) Amount outstanding of each bond must be at least $40 million where, subject to the following additional conditions:

1. Bonds with an amount outstanding of less than $100 million may only be included if they are issued after January 1, 2012.

2. Bonds with an amount outstanding of more than $100 million may be included regardless of issue date.

(c) Deal size of at least $100 million;

(d) Federal tax free (bonds subject to the AMT and state and local taxes) may be included in the Underlying Index without limit;

(e) Investment-grade rating by either Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.;

(f) Fixed-rate coupon payment (zero coupon bonds may not be included in the Underlying Index);

(g) Bonds must not be pre-refunded / escrowed to maturity;

(h) Time to maturity must be at least 10 years or longer;

(i) Callable securities must not be callable within the next 5 years (the next call date must not lie in the next 5 years);

(j) Purpose of the bond proceeds must be for one of the following areas:

1. Transportation (airports, seaports, bridges, toll roads, tunnels, parking facilities, or similar)

2. Recreation (convention centers, stadiums, sports complexes, or similar)

3. Utility (electric public power, water/sewer, sanitation, or similar)

4. Industrial Economic Development (solid waste recovery, malls, shopping centers, or similar)

5. The following industries are excluded: higher education, pollution control, housing, health care and tobacco;

(k) Proceeds of debt must be used for infrastructure purposes and principal and interest repayment must come from a pledged revenue source ( e.g . tolls, sales tax, registration fees, user fees) or a double-barreled revenue stream (pledged revenue stream and a general obligation pledge);

(l) Municipal bonds, which are paid back solely using a general obligation pledge or an appropriation, may not be included in the Underlying Index;

(m) Municipal bonds from Puerto Rico which are classified as “Sales Tax” may not be included in the Underlying Index; and

(n) Municipal bonds where the obligor is a corporation may not be included in the Underlying Index.

All municipal bonds which meet the above requirements are included in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced on the last business day of each month. Newly issued municipal bonds which meet the requirements are generally added to the Underlying Index five days prior to the last business day of each month. Additionally, five days prior to the last business day of each month, any Underlying Index components which no longer meet the above requirements are removed from the Underlying Index.

Investment Limitations

The Board has adopted as non-fundamental policies the investment objectives of the Funds discussed in this SAI. Therefore, each of these Funds may change its investment objective and its Underlying Index without a Shareholder vote. The Board has adopted as fundamental policies for each Fund set forth below investment restrictions numbered 1 through 6 below. The restrictions for such Fund cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of that Fund’s outstanding voting securities. A vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities is defined in the 1940 Act as the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a fund meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; and (b) more than 50% of outstanding voting securities.

Each Fund will not:

1. Concentrate its investments ( i.e ., invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries), except that a Fund will concentrate to the extent that its underlying index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and securities of state or municipal governments and their political sub-advisers are not considered to be issued by members of any industry;

2. Borrow money, except that (i) each Fund may borrow from banks for temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes, including the meeting of redemption requests which might otherwise require the untimely disposition of securities; and (ii) each Fund may, to the extent consistent with its investment policies, enter into repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, forward roll transactions and similar investment strategies and techniques; to the extent that it engages in transactions described in (i) and (ii), each Fund will be limited so that no more than 33 1 /3 % of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) is derived from such transactions. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law;

 

17


3. Issue any senior security, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time;

4. Make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time;

5. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments (but this restriction shall not prevent each Fund from investing in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business or securities or other instruments backed by real estate or mortgages), or commodities or commodity contracts (but this restriction shall not prevent each Fund from trading in futures contracts and options on futures contracts, including options on currencies to the extent consistent with each Fund’s investment objectives and policies); or

6. Engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that each Fund may technically be deemed to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act, the disposing of portfolio securities.

For purposes of the concentration policy in investment limitation (1), municipal securities with payments of principal or interest backed by the revenue of a specific project are considered to be issued by a member of the industry which includes such specific project.

Senior Securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by an investment company evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits a fund from issuing senior securities, although it provides allowances for certain borrowings and certain other investments, such as short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, and firm commitment agreements, when such investments are “covered” or with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligations.

Under the 1940 Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies.

As a matter of fundamental policy, the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund will:

Under normal circumstances, have at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) invested in securities of municipalities across the United States which are classified as “municipal infrastructure revenue” bonds based on the Underlying Index’s criteria, as well as in other securities whose income is free from regular federal income tax. The Fund considers any investments in municipal securities that pay interest subject to the AMT as part of the 80% of the Fund’s net assets that must be invested in municipal securities.

In addition to the investment limitations adopted as fundamental as set forth above, each Fund observes the following restrictions, which may be changed by the Board without a Shareholder vote. A Fund will not:

1. Sell securities short, unless the Fund owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in-kind and amount to the securities sold short at no added cost, and provided that transactions in options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments are not deemed to constitute selling securities short;

2. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin;

3. Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act, although the Fund may not acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Sections 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act;

4. Invest in direct interests in oil, gas or other mineral exploration programs or leases; however, the Fund may invest in the securities of issuers that engage in these activities); and

5. Invest in illiquid securities if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid securities.

If any percentage restriction described above is complied with at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not constitute in a violation of such restriction, except that certain percentage limitations will be observed continuously in accordance with applicable law.

Each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of issuers located in the markets specified in the applicable Fund’s name. Each Fund may also invest in depositary receipts to seek performance that corresponds to its respective Underlying Index. Each Fund also has adopted a policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change in such policy. In addition, the Funds will invest at least 80% of their total assets (but typically far more) in instruments that comprise their respective Underlying Indexes.

 

18


The db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy such that the Fund may invest in shares of other open-end management investment companies or unit investment trusts subject to the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, including the rules, regulations and exemptive orders obtained thereunder; provided, however, that if the Fund has knowledge that its Shares are purchased by another investment company investor in reliance on the provisions of subparagraphs (F) or (G) of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, the Fund will not acquire any securities of other open-end management investment companies or unit investment trusts in reliance on the provisions of subparagraphs (F) or (G) of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.

Management

Trustees and Officers. The Board has responsibility for the overall management and operations of the Funds, including general supervision of the duties performed by the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and other service providers. Each Trustee serves until his or her successor is duly elected or appointed and qualified. Each officer serves until he or she resigns, is removed, dies, retires or becomes disqualified.

The Trust currently has four Trustees. Three Trustees have no affiliation or business connection with the Adviser or Sub-Adviser or any of their affiliated persons and do not own any stock or other securities issued by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser. These are the “non-interested” or “independent” Trustees (the “Independent Trustees”). The other Trustee (the “Interested Trustee”) is affiliated with the Adviser.

The Independent Trustees of the Trust, their term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex (defined below) overseen by each Independent Trustee, and other directorships, if any, held by the Trustee are shown below. The Fund Complex includes all open- and closed-end funds (including all of their portfolios) advised by the Adviser and any funds that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the Adviser. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund Complex consists of the Trust’s ten funds and five exchange-traded funds advised by DBX Strategic Advisors LLC, an affiliate of the Adviser, as well as the mutual funds advised by certain other affiliates of the Adviser.

 

19


Independent Trustees

 

Name, Address,
and Age

 

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

 

Terms of
Office and
Length of

Time
Served

 

Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

   Number of Portfolios
in Fund
Complex Overseen
by Director
 

Other Directorships
held by Director
During Past 5 Years

J. David Officer

Age: 65

60 Wall Street

New York,

New York

10005

  Trustee, Member of the Audit and Nominating Committees   Since
2011
  Independent Director; Consultant to Pershing LLC (2009-present); Formerly, Consultant, Fidelity (2011), The Dreyfus Corporation (2009-2010); Vice President, The Dreyfus Family of Funds (2010); Vice Chairman, The Dreyfus Corporation (1998-2009); Chief Operating Officer, The Dreyfus Corporation (2006-2009); President, The Dreyfus Family of Funds, Inc. (2006-2009); Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Laurel Capital Advisors (2005-2009); Executive Vice President, The Bank of New York Mellon (2008-2009); President and Chairman, Dreyfus Founders Funds, Inc. (2007-2009); President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Founders Asset Management (2007-2009); Vice President BNY Mellon Funds Trust (2007-2009); President, MBSC Securities Corporation (2007-2009); Vice President, Dreyfus Service Organization, Inc. (2004-2009); Executive Vice President, Mellon Bank, N.A. (1994-2008).    10   GLG Investment Series Trust; The Dreyfus Corporation; MBSC Securities Corporation; Dreyfus Services Corporation; MBSC, LLC; Dreyfus Transfer, Inc.; Dreyfus Service Organization, Inc.; Mellon Residential Funding Corp.; Mellon United National Bank; Laurel Capital Advisors; Mellon United National Bank; Dreyfus Founders Funds, Inc.; Founders Asset Management; Old Westbury Funds LLC.

 

20


Independent Trustees

 

Name, Address,
and Age

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

  

Terms of
Office and
Length of

Time
Served

  

Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

  

Number of Portfolios
in Fund
Complex Overseen
by Director

  

Other Directorships
held by Director
During Past 5 Years

Stephen R. Byers

Age: 60

60 Wall Street

New York,

New York

10005

   Trustee, Member and Chairman of the Audit and Nominating Committees    Since
2011
   Retired. Previously, Chief Investment Officer, The Dreyfus Corporation (2000-2006).    10    Sierra Income Corporation; College of William and Mary, Graduate School of Business.

George O. Elston

Age: 49

60 Wall Street

New York,

New York

10005

   Trustee, Member of the Audit and Nominating Committees    Since
2011
   M&A Advisor, Chief Financial, Operating and Business Officer, Optherion, Inc. (2008-2010); and Vice President, Finance and Government Affairs, Secretary and Treasurer, Elusys Therapeutics, Inc. (2000-2007).    10    Celldex Therapeutics.

Interested Trustee

 

Name, Address,
and Age

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

  

Terms of
Office and
Length of

Time
Served

  

Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

  

Number of Portfolios
in Fund
Complex Overseen
by Director

  

Other Directorships
held by Director
During Past 5 Years

Alex Depetris

Age: 33

60 Wall Street

New York,

New York

10005

   Trustee, Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary    Since
2010
   Director in the Deutsche Asset and Wealth Management Passive Asset Management Group at Deutsche Bank AG since 2008; Associate, Arnold & Porter, 2006-2008.    15    Director, Chairman of the Board of db-X Exchange-Traded Funds Inc.

Officers

 

Name, Address, and Age

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

   Terms of
Office and
Length of
Time
Served
  

Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

Michael Gilligan

Age: 47

60 Wall Street

New York,

New York

10005

   Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Controller    Since
2010
   Director in the Finance Group at Deutsche Bank AG with CFO responsibility for DBX Strategic Advisors LLC and DB Commodity Services LLC since 2008; Chief Operating Officer, Americas Credit Trading, Credit Suisse, 2007-2008.

 

21


Name, Address, and Age

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

   Terms of
Office and
Length of
Time
Served
  

Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

Martin Kremenstein

Age: 37

60 Wall Street

New York,

New York

10005

   Chief Operating Officer    Since
2010
   Managing Director in the Deutsche Asset and Wealth Management Passive Asset Management Group at Deutsche Bank AG with responsibility for providing investor solutions to the DB sales force in North America since 2006.

Frank Gecsedi

Age: 46

60 Wall Street

New York,

New York

10005

   Chief Compliance Officer    Since
2010
   Vice President in Deutsche Bank’s Global Markets Legal, Risk and Capital Division since 2010; Vice President and Compliance Manager at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (formerly Merrill Lynch), ( 2000 to 2010).

Board Leadership, Structure and Oversight Responsibilities.

Board Structure. As noted above, the Board is responsible for oversight of the Funds, including oversight of the duties performed by the Adviser for the Funds under the investment advisory agreement (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”). The Board generally meets in regularly scheduled meetings four times a year, and may meet more often as required.

Mr. Depetris, an Interested Trustee, serves as chairman of the Board. The Board is comprised of a super-majority (75 percent) of Independent Trustees. While the Board does not have a lead Independent Trustee, the chairmen of the Audit Committee and Nominating Committee (each of which consists solely of Independent Trustees) serve as liaisons between the Adviser and other service providers and the other Independent Trustees. Each such chairman is an Independent Trustee. The Board regularly reviews its Committee structure and membership and believes that its current structure is appropriate based on the fact that the Independent Trustees constitute a super-majority of the Board, the role of the Committee chairmen (who are Independent Trustees), the assets and number of Funds overseen by the Trustees, as well as the nature of the Funds’ business.

Risk Oversight. The Funds are subject to a number of risks, including operational, investment and compliance risks. The Board, directly and through its Committees, as part of its oversight responsibilities, oversees the services provided by the Adviser and the Trust’s other service providers in connection with the management and operations of the Funds, as well as their associated risks. Under the oversight of the Board, the Trust, the Adviser and other service providers have adopted policies, procedures and controls to address these risks. The Board, directly and through its Committees, receives and reviews information from the Adviser, other service providers, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and Trust counsel to assist it in its oversight responsibilities. This information includes, but is not limited to, reports regarding the Funds’ investments, including Fund performance and investment practices, valuation of Fund portfolio securities, and compliance. The Board also reviews, and must approve any proposed changes to, the Funds’ investment objective, policies and restrictions, and reviews any areas of non-compliance with the Funds’ investment policies and restrictions. The Audit Committee monitors the Trust’s accounting policies, financial reporting and internal control system and reviews any internal audit reports impacting the Trust. As part of its compliance oversight, the Board reviews the annual compliance report issued by the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer on the policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers, proposed changes to the policies and procedures and quarterly reports on any material compliance issues that arose during the period.

Experience, Qualifications and Attributes. The Board has concluded, based on each Trustee’s experience, qualifications and attributes that each Board member should serve as a Trustee. Following is a brief summary of the information that led to this conclusion.

Mr. Stephen Byers. Mr. Byers gained extensive experience with a variety of financial, accounting, management, regulatory and operational issues facing funds through his more than 30 years of experience on the boards and/or in senior management of such companies as The Dreyfus Corporation, Gruntal & Co., LLC, Painewebber, Citibank/Citicorp and American Airlines. Mr. Byers possesses a strong understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate and can provide management input and investment guidance to the Board.

Mr. George Elston. Through his prior positions on the boards and in senior management of such companies as Celldex Therapeutics, Optherion, Inc. and Elusys Therapeutics, Mr. Elston has experience with a variety of financial, management, regulatory and operational issues as well as experience with marketing and distribution. Mr. Elston also has experience as a general partner of Chatham Partners LLC.

 

22


Mr. David Officer. Mr. Officer has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and related fields, including his positions on the boards and/or in senior management of such companies as The Bank of New York Mellon, The Dreyfus Corporation, Laurel Capital Advisors and Bank of New England. In addition to his experience with financial, investment and regulatory matters, Mr. Officer has extensive accounting knowledge through his education and experience as a principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller, public accountant or auditor at his previous positions.

Mr. Alex Depetris. In addition to his tenure as Vice President in the DBX Group at Deutsche Bank AG, Mr. Depetris has experience as an attorney at the law firms of Arnold & Porter and Sullivan & Worcester. Therefore, Mr. Depetris has extensive knowledge of the regulatory framework under which investment companies operate, including with respect to exchange-traded funds.

Committees of the Board of Trustees. The Board has two standing committees, the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee, and has delegated certain responsibilities to those Committees.

Messrs. Byers, Elston and Officer currently serve as members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to: (i) approve and recommend to the Board the selection of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm; (ii) review the scope of the independent registered public accounting firm’s audit activity; (iii) review the audited financial statements; and (iv) review with such independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy and the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal controls. The Audit Committee met twice during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2013.

Messrs. Byers, Elston and Officer currently serve as members of the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to identify and recommend individuals for Board membership, and evaluate candidates for Board membership. The Board will consider recommendations for trustees from Shareholders. Nominations from Shareholders should be in writing and sent to the Secretary of the Trust to the attention of the Chairman of the Nominating Committee, as described below under the caption “Shareholder Communications to the Board.” During the fiscal year ended May, 31, 2013, the Nominating Committee did not meet.

Shareholder Communications to the Board. Shareholders may send communications to the Trust’s Board by addressing the communications directly to the Board (or individual Board members) and/or otherwise clearly indicating in the salutation that the communication is for the Board (or individual Board members). The shareholder may send the communication to either the Trust’s office or directly to such Board members at the address specified for each Trustee. Other shareholder communications received by the Trust not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management. Such communications will be forwarded to the Board at management’s discretion based on the matters contained therein.

Remuneration of` Trustees. The Trust pays each Independent Trustee (i) an annual retainer of $25,000; (ii) $2,500 for each Board meeting attended in person and $1,500 for each Board meeting attended telephonically; (iii) $1,500 to members of the Board’s Audit Committee for each meeting of the Audit Committee attended; and (iv) a retainer of $2,000 to the chairperson of the Audit Committee. The Trust also reimburses each Trustee for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by him/her in connection with attending such meetings.

The table below sets forth the compensation paid to each Trustee for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2013:

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation from
the Trust
     Pension or
Retirement
Benefits Accrued As
Part of Trust
Expenses
     Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement
     Total
Compensation
From the Fund and
Fund Complex
 

J. David Officer

   $ 41,000         Not Applicable         Not Applicable       $ 41,000   

Stephen R. Byers

   $ 43,000         Not Applicable         Not Applicable       $ 43,000   

George O. Elston

   $ 41,000         Not Applicable         Not Applicable       $ 41,000   

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.

As of September 1, 2013, the officers and Trustees, as a group owned beneficially less than 1% of the shares of any of the Funds.

Although the Funds do not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participants, as of August 30, 2013, the name and percentage ownership of each DTC participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund is set forth in the table below:

 

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db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund

 

Name and Address

   Percentage Ownership  

JPMC Clearing

3 Chase Metrotech Center

Brooklyn, NY 11245-0001

     20.16

 

Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith (SFKPG)

4804 Deer Lake Dr. E.

Jacksonville, FL 32246

  

 

 

 

63.81

 

 

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

1300 Thames Street

Baltimore, MD 21231

  

 

 

 

5.49

 

 

24


db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund

 

Name and Address

   Percentage Ownership  

Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith

4804 Deer Lake Drive E.

Jacksonville, FL 32246

     7.56

 

Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith (SFKPG)

4804 Deer Lake Drive E.

Jacksonville, FL 32246

  

 

 

 

17.32

 

 

State Street SBT Company

1776 Heritage Drive

North Quincy, Massachusetts 02171

  

 

 

 

5.25

 

db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund

 

Name and Address

   Percentage Ownership  

Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith

4804 Deer Lake Drive E.

Jacksonville, FL 32246

     11.91

 

Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith (SFKPG)

4804 Deer Lake Drive E.

Jacksonville, FL 32246

  

 

 

 

23.19

 

 

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

1300 Thames St.

Baltimore, MD 21231

  

 

 

 

34.37

 

 

NFS LLC

499 Washington Blvd.

Jersey City, NJ 07310

  

 

 

 

45.34

 

db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund

 

Name and Address

   Percentage Ownership  

Barclay/LE

70 Hudson St.

Jersey City, NJ 07302

     7.57

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

525 Washington Blvd.

Jersey City, NJ 07310

  

 

 

 

23.91

 

 

First Clearing

2801 Market St.

St. Louis, MO 63103

  

 

 

 

5.16

 

 

Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith (SFKPG)

4804 Deer Lake Drive E.

Jacksonville, FL 32246

  

 

 

 

7.66

 

 

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

1300 Thames St.

Baltimore, MD 21231

  

 

 

 

10.50

 

 

25


Name and Address

   Percentage Ownership  

NFS LLC

499 Washington Blvd.

Jersey City, NJ 07310

     9.42

db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund

 

Name and Address

   Percentage Ownership  

Charles Schwab

2423 E. Lincoln Dr.

Phoenix, AZ 85016

     13.27

First Clearing

2801 Market St.

St. Louis, MO 63103

     9.94

Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith (SFKPG)

4804 Deer Lake Drive E.

Jacksonville, FL 32246

     25.06

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

1300 Thames St.

Baltimore, MD 21231

     10.84

NFS LLC

499 Washington Blvd.

Jersey City, NJ 07310

     9.35

Pershing

One Pershing Plaza

Jersey City, NJ 07399

     7.60

db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund

 

Name and Address

   Percentage Ownership  

UBS

1200 Harbor Blvd

Weehawken, NJ 07086

     94.59

 

26


db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund

 

Name and Address

   Percentage Ownership  

Citigroup

388 Greenwich St.

New York, NY 10013

     29.36

JPMC Clearing

3 Chase Metrotech Center

Brooklyn, NY 11245-0001

     5.60

E*Trade Bank

34 Exchange Place

Jersey City, NJ 07311

     6.10

As of the date of this SAI, no person owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund and db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund.

Potential Conflicts of Interest

The Adviser is owned by Deutsche Bank AG, a multi-national financial services company. Therefore, the Adviser is affiliated with a variety of entities that provide, and/or engage in commercial banking, insurance, brokerage, investment banking, financial advisory, broker-dealer activities (including sales and trading), hedge funds, real estate and private equity investing, in addition to the provision of investment management services to institutional and individual investors. Since Deutsche Bank AG, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees (the “Firm”) are engaged in businesses and have interests in addition to managing asset management accounts, such wide ranging activities involve real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. These interests and activities include potential advisory, transactional and financial activities and other interests in securities and companies that may be directly or indirectly purchased or sold by the Firm for its clients’ advisory accounts.

The Adviser may take investment positions in securities in which other clients or related persons within the Firm have different investment positions. There may be instances in which the Adviser is purchasing or selling for its client accounts, or pursuing an outcome in the context of a workout or restructuring with respect to, securities in which the Firm is undertaking the same or differing strategy in other businesses or other client accounts. These are considerations of which advisory clients should be aware and which may cause conflicts that could be to the disadvantage of the Adviser’s advisory clients, including the Fund. The Adviser has instituted business and compliance policies, procedures and disclosures that are designed to identify, monitor and mitigate conflicts of interest and, as appropriate, to report them to a Fund’s Board.

Investment Advisory, Sub-Advisory, Administrative and Distribution Services

Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser. DBX Advisors LLC serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser. The Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company and was registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, in August 2010. DBX Advisors LLC was formed in June 2010 and is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. TDAM USA Inc. serves as the investment sub-adviser to each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement. RREEF America L.L.C. serves as the investment sub-adviser to the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement. Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. serves as the investment sub-adviser to the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Board and in conformity with the stated investment policies of each Fund, manages and administers the Trust and manages each Sub-Adviser and manages or delegates to each Sub-Adviser the duties of the investment and reinvestment of each Fund’s assets. Each Sub-Adviser manages the investment and reinvestment of each applicable Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis under the supervision of the Adviser.

For its investment advisory services to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to receive a unitary management fee from each Fund based on the Fund’s average daily net assets at an annual rate of: 0.65% with respect to db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund, 0.35% with respect to db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund, 0.60% with respect to db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund, 0.50% with respect to db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund, 0.50% with respect db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund, 0.60% with respect to db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity

 

27


Fund, 0.45% with respect to db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund, 0.45% with respect to db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund, 0.45% with respect to db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and 0.30% with respect to the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds (including the payments to each Sub-Adviser, the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, compensation paid to the Independent Trustees in respect of the Independent Trustees’ service to the Fund (“Independent Trustee Fees”), legal, audit and other services) except for the fee payments under the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest expense, taxes, brokerage expenses, future distribution fees or expenses, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.

For each Fund’s last two fiscal years, the management fees payable by the Fund, the reduction, if any, in the amount of the fee paid due to fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Adviser and the net fees paid by the Fund were as follows:

 

28


     2013 Fiscal Year    2012 Fiscal Year

Fund

   Fee payable    Reduction in fee   Net fee paid    Fee payable    Reduction in fee    Net fee paid

DBEM

   $32,495    $(11,148)   $21,347    $28,822    $0    $28,822

DBEF

   $72,513    $(34,234)   $38,279    $74,217    $0    $74,217

DBBR

   $25,271    $(9,980)   $15,291    $26,660    $0    $26,660

DBGR

   $22,776    $(10,915)   $11,861    $22,653    $0    $22,653

DBJP

   $74,777    $(19,950)   $54,827    $23,220    $0    $23,220

The contractual fee rates paid by the Adviser to a Fund’s Sub-Adviser, if any, and the effective rate paid in the last fiscal year, are as follows (expressed as an annual rate as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets):

 

Fund

  

Sub-Adviser

  

Fee Rate

  

Effective Fee Rate for
the Last Fiscal Year

        

DBEM

   TDAM    0.20% of the first $100 million of such Fund’s daily net assets, 0.15% of the next $400 million of such Fund’s daily net assets and 0.06% of such Fund’s daily net assets in excess of $500 million    0.20%

DBEF

   TDAM    0.12% of the first $100 million of such Fund’s daily net assets, 0.08% of the next $400 million of such Fund’s daily net assets and 0.04% of such Fund’s daily net assets in excess of $500 million    0.12%

DBBR

   TDAM    0.20% of the first $100 million of such Fund’s daily net assets, 0.12% of the next $400 million of such Fund’s daily net assets and 0.06% of such Fund’s daily net assets in excess of $500 million    0.20%

DBGR

   TDAM    0.15% of the first $100 million of such Funds’ daily net assets, 0.07% of the next $400 million of such Funds’ daily net assets and 0.04% of such Funds’ daily net assets in excess of $500 million    0.15%

DBJP

   TDAM    0.15% of the first $100 million of such Funds’ daily net assets, 0.07% of the next $400 million of such Funds’ daily net assets and 0.04% of such Funds’ daily net assets in excess of $500 million    0.15%

For a Fund’s last three fiscal years, the fees payable by the Adviser to the Fund’s Sub-Adviser, if any, the reduction, if any, in the amount of the fee paid due to fee waivers by the Sub-Adviser and the net fees paid were as follows:

 

     2013 Fiscal Year    2013 Fiscal Year    2013 Fiscal Year    2012 Fiscal Year    2012 Fiscal Year    2012 Fiscal Year

Fund

   Fee Payable    Reduction    Net fee paid    Fee Payable    Reduction    Net fee paid

DBEM

   $10,060    $0    $10,060    $6,992    $0    $6,992

DBEF

   $25,136    $0    $25,136    $25,577    $0    $25,577

DBBR

   $8,432    $0    $8,432    $8,918    $0    $8,918

DBGR

   $6,827    $0    $6,827    $6,820    $0    $6,820

DBJP

   $22,891    $0    $22,891    $6,992    $0    $6,992

In addition to the above amounts, the Adviser paid $242,367 and $141,884 to the Sub-Adviser for the 2013 and 2012 fiscal years, respectively, as a minimum payment under the sub-advisory agreement.

The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board; or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the applicable Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a majority of the Board who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the applicable Fund, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund is terminable without penalty, on 60 days’ notice, by the Board or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the applicable Fund’s outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Investment Advisory Agreement is also terminable upon 60 days’ notice by the Adviser and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

29


Under each Sub-Advisory Agreement, each Sub-Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a Fund in connection with the performance of the applicable Sub-Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of each Sub-Adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder. Each Sub-Advisory Agreement continues in effect until two years from its initial effective date, and thereafter only if approved annually by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees.

Each Sub-Advisory Agreement terminates automatically upon assignment and is terminable at any time without penalty as to the Fund by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of the holders of a majority of that Fund’s outstanding voting securities on 60 days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser, by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser or by a Sub-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust.

TDAM is located at 161 Bay Street, 35th Floor, TD Canada Trust Tower, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5J 2T2. RREEF is located at 875 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611.

DIMA is located at 345 Park Avenue New York, New York 10154.

Affiliated Index Provider.

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“DBSI” or “Index Provider”), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, is responsible for amendments to the rules-based methodology of the DBIQ Regulated Utilities Index and DBIQ Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Index. In order to minimize any potential for conflicts caused by the fact that the Adviser or its affiliates act as the Index Provider to the Fund, the Adviser has retained an unaffiliated third-party to calculate the Index, Structured Solutions AG (the “Calculation Agent”). The Calculation Agent, using the Index Provider’s rules-based methodology, will calculate, maintain and disseminate the DBIQ Regulated Securities Indexes on a daily basis. The Adviser will monitor the results produced by the Calculation Agent to help ensure that the DBIQ Indexes is being calculated in accordance with the rules-based methodology. In addition, the Adviser and the Index Provider have established policies and procedures designed to prevent non-public information about pending changes to the DBIQ Indexes from being used or disseminated in an improper manner. Furthermore, the Adviser and the Index Provider have established policies and procedures designed to prevent improper use and dissemination of non-public information about the Fund’s portfolio strategies and to prevent the Fund’s portfolio managers from having any influence on the construction of the DBIQ Indexes methodology.

Manager of Managers Structure. The Adviser and the Trust may rely on an exemptive order (the “Order”) from the SEC that permits the Adviser to enter into investment sub-advisory agreements with sub-advisers without obtaining shareholder approval. The Adviser, subject to the review and approval of the Board, selects sub-advisers for the Fund and supervises, monitors and evaluates the performance of the sub-adviser.

 

30


The Order also permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board, to replace sub-advisers and amend investment sub-advisory agreements, including fees, without shareholder approval whenever the Adviser and the Board believe such action will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Adviser thus has the ultimate responsibility (subject to the ultimate oversight of the Board) to recommend the hiring and replacement of sub-advisers as well as the discretion to terminate any sub-adviser and reallocate the Fund’s assets for management among any other sub-adviser(s) and itself. This means that the Adviser is able to reduce the sub-advisory fees and retain a larger portion of the management fee, or increase the sub-advisory fees and retain a smaller portion of the management fee. The Adviser compensates the sub-adviser out of its management fee.

Portfolio Managers.

Set forth below is additional information regarding the individuals identified in the Prospectus as primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds (“Portfolio Managers”).

TDAM supervises and manages the investment portfolio of each Fund, except the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund, and directs the purchase and sale of the Fund’s investment securities. TDAM utilizes teams of investment professionals acting together to manage the assets of each Fund. The TDAM Portfolio Managers that have direct oversight responsibility and are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds are: Vishal Bhatia and Dino Bourdos.

Vishal Bhatia, CFA, is a Vice President & Director of TDAM for the past five years. Mr. Bhatia joined TD Asset Management Inc. in December 1996. As the lead of the Structured and Equity Index Team, he oversees research, portfolio management, and daily trading activity for US, Canadian and Global equity funds. Mr. Bhatia is also a Product Specialist specifically responsible for developing and marketing passive and active fundamental equity strategies. In this capacity he works closely with existing and prospective clients to incorporate these strategies into solutions that meet their needs. Mr. Bhatia graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Cell & Molecular Biology and is a CFA charterholder.

Dino Bourdos, CFA, is a Managing Director of TDAM for the past five years. Mr. Bourdos joined TD Asset Management Inc. as part of Canada Trust merger in February 2000. At TDAM, he is responsible for the management of and trading within derivatives-based strategies for a variety of equity, fixed income and currency overlay mandates. He also oversees the Derivatives and Passive & Structured Equity businesses. Mr. Bourdos is also a product specialist and is specifically responsible for developing and marketing portable alpha and derivatives-based strategies. In this capacity, he works closely with existing and prospective clients to provide solutions for managing overall portfolio, market and currency exposures. Prior to joining TDAM, Mr. Bourdos was an analyst and trader with Canada Trust Investment Management Group Inc. At CT IMG, his responsibilities included analyzing and trading derivatives, fixed income and currency products. Mr. Bourdos was awarded the CFA designation in 1998, completed the Chartered Market Technicians (CMT) program in 2001 and completed the first level of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Program in 2008. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Toronto in 1994.

RREEF supervises and manages the investment portfolio of the db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and directs the purchase and sale of the Fund’s investment securities. RREEF utilizes teams of investment professionals acting together to manage the assets of the Fund. The RREEF Portfolio Managers that have direct oversight responsibility and are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds are: John F. Robertson, John W. Vojticek, Francis Greywitt and Manoj H. Patel.

John F. Robertson is a Managing Director with Deutsche Asset Management and has served as Head of Real Estate & Infrastructure Securities since June 2008 and Global Head of Real Estate Securities since 2006. From 2005 to 2006, he was Head of Real Estate Securities, where he led the development of the Company’s global real estate securities organization. Mr. Robertson joined the Company in 1997 as a Senior Securities Analyst until his appointment as Partner in 2002. From 2002 to 2005, John was a Portfolio Manager and Co-Head of Real Estate Securities. Today, Mr. Robertson oversees a global securities team of more than 30 investment professionals, with offices in five locations around the globe and assets under management of more than $14 billion. From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Robertson was with Lincoln Investment Management, Inc., where he was responsible for REIT research for the Delaware Pooled Trust Real Estate Fund and underwrote and managed commercial mortgage loans on office, industrial, retail, multifamily and hotel properties. From 1991 to 1993, he worked as a consultant with Ernst & Young LLP’s Special Services Group, where he specialized in the valuation of all types of income-producing real estate. Mr. Robertson holds a BA in Psychology with a Business Concentration from Wabash College and an MBA from Indiana University and is a chartered financial analyst. He is also a member of the CFA Institute and an associate member of NAREIT.

John W. Vojticek is a Managing Director with Deutsche Asset Management and has served as Chief Investment Officer of Real Estate & Infrastructure Securities and Global Portfolio Manager since July 2011 and was Co-Head of Americas Real Estate Securities from 2006 to July 2011. Mr. Vojticek was responsible for launching the firm’s first listed infrastructure securities strategy in June 2008 and served as Head of the Listed Infrastructure Securities business from June 2008 until his appointment as Chief Investment Officer in July 2011. Mr. Vojticek is an associate member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. Mr. Vojticek holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.

 

31


Francis X. Greywitt, III is a Director with Deutsche Asset Wealth Management and has served as Co-Head of Infrastructure Securities and Co-Lead Portfolio Manager since 2011. Mr. Greywitt joined the Company in 2005 as a Securities Analyst, covering real estate companies in the office and industrial sectors before being promoted in 2008 to the role of Portfolio Manager leading the effort to start the infrastructure securities business. Mr. Greywitt began his career as a REIT Research Analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets covering the apartment, industrial, and office sectors before being promoted to a Senior Analyst covering exclusively the office sector. During his tenure at KeyBanc, Mr. Greywitt led the firm’s research effort in several successful IPOs including First Potomac, BioMed Realty, and Digital Realty Trust. Mr. Greywitt holds a BBA in Finance (Magna Cum Laude) from St. Bonaventure University and an MBA from the University of Chicago with concentrations in International Business, Economics and Finance.

Manoj Patel is a Director with Deutsche Asset Management and has served as Co-Head of Infrastructure Securities and Co-Lead Portfolio Manager since joining the Company in 2011 with eight years of industry experience. He began his career as an Analyst for Brookfield Investment Management (formerly KG Redding/Brookfield Redding) and was promoted to Director and Portfolio Manager in 2008. During his tenure at Brookfield, Mr. Patel spearheaded the formation of their dedicated listed infrastructure business. He was also responsible for the creation of the Dow Jones Brookfield Global Infrastructure Index series. In addition, Mr. Patel managed assets under management of approximately $350 million, performed underwriting, participated in capital raising, developed financial models and investment processes, provided portfolio oversight and managed the team of analysts and traders. Mr. Patel holds a BS in Finance from Indiana University, Bloomington, and holds the CFA designation.

DIMA supervises and manages the investment portfolio of the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund and directs the purchase and sale of the Fund’s investment securities. DIMA utilizes teams of investment professionals acting together to manage the assets of the Fund. The DIMA Portfolio Managers that have direct oversight responsibility and are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:

Philip G. Condon, Ashton P. Goodfield, Blair Ridley and Michael J. Generazo, each a Portfolio Manager, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio manager team.

Philip G. Condon is a Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management. Since 2008, he has been Managing Director, Head of the Municipal Bond team, Chief Strategist for U.S. Fixed Income and a Portfolio Manager for DIMA. Mr. Condon joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1983. He obtained his MBA degree and his undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Arts, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Ashton P. Goodfield, CFA, is a Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management. Since 2008, she has been Managing Director, Head of Municipal Bond Trading and a Portfolio Manager for DIMA. Ms. Goodfield joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1986. She obtained her undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Arts, from Duke University.

 

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Blair Ridley is a Director of Deutsche Asset Management. From 2006 to 2010, he was Vice President, business manager and product specialist for DIMA. Since 2010, Mr. Ridley has been a Director and a Portfolio Manager for DIMA. Mr. Ridley joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1999. He obtained his MS in Investment Management from Boston University and his undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Arts, from the University of California, San Diego.

Michael J. Generazo is a Director of Deutsche Asset Management. Since 2008, he has been a Director and a Portfolio Manager for DIMA. Mr. Generazo joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1999. He obtained his MBA degree from Suffolk University and his undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Science, from Bryant College.

Certain Portfolio Manager Information

The following table lists the number and types of accounts (including the Funds) advised by each Fund’s primary portfolio manager(s) and assets under management in those accounts as of June 30, 2013.

 

Primary Portfolio Manager

   Registered
Investment
Companies
     Total Assets
Managed

(in millions)
     Other Pooled
Investment

Vehicles
     Total Assets
Managed

(in millions)
     Other
Accounts
     Total Assets
Managed

(in millions)
 

Vishal Bhatia

     10       $ 358         19       $ 15         19       $ 2.8   

Dino Bourdos

     0         0         6       $ 501         30       $ 21   

John F. Robertson

     7       $ 5,934         13       $ 6,402         26       $ 4,195   

John W. Vojticek

     7       $ 5,934         13       $ 6,402         26       $ 4,195   

Francis Greywitt

     1       $ 2,044         2       $ 5,152         1       $ 28   

Manoj H. Patel

     1       $ 2,044         2       $ 5,152         1       $ 28   

Philip G. Condon

     14       $ 14,178         0         0         0         0   

Ashton P. Goodfield

     5       $ 8,257         0         0         0         0   

Blair Ridley

     1       $ 11         6       $ 204         0         0   

Michael J. Generazo

     4       $ 7,010         7       $ 262         0         0   

The following table provides information on accounts managed (included within the table above) by each primary portfolio manager that are subject to performance-based advisory fees.

 

Primary Portfolio Manager

   Type
of Account
     Number of
Accounts
Subject to
Performance
Fees
     Total
Assets of
Accounts

(in millions)
 

Vishal Bhatia

     0         0         0   

 

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Dino Bourdos

   0    0    0

John F. Robertson

   Other Accounts    3    $580

John W. Vojticek

   Other Accounts    3    $580

Francis Greywitt

   0    0    0

Manoj H. Patel

   0    0    0

Philip G. Condon

   0    0    0

Ashton P. Goodfield

   0    0    0

Blair Ridley

   0    0    0

Michael J. Generazo

   0    0    0

The following table lists the dollar range of Fund shares beneficially owned by the primary portfolio manager(s) as of the June 30, 2013.

 

Primary Portfolio Manager

  

Fund

  

Dollar Range
of Fund Shares
Beneficially Owned

Vishal Bhatia

   DBEM

DBEF

DBBR

DBGR

DBJP

DBUK

DBEU

DBAP

   None

None

None

None

None

None

None

None

Dino Bourdos

   DBEM

DBEF

DBBR

DBGR

DBJP

DBUK

DBEU

DBAP

   None

None

None

None

None

None

None

None

John F. Robertson

   UTLT    None

John W. Vojticek

   UTLT    None

Francis Greywitt

   UTLT    $1-$10,000

Manoj H. Patel

   UTLT    None

Philip G. Condon

   RVNU    $100,001-$500,000

Ashton P. Goodfield

   RVNU    None

Blair Ridley

   RVNU    None

Michael J. Generazo

   RVNU    None

 

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Portfolio Manager Compensation

As a member of TD Bank Financial Group (“TDBFG”), TDAM has the following major components in its compensation program for the Portfolio Managers:

 

    Base Salary

 

    Annual Incentive Program

 

    Long Term Incentive Plan

 

    Profit Sharing Plan

TDAM maintains competitive salaries for all employees, based on independent research of the investment management industry.

Each Portfolio Manager may be eligible to participate in the Long Term Incentive Plan. The purpose of this plan is to encourage employees to increase their interest in TDBFG’s long term success by awarding them “Units” which will provide future compensation related to the price of the common shares of TD Bank at that future time.

The investment performance of products under management does not drive any variable components of compensation. Amounts paid under the Annual Incentive Program will vary. In the case of TDAM, these amounts are based on how well the individual employee and TDAM performed over the course of the most recent fiscal year.

Participation in the Profit Sharing Plan enables employees to share in the profits of TDAM, limited to a certain percentage.

RREEF is an affiliate of DIMA. DIMA has the following major components in its compensation program for the Portfolio Managers:

 

    Base Salary

 

    Short Term Variable Pay

 

    Long Term Variable Pay

Variable pay can be delivered via a short-term and/or long-term vehicle, namely cash, restricted equity awards, and/or restricted incentive awards. Variable pay comprises a greater proportion of total compensation as a portfolio manager’s seniority and total compensation level increase. The proportion of variable pay delivered via a long-term incentive award, which is subject to clawback, will increase significantly as the amount of variable pay increases. All variable pay delivered via long-term incentive award is subject to clawback.

To evaluate its investment professionals, Deutsche Asset Management reviews investment performance for all accounts managed in relation to both account peer group and benchmark related data ( i.e ., appropriate Morningstar peer group universes and/or benchmark index(es) with respect to each account). The ultimate goal of this process is to evaluate the degree to which investment professionals deliver investment performance that meets or exceeds their clients’ risk and return objectives. When determining Total Compensation, Deutsche Asset Management considers a number of quantitative and qualitative factors:

 

    Quantitative measures ( e.g . one-, three- and five-year pre-tax returns versus the benchmark and appropriate peer group, taking risk targets into account) are utilized to measure performance.

 

    Qualitative measures ( e.g . adherence to, as well as contributions to, the enhancement of the investment process) are included in the performance review.

 

    Other factors ( e.g . teamwork, adherence to compliance rules, risk management and ’living the values” of Deutsche Asset Management) are included as part of a discretionary component of the review process, giving management the ability to consider additional markers of performance on a subjective basis.

 

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Potential Conflicts of Interest

Because the Portfolio Managers manage multiple portfolios for multiple clients, the potential for conflicts of interest exists. The Portfolio Managers may manage other portfolios that have a similar investment style as the Funds. However, the portfolios managed by a Portfolio Manager may not have portfolio compositions identical to those of the Funds managed by the Portfolio Manager due, for example, to specific investment limitations or guidelines present in some portfolios or accounts, but not others. The Portfolio Managers may purchase securities for one portfolio and not another portfolio, and the performance of securities purchased for one portfolio may vary from the performance of securities purchased for other portfolios. A Portfolio Manager may place transactions on behalf of other accounts that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on behalf of the Fund, or make investment decisions that are similar to those made for the Fund, both of which have the potential to adversely impact the Fund depending on market conditions. For example, a Portfolio Manager may purchase a security in one portfolio while appropriately selling that same security in another portfolio. In addition, some of these portfolios have fee structures that are or have the potential to be higher than the advisory fees paid by the Fund, which can cause potential conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities between the Fund and the other accounts. However, the compensation structure for Portfolio Managers does not generally provide incentive to favor one account over another because that part of a manager’s bonus based on performance is not based on the performance of one account to the exclusion of others. There are many other factors considered in determining the Portfolio Manager’s bonus and there is no formula that is applied to weight the factors listed (see “Compensation of Portfolio Managers and Other Accounts Managed”). In addition, current trading practices do not allow TDAM, RREEF, or DIMA to intentionally favor one portfolio over another as trades are executed as trade orders are received. Portfolios’ rebalancing dates also generally vary between fund families. Program trades created from the portfolio rebalance are executed at market on close. For additional information regarding potential conflicts of interest faced by the Adviser, see “Potential Conflicts of Interest”.

Codes of Ethics. The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. The Codes of Ethics permit personnel subject to the Codes of Ethics to invest in securities, subject to certain limitations, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund. The Codes of Ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the SEC.

Anti-Money Laundering Requirements. The Funds are subject to the USA PATRIOT Act (the “Patriot Act”). The Patriot Act is intended to prevent the use of the U.S. financial system in furtherance of money laundering, terrorism or other illicit activities. Pursuant to requirements under the Patriot Act, a Fund may request information from Authorized Participants to enable it to form a reasonable belief that it knows the true identity of its Authorized Participants. This information will be used to verify the identity of Authorized Participants or, in some cases, the status of financial professionals; it will be used only for compliance with the requirements of the Patriot Act. The Funds reserve the right to reject purchase orders from persons who have not submitted information sufficient to allow the Fund to verify their identity. Each Fund also reserves the right to redeem any amounts in a Fund from persons whose identity it is unable to verify on a timely basis. It is the Funds’ policy to cooperate fully with appropriate regulators in any investigations conducted with respect to potential money laundering, terrorism or other illicit activities.

Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY”) serves as administrator, custodian and transfer agent for the Funds. BNY’s principal address is One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286. Pursuant to a Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement with the Trust, BNY provides necessary administrative, legal, tax and accounting and financial reporting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and each Fund. In addition, BNY makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services. Pursuant to a Custody Agreement with the Trust, BNY maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Trust and each Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records and provides other services. BNY is required, upon the order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by BNY and to make payments for securities purchased by the Trust for each Fund. Also, pursuant to the Custody Agreement, BNY is authorized to appoint certain foreign custodians or foreign custody managers for Fund investments outside the United States. Pursuant to a Transfer Agency and Service Agreement with the Trust, BNY acts as a transfer agent for each Fund’s authorized and issued Shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Trust. As compensation for these services, BNY receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees and asset-based fees which are accrued daily and paid monthly the Adviser from its management fee.

Distributor. The Distributor’s principal address is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203. The Distributor has entered into a Distribution Agreement with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes Shares of each Fund. The Distribution Agreement continues for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Fund through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the applicable Prospectus and below in the Creation and Redemption of Creation Units section of this SAI. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor will deliver the applicable Prospectus and, upon request, the SAI to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

 

36


The Distribution Agreement for each Fund provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least 60 days’ prior written notice to the other party following (i) the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees; or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the relevant Fund. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Fund Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as defined below), DTC participants and/or investor services organizations.

The Adviser may, from time to time and from its own resources, pay, defray or absorb costs relating to distribution, including payments out of its own resources to the Distributor, or to otherwise promote the sale of Shares. The Adviser currently pays the Distributor, from the Adviser’s own resources, an amount of approximately $20,000 per year per Fund for such purposes.

The Adviser and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates (“db-X Entities”) may pay certain broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain marketing activities related to the Fund or other funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates (“db-X Funds”) (with such payments being “Payments”). Any Payments made by db-X Entities will be made from their own assets and not from the assets of a Fund. Although a portion of db-X Entities’ revenue comes directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by the Funds and other db-X Funds, Payments do not increase the price paid by investors for the purchase of shares of, or the cost of owning, a Fund or other db-X Funds. db-X Entities may make Payments for Intermediaries’ participating in activities that are designed to make registered representatives, other professionals and individual investors more knowledgeable about the Funds or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems (“Education Costs”). db-X Entities may also make Payments to Intermediaries for certain printing, publishing and mailing costs associated with a Fund or materials relating to other db-X Funds or exchange-traded funds in general (“Publishing Costs”). In addition, db-X Entities may make Payments to Intermediaries that make shares of the Funds and certain other db-X Funds available to their clients or for otherwise promoting the Funds and other db-X Funds. Payments of this type are sometimes referred to as revenue-sharing payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your salesperson or other investment professional may also be significant for your salesperson or other investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about which investment options it will recommend or make available to its clients or what services to provide for various products based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, Payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients and these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Funds and other db-X Funds over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your salesperson or other investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

As of May 31, 2013, db-X Entities had arrangements to make Payments to E*Trade Financial Corporation (“E*Trade”). Pursuant to the db-X Entities’ arrangement with E*Trade, E*Trade has agreed to promote the Funds to E*Trade’s customers and not to charge certain of its customers any commissions when those customers purchase or sell shares of certain Funds online (the “Co-Branded Marketing Program”). db-X Entities have agreed to facilitate the Co-Branded Marketing Program by making Payments to E*Trade during the term of the agreement based on a certain percentage of the assets of the Funds held in the accounts of E*Trade’s customers.

db-X Entities may determine to make Payments based on any number of metrics. For example, db-X Entities may make Payments at year end or other intervals in a fixed amount, based upon an Intermediary’s services at defined levels or an amount based on the Intermediary’s net sales of one or more db-X Funds in a year or other period, any of which arrangements may include an agreed upon minimum or maximum payment, or any combination of the foregoing. Any payments made by the db-X Entities to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy shares of the Funds or other db-X Funds.

Brokerage Transactions (all Funds except db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund)

The Adviser and/or each Sub-Adviser assume general supervision over placing orders on behalf of each Fund for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities. In selecting brokers or dealers for any transaction in portfolio securities, the Adviser’s and/or each Sub-Adviser’s policy is to make such selection based on factors deemed relevant, including but not limited to, the breadth of the market in the security, the price of the security, the reasonableness of the commission or mark-up or mark-down, if any, execution capability, settlement capability, back office efficiency and the financial condition of the broker or dealer, both for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid is evaluated by the Adviser and/or each Sub-Adviser based upon their knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services. Brokers may also be selected because of their ability to handle special or difficult executions, such as may be involved in large block trades, less liquid securities, broad distributions, or other circumstances. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of a Fund’s Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or a dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

Consistent with Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and interpretations thereunder, a Sub-Adviser may cause a Fund to pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers or dealers in return for brokerage or research

 

37


services and products if the Sub-Adviser determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services and products utilized. In addition to agency transactions, a Sub-Adviser may receive brokerage or research services and products in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC and other regulatory guidelines. In both instances, these services and products may include but are not limited to: economic, industry, or company research reports or investment recommendations; subscriptions to certain financial publications; market data such as stock quotes, last sale prices, trading volumes and similar data; databases and software, including, but not limited to, quantitative analytical software; and products and services that assist in effecting transactions and functions incidental thereto, including services of third-party computer systems directly related to brokerage activities and routing settlement instructions. A Sub-Adviser may use brokerage or research services and products furnished by brokers, dealers or service providers in servicing all client accounts, and not all services and products may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid the commissions or spreads to the broker or dealer.

The Funds’ purchase and sale orders for securities may be combined with those of other investment companies, clients or accounts that the Adviser and/or each Sub-Adviser manage or advise and for which they have brokerage placement authority. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Funds and one or more other accounts managed or advised by the Adviser and/or a Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the Fund and the other accounts in a manner deemed equitable to all by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Funds are concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower transaction costs will be beneficial to the Fund. The Adviser and/or each Sub-Adviser may deal, trade and invest for their own account in the types of securities in which the Funds may invest. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser may, from time to time, affect trades on behalf of and for the account of the Funds with brokers or dealers that are affiliated with the Adviser and/or each Sub-Adviser, in conformity with the 1940 Act and SEC rules and regulations. Under these provisions, any commissions paid to affiliated brokers or dealers must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions charged by other brokers or dealers in comparable transactions. The Funds will not deal with affiliates in principal transactions unless permitted by applicable SEC rule or regulation or by SEC exemptive order.

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year as well as within a year. High turnover rates may result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Adviser and/or each Sub-Adviser based upon their knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by the other institutional investors for comparable services.

Brokerage commissions for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2013 are shown in the table below.

 

db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund

   $ 5,099   

db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund

   $ 3,808   

db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund

   $ 2,172   

db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund

   $ 2,368   

db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund

   $ 2,246   

Brokerage Transactions (db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund)

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser is generally responsible for placing orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities, including the allocation of brokerage. Except as otherwise specified, references in this section to the “Adviser” should be read to include the Sub-Adviser, except as noted below.

The policy of the Adviser in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities for a fund is to seek best execution, taking into account such factors, among others, as price; commission (where applicable); the broker-dealer’s ability to ensure that securities will be delivered on settlement date; the willingness of the broker-dealer to commit its capital and purchase a thinly traded security for its own inventory; whether the broker-dealer specializes in block orders or large program trades; the broker-dealer’s knowledge of the market and the security; the broker-dealer’s ability to maintain confidentiality; the broker-dealer’s ability to provide access to new issues; the broker-dealer’s ability to provide support when placing a difficult trade; the financial condition of the broker-dealer; and whether the broker-dealer has the infrastructure and operational capabilities to execute and settle the trade. The Adviser seeks to evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions with commissions charged on comparable transactions and compares the brokerage commissions (if any) paid by the funds to reported commissions paid by others. The Adviser routinely reviews commission rates, execution and settlement services performed and makes internal and external comparisons.

 

38


Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities and certain over-the-counter securities are effected on a net basis, without the payment of brokerage commissions. Transactions in fixed income and certain over-the-counter securities are generally placed by the Adviser with the principal market makers for these securities unless the Adviser reasonably believes more favorable results are available elsewhere. Transactions with dealers serving as market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. Purchases of underwritten issues will include an underwriting fee paid to the underwriter. Money market instruments are normally purchased in principal transactions directly from the issuer or from an underwriter or market maker.

It is likely that the broker-dealers selected based on the considerations described in this section will include firms that also sell shares of the funds to their customers. However, the Adviser does not consider sales of shares of the funds as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the funds and, accordingly, has implemented policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent its traders from considering sales of shares of the funds as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the funds.

The Adviser is permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (1934 Act), when placing portfolio transactions for a fund, to cause a fund to pay brokerage commissions in excess of that which another broker-dealer might charge for executing the same transaction in order to obtain research and brokerage services if the Adviser determines that such commissions are reasonable in relation to the overall services provided. The Adviser may from time to time, in reliance on Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, execute portfolio transactions with broker-dealers that provide research and brokerage services to the Adviser. Consistent with the Adviser’s policy regarding best execution, where more than one broker is believed to be capable of providing best execution for a particular trade, the Adviser may take into consideration the receipt of research and brokerage services in selecting the broker-dealer to execute the trade. Although certain research and brokerage services from broker-dealers may be useful to a fund and to the Adviser, it is the opinion of the Adviser that such information only supplements its own research effort since the information must still be analyzed, weighed and reviewed by the Adviser’s staff. To the extent that research and brokerage services of value are received by the Adviser, the Adviser may avoid expenses that it might otherwise incur. Research and brokerage services received from a broker-dealer may be useful to the Adviser and its affiliates in providing investment management services to all or some of its clients, which includes a fund. Services received from broker-dealers that executed securities transactions for a fund will not necessarily be used by the Adviser specifically to service that fund.

Research and brokerage services provided by broker-dealers may include, but are not limited to, information on the economy, industries, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, accounting and tax law interpretations, political developments, legal developments affecting portfolio securities, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance analysis and measurement and analysis of corporate responsibility issues. Research and brokerage services are typically received in the form of written or electronic reports, access to specialized financial publications, telephone contacts and personal meetings with security analysts, but may also be provided in the form of access to various computer software and meetings arranged with corporate and industry representatives.

The Adviser may also select broker-dealers and obtain from them research and brokerage services that are used in connection with executing trades provided that such services are consistent with interpretations under Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act. Typically, these services take the form of computer software and/or electronic communication services used by the Adviser to facilitate trading activity with those broker-dealers.

Research and brokerage services may include products obtained from third-parties if the Adviser determines that such product or service constitutes brokerage and research as defined in Section 28(e) and interpretations thereunder. Provided a Sub-Adviser is acting in accordance with any instructions and directions of the Adviser or the Board, the Sub-Adviser is authorized to pay to a broker or dealer who provides third-party brokerage and research services a commission for executing a portfolio transaction for a fund in excess of what another broker or dealer may charge, if the Sub-Adviser determines in good faith that such commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the third-party brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer.

The Adviser may use brokerage commissions to obtain certain brokerage products or services that have a mixed use ( i.e ., it also serves a function that does not relate to the investment decision-making process). In those circumstances, the Adviser will make a good faith judgment to evaluate the various benefits and uses to which it intends to put the mixed use product or service and will pay for that portion of the mixed use product or service that it reasonably believes does not constitute research and brokerage services with its own resources.

The Adviser will monitor regulatory developments and market practice in the use of client commissions to obtain research and brokerage services and may adjust its portfolio transactions policies in response thereto.

Investment decisions for a fund and for other investment accounts managed by the Adviser are made independently of each other in light of differing conditions. However, the same investment decision may be made for two or more of such accounts. In such cases, simultaneous transactions are inevitable. To the extent permitted by law, the Adviser may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for a fund with those to be sold or purchased for other accounts in executing transactions. Purchases or sales are then averaged as to price and commission and allocated as to amount in a manner deemed equitable to each account. While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect on the price paid or received by, or on the size of the position obtained or disposed of for, a fund, in other cases it is believed that the ability to engage in volume transactions will be beneficial to a fund.

 

39


The Adviser and its affiliates and the fund’s management team manage other mutual funds and separate accounts, some of which use short sales of securities as a part of its investment strategy. The simultaneous management of long and short portfolios creates potential conflicts of interest including the risk that short sale activity could adversely affect the market value of the long positions (and vice versa), the risk arising from sequential orders in long and short positions, and the risks associated with receiving opposing orders at the same time. The Adviser has adopted procedures that it believes are reasonably designed to mitigate these potential conflicts of interest. Incorporated in the procedures are specific guidelines developed to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all clients. The Adviser and the investment team have established monitoring procedures and a protocol for supervisory reviews, as well as compliance oversight to ensure that potential conflicts of interest relating to this type of activity are properly addressed.

Deutsche Bank AG or one of its affiliates (including the Sub-Adviser or one of its affiliates) may act as a broker for the funds and receive brokerage commissions or other transaction-related compensation from the funds in the purchase and sale of securities, when, in the judgment of the Adviser, and in accordance with procedures approved by the Board, the affiliated broker will be able to obtain a price and execution at least as favorable as those obtained from other qualified brokers and if, in the transaction, the affiliated broker charges the funds a rate consistent with that charged to comparable unaffiliated customers in similar transactions.

Additional Information Concerning the Trust

Shares. The Trust currently is comprised of seven separate investment series or portfolios called funds. Each series issues Shares of common stock, no par value. The Trust issues Shares of beneficial interests in each fund with no par value. The Board may designate additional funds.

Each Share issued by a fund has a pro rata interest in the assets of that fund. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each Share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the Board with respect to the relevant fund, and in the net distributable assets of such fund on liquidation. Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which the Shareholder is entitled to vote. In any matter submitted to Shareholders for a vote, each fund shall hold a separate vote, provided that Shareholders of all effected funds will vote together when: (1) required by the 1940 Act; or (2) the Trustees determine that the matter affects the interests of more than one fund. Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual meeting of Shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. The policy of the Trust is not to hold an annual meeting of Shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. All Shares (regardless of the fund) have noncumulative voting rights in the election of members of the Board. Under Delaware law, Trustees of the Trust may be removed by vote of the Shareholders.

Following the creation of the initial Creation Unit(s) of Shares of a Fund and immediately prior to the commencement of trading in the Fund’s Shares, a holder of Shares may be a “control person” of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act. The Fund cannot predict the length of time for which one or more Shareholders may remain a control person of the Fund.

Shareholders may make inquiries by writing to DBX ETF Trust, c/o the Distributor, ALPS Distributors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203, by email by writing to dbxquestions@list.db.com or by telephone by calling 1-855-329-3837 or 1-855-DBX-ETFS (toll free).

Termination of the Trust or a Fund. The Trust or a Fund may be terminated by a majority vote of the Board or the affirmative vote of a supermajority of the holders of the Trust or such Fund entitled to vote on termination. Although the Shares are not automatically redeemable upon the occurrence of any specific event, the Trust’s organizational documents provide that the Board will have the unrestricted power to alter the number of Shares in a Creation Unit. In the event of a termination of the Trust or a Fund, the Board, in its sole discretion, could determine to permit the Shares to be redeemable in aggregations smaller than Creation Units or to be individually redeemable. In such circumstance, the Trust may make redemptions in-kind, for cash or for a combination of cash or securities.

DTC as Securities Depository for Shares of the Funds. Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities’ certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE, the NYSE Amex Equities and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”).

Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with

 

40


respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in Shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is affected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares of each Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares of the Trust. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares of each Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants. DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to Shares of the Trust at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

General. The Trust issues and sells Shares of each Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the Fund’s NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined herein), of an order in proper form. The following table sets forth the number of Shares of a Fund that constitute a Creation Unit for such Fund:

 

Fund

   Shares Per
Creation Unit
 

db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund

     50,000   

db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund

     50,000   

db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund

     50,000   

db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund

     50,000   

db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund

     50,000   

db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund

     50,000   

db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund

     50,000   

db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund

     50,000   

db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund

     50,000   

db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund

     50,000   

The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of Shares outstanding of any Fund of the Trust, and to make a corresponding change in the number of Shares constituting a Creation Unit, in the event that the per Share price in the secondary market rises (or declines) to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable by the Board.

A “Business Day” with respect to each Fund is any day on which the Exchange on which the Fund is listed for trading is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, each Exchange observes the following holidays, as observed: New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

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Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of a Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities ( i.e ., the Deposit Securities), which constitutes an optimized representation of the securities of the relevant Fund’s Underlying Index, and the Cash Component computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of any Fund.

The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the “Deposit Amount,” which is an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities, and serves to compensate for any difference between the NAV per Creation Unit and the Deposit Amount. Payment of any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant purchasing a Creation Unit.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser makes available through the NSCC on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange, the list of names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for each Fund. Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of Shares of a given Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available.

The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities pursuant to changes in composition of a Fund’s portfolio and changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities constituting the relevant Underlying Index.

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC of the Clearing Process (discussed below). The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount where the delivery of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under applicable securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under applicable securities laws, or in certain other situations. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the subject index being tracked by the relevant Fund, or resulting from stock splits and other corporate actions.

Role of the Authorized Participant. Creation Units may be purchased only by or through a DTC Participant that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor (an “Authorized Participant”). Such Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement and on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that such Authorized Participant will make available in advance of each purchase of Shares an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component, once the NAV of a Creation Unit is next determined after receipt of the purchase order in proper form, together with the transaction fee described below. The Authorized Participant may require the investor to enter into an agreement with such Authorized Participant with respect to certain matters, including payment of the Cash Component. Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and that orders to purchase Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant. As a result, purchase orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges to such investor. The Trust does not expect to enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement with more than a small number of DTC Participants. A list of current Authorized Participants may be obtained from the Distributor.

Purchase Order. To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order to purchase Shares of a Fund. The Distributor will notify the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser and the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate sub-custodian. For each Fund, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, the securities included in the designated Fund Deposit (or the cash value of all or a part of such securities, in the case of a permitted or required cash purchase or “cash in lieu” amount), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. Those placing orders to purchase Creation Units through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day.

The Authorized Participant must also make available on or before the contractual settlement date, by means satisfactory to the Trust, immediately available or same day funds estimated by the Trust to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component next determined after acceptance of the purchase order, together with the applicable purchase transaction fee. Any excess funds will be returned following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit. Those placing orders should ascertain the applicable deadline for cash transfers by contacting the operations department of the broker or depositary institution effectuating the transfer of the Cash Component. This deadline is likely to be significantly earlier than the closing time of the regular trading session on the Exchange.

 

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Investors should be aware that an Authorized Participant may require orders for purchases of Shares placed with it to be in the particular form required by the individual Authorized Participant.

Timing of Submission of Purchase Orders. An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable purchase order before 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on any Business Day in order to receive that day’s NAV. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time on the trade date. With respect to in-kind creations, a custom order may be placed by an Authorized Participant where cash replaces any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not be eligible for trading by such Authorized Participant or the investor for which it is acting or other relevant reason. Orders to create Shares of a Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or day (other than a weekend) when the equity markets in the relevant foreign market are closed may not be accepted. The Distributor in its discretion may permit the submission of such orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant at any time (including on days on which the Exchange is not open for business) via communication through the facilities of the Distributor’s proprietary website maintained for this purpose. Purchase orders and redemption requests, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV next determined after such acceptance in accordance with the Trust’s standard cut-off times as provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement and disclosed in this SAI.

Acceptance of Order for Creation Unit. Subject to the conditions that (i) an irrevocable purchase order has been submitted by the Authorized Participant (either on its own or another investor’s behalf); and (ii) arrangements satisfactory to the Trust are in place for payment of the Cash Component and any other cash amounts which may be due, the Trust will accept the order, subject to its right (and the right of the Distributor and the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser) to reject any order until acceptance.

Once the Trust has accepted an order, upon next determination of the NAV of the Shares, the Trust will confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order.

The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject or revoke a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of any Fund if (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s) upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of any Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the identity and number of Shares specified by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser, as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Distributor and the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser make it impracticable to process purchase orders. The Trust shall notify a prospective purchaser of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such purchaser of its rejection of such order. The Trust, the Custodian, the sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Portfolio Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give such notification.

Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided herein, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the securities included in the Fund Deposit (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Unit. Creation Units typically are issued on a “T+3 basis” ( i.e ., three Business Days after trade date).

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant’s agreement with the Distributor, the Trust will issue Creation Units to such Authorized Participant notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Portfolio Deposits have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value at least equal to 115%, which the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser may change from time to time, of the value of the missing Deposit Securities in accordance with the Trust’s then-effective procedures. The only collateral that is acceptable to the Trust is cash in U.S. dollars or an irrevocable letter of credit in form, and drawn on a bank, that is satisfactory to the Trust. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income, if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. Information concerning the Trust’s current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the Distributor. The Authorized Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such securities and the cash collateral or the amount that may be drawn under any letter of credit.

In certain cases, Authorized Participants may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date and in these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participants that the

 

43


creation and redemption transactions are for separate beneficial owners. All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

Cash Purchase Method. In the case of a cash purchase, the investor must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser. In addition, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with using the cash to purchase the requisite Deposit Securities, the investor will be required to pay a fixed purchase transaction fee, plus an additional variable charge for cash purchases, which is expressed as a percentage of the value of the Deposit Securities.

Creation Transaction Fee. A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee will be the same regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by a purchaser on the same day. Purchasers of Creation Units for cash are required to pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant Fund for brokerage and market impact expenses. When the Trust permits an in-kind purchaser to substitute cash in lieu of depositing a portion of the Deposit Securities, the purchaser will be assessed the additional variable charge for cash purchases on the cash in lieu portion of its investment up to a maximum additional variable charge as indicated in the chart below. Investors will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the Trust. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth each Fund’s standard maximum creation transaction fees and maximum additional variable charges:

 

Fund

  Standard Creation
Transaction Fee
    Maximum Additional
Variable Charge*
 

db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund

  $ 7,300        2

db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund

    4,650        2

db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund

    1,500        2

db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund

    850        2

db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund

    1,800        2

db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund

    5,900        2

db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund

    6,000        2

db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund

    600        2

db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund

    500        2

db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund

    500        2

 

* As a percentage of the amount invested.

Redemption of Creation Units. Shares of a Fund may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Distributor and only on a Business Day. The Trust will not redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Units. Beneficial owners also may sell Shares in the secondary market but must accumulate enough Shares to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

Redemptions are effected partially for cash and partially in-kind. In the case of in-kind redemptions, the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser makes available through the NSCC, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange on each Business Day, the identity and number of Shares that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units.

Unless cash redemptions are available or specified for a Fund, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally consist of Fund Securities plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities, less the redemption transaction fee described below.

Redemption Transaction Fee. A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs that may be incurred by the relevant Fund. The standard redemption transaction fee will be the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an investor on the same day. The redeeming investor may be assessed an additional variable charge on the cash in lieu portion of its redemption proceeds. The standard redemption transaction fees are set forth below. Investors will also bear the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services.

 

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The following table sets forth each Fund’s standard redemption transaction fees:

 

Fund

   Standard Redemption
Transaction Fee
 

db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund

   $ 7,300   

db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund

     4,650   

db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund

     1,500   

db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund

     850   

db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund

     1,800   

db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund

     5,900   

db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund

     6,000   

db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund

     600   

db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund

     500   

db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund

     500   

The maximum redemption fee, as a percentage of the amount redeemed, is 2%. Redemption requests for Creation Units of any Fund must be submitted to the Distributor by or through an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable redemption request before 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on any Business Day in order to receive that day’s NAV. In the case of custom redemptions, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time. Investors other than through Authorized Participants are responsible for making arrangements for a redemption request to be made through an Authorized Participant. The Distributor will provide a list of current Authorized Participants upon request.

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption in the form required by the Trust to the Distributor in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement in effect. At any time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the Exchange closing time on any Business Day; (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Distributor from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified above; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by 10:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the Business Day next following the day that the redemption request is received, the redemption request shall be rejected. Investors should be aware that the deadline for such transfers of Shares through the DTC system may be significantly earlier than the close of business on the Exchange. Those making redemption requests should ascertain the deadline applicable to transfers of Shares through the DTC system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depositary institution affecting the transfer of the Shares.

Upon receiving a redemption request, the Distributor shall notify the Trust and the Trust’s Transfer Agent of such redemption request. The tender of an investor’s Shares for redemption and the distribution of the cash redemption payment in respect of Creation Units redeemed will be made through DTC and the relevant Authorized Participant to the beneficial owner thereof as recorded on the book-entry system of DTC or the DTC Participant through which such investor holds, as the case may be, or by such other means specified by the Authorized Participant submitting the redemption request.

A redeeming Beneficial Owner or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner must maintain appropriate security arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Portfolio Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Portfolio Securities will be delivered.

If neither the redeeming Beneficial Owner nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Beneficial Owner has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Fund Securities in the applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In such case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional variable charge for cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Portfolio Securities of the Fund). Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance

 

45


with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and each Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws.

In the case of cash redemptions, proceeds will be paid to the Authorized Participant redeeming Shares on behalf of the redeeming investor as soon as practicable after the date of redemption (within seven calendar days thereafter).

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to any Fund (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund’s portfolio securities or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to the Trust that it (or its client) (i) owns outright or has full legal authority and legal beneficial right to tender for redemption the requisite number of Fund shares to be redeemed and can receive the entire proceeds of the redemption; and (ii) the Fund shares to be redeemed have not been loaned or pledged to another party nor are they the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement that would preclude the delivery of such fund shares to the Trust. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request from a Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust.

Taxation on Creation and Redemptions of Creation Units. An Authorized Participant generally will recognize either gain or loss upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units. This gain or loss is calculated by taking the market value of the Creation Units purchased over the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the Deposit Securities exchanged therefor. However, the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) may apply the wash sales rules to determine that any loss realized upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units is not currently deductible. Authorized Participants should consult their own tax advisors.

Current federal tax laws dictate that capital gain or loss realized from the redemption of Creation Units will generally create long-term capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the Creation Units for more than one year, or short-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units were held for one year or less.

Taxes

Regulated Investment Company Qualifications. Each Fund intends to qualify for treatment as a separate RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, each Fund must annually distribute at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains) and meet several other requirements. Among such other requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of each Fund’s annual gross income must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or non-U.S. currencies, other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly-traded partnerships ( i.e ., partnerships that are traded on an established securities market or tradable on a secondary market, other than partnerships that derive 90% of their income from interest, dividends, capital gains and other traditionally permitted mutual fund income); and (ii) at the close of each quarter of each Fund’s taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the market value of each Fund’s total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited for purposes of this calculation in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (b) not more than 25% of the value of each Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, of two or more issuers of which 20% or more of the voting stock is held by the Fund and that are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses or the securities of one or more qualified publicly-traded partnerships.

Although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly-traded partnership. A Fund’s investments in partnerships, including in qualified publicly-traded partnerships, may result in a Fund being subject to state, local, or non-U.S. income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.

Taxation of RICs. As a RIC, a Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its taxable investment income and capital gains that it distributes to its Shareholders, provided that it satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. To satisfy the minimum distribution requirement, a Fund must distribute to its Shareholders at least the sum of (i) 90% of its “investment company taxable income” ( i.e ., income other than its net realized long-term capital gain over its net realized short-term capital loss), plus or minus certain adjustments, and (ii) 90% of its net tax-exempt income for the taxable year. A Fund will be subject to income tax at regular corporation rates on any taxable income or gains that it does not distribute to its Shareholders. If a Fund fails to qualify for any taxable year as a RIC or fails to meet the distribution requirement, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular

 

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corporate income tax rates without any deduction for distributions to Shareholders, and such distributions generally will be taxable to Shareholders as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. In such event, distributions to individuals should be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income and distributions to corporate Shareholders generally should be eligible for the dividends received deduction. Although each Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and its capital gains for each taxable year, each Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC in any year, it must pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a RIC. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund may be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets ( i.e ., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if the Fund had been liquidated) if it qualifies as a RIC in a subsequent year.

Excise Tax. A Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its Shareholders in each calendar year at least 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the 12 months ended October 31 of such year. For this purpose, however, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by a Fund that is subject to corporate income tax in the taxable year ending within the relevant calendar year will be considered to have been distributed. In addition, the minimum amounts that must be distributed in any year to avoid the excise tax will be increased or decreased to reflect any under-distribution or over-distribution, as the case may be, from the previous year. Each Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of this 4% excise tax.

Net Capital Loss Carryforwards. Net capital loss carryforwards may be applied against any net realized capital gains in each succeeding year.

Taxation of U.S. Shareholders. Dividends and other distributions by a Fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the Shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, any dividend or distribution declared by a Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to Shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month shall be deemed to have been received by each Shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year and to have been paid by the Fund not later than such December 31, provided such dividend is actually paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year.

Each Fund intends to distribute annually to its Shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses (including any capital loss carryovers). However, if a Fund retains for investment an amount equal to all or a portion of its net long-term capital gains in excess of its net short-term capital losses (including any capital loss carryovers), it will be subject to a corporate tax (currently at a maximum rate of 35%) on the amount retained. In that event, the Fund may designate such retained amounts as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its Shareholders who (a) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gains, their proportionate Shares of the undistributed amount; (b) will be entitled to credit their proportionate Shares of the 35% tax paid by the Fund on the undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent their credits exceed their liabilities, if any; and (c) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to 65% of the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the Shareholder’s income. Organizations or persons not subject to U.S. federal income tax on such capital gains will be entitled to a refund of their pro rata Share of such taxes paid by the Fund upon filing appropriate returns or claims for refund with the IRS.

Distributions of net realized long-term capital gains, if any, that a Fund reports as capital gains dividends are taxable as long-term capital gains, whether paid in cash or in Shares and regardless of how long a Shareholder has held Shares of the Fund. All other dividends of a Fund (including dividends from short-term capital gains) from its current and accumulated earnings and profits (“regular dividends”) are generally subject to tax as ordinary income, subject to the discussion of qualified dividend income below.

If an individual receives a regular dividend qualifying for the long-term capital gains rates and such dividend constitutes an “extraordinary dividend,” and the individual subsequently recognizes a loss on the sale or exchange of stock in respect of which the extraordinary dividend was paid, then the loss will be long-term capital loss to the extent of such extraordinary dividend. An “extraordinary dividend” on common stock for this purpose is generally a dividend (i) in an amount greater than or equal to 10% of the taxpayer’s tax basis (or trading value) in a Share of stock, aggregating dividends with ex-dividend dates within an 85-day period; or (ii) in an amount greater than 20% of the taxpayer’s tax basis (or trading value) in a Share of stock, aggregating dividends with ex-dividend dates within a 365-day period.

Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each Shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of a Shareholder’s basis in Shares of the Fund, and as a capital gain thereafter (if the Shareholder holds Shares of the Fund as capital assets). Shareholders receiving dividends or distributions in the form of additional Shares should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of money that the Shareholders receiving cash dividends or distributions will receive and should have a cost basis in the Shares received equal to such amount.

 

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Investors considering buying Shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of Shares purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them. If a Fund is the holder of record of any security on the record date for any dividends payable with respect to such security, such dividends will be included in the Fund’s gross income not as of the date received but as of the later of (a) the date such security became ex-dividend with respect to such dividends ( i.e ., the date on which a buyer of the security would not be entitled to receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends); or (b) the date the Fund acquired such security. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution requirements, a Fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated earnings, and Shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would otherwise be the case.

In certain situations, a Fund may, for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its capital losses and currency losses realized after October until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October may affect the tax character of Shareholder distributions.

For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund Shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts.

Sales of Shares. Upon the sale or exchange of Shares of a Fund, a Shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the Shareholder’s basis in Shares of a Fund. A redemption of Shares by a Fund will be treated as a sale for this purpose. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Shares are capital assets in the Shareholder’s hands and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares are held for more than one year and short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares are held for one year or less. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent the Shares disposed of are replaced, including replacement through the reinvesting of dividends and capital gains distributions in the Fund, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the Shares. In such a case, the basis of the Shares acquired will be increased to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss realized by a Shareholder on the sale of a Fund Share held by the Shareholder for six months or less will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions or deemed distributions of long-term capital gains received by the Shareholder with respect to such Share.

If a Shareholder incurs a sales charge in acquiring Shares of a Fund, disposes of those Shares within 90 days and then acquires, prior to February 1 of the following calendar year, shares in a mutual fund for which the otherwise applicable sales charge is reduced by reason of a reinvestment right ( e.g ., an exchange privilege), the original sales charge will not be taken into account in computing gain/loss on the original Shares to the extent the subsequent sales charge is reduced. Instead, the disregarded portion of the original sales charge will be added to the tax basis of the newly acquired Shares. Furthermore, the same rule also applies to a disposition of the newly acquired Shares made within 90 days of the second acquisition. This provision prevents Shareholders from immediately deducting the sales charge by shifting their investments within a family of mutual funds.

Legislation passed by Congress requires reporting of adjusted cost basis information for covered securities, which generally include shares of a regulated investment company acquired after January 1, 2012, to the Internal Revenue Service and to taxpayers. Shareholders should contact their financial intermediaries with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for their accounts.

Back-Up Withholding. In certain cases, a Fund will be required to withhold at the applicable withholding rate (currently 28%), and remit to the U.S. Treasury such amounts withheld from any distributions paid to a Shareholder who: (i) has failed to provide a correct taxpayer identification number; (ii) is subject to back-up withholding by the IRS; (iii) has failed to certify to a Fund that such Shareholder is not subject to back-up withholding; or (iv) has not certified that such Shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). Back-up withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.

Sections 351 and 362. The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, has the right to reject an order for a purchase of Shares of the Fund if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of a given Fund and if, pursuant to Sections 351 and 362 of the Code, that Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. If a Fund’s basis in such securities on the date of deposit was less than market value on such date, the Fund, upon disposition of the securities, would recognize more taxable gain or less taxable loss than if its basis in the securities had been equal to market value. It is not anticipated that the Trust will exercise the right of rejection except in a case where the Trust determines that accepting the order could result in material adverse tax consequences to a Fund or its Shareholders. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

Taxation of Certain Derivatives. A Fund’s transactions in zero coupon securities, non-U.S. currencies, forward contracts, options and futures contracts (including options and futures contracts on non-U.S. currencies), to the extent permitted, will be subject to

 

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special provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to “hedging transactions” and “straddles”) that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund ( i.e ., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer Fund losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to Shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio ( i.e ., treat them as if they were closed out at the end of each year); and (b) may cause a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to pay dividends or make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. Each Fund will monitor its transactions, will make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any zero coupon security, non-U.S. currency, forward contract, option, futures contract or hedged investment in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and prevent disqualification of the Fund as a RIC.

A Fund’s investment in so-called “Section 1256 contracts,” such as regulated futures contracts, most non-U.S. currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most security indexes, are subject to special tax rules. All Section 1256 contracts held by a Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in the Fund’s income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by the Fund from positions in Section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a “hedging transaction” nor part of a “straddle,” 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by the Fund.

As a result of entering into swap contracts, a Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. A Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, a Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss. The tax treatment of many types of credit default swaps is uncertain.

Qualified Dividend Income. Distributions by a Fund of investment company taxable income (including any short-term capital gains), whether received in cash or Shares, will be taxable either as ordinary income or as qualified dividend income, eligible for the reduced maximum rate to individuals of either 15% or 20% (depending on whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts) to the extent the Fund receives qualified dividend income on the securities it holds and the Fund designates the distribution as qualified dividend income. Distributions by a Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Capital gain distributions consisting of a Fund’s net capital gains will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable U.S. corporations (but generally not from U.S. REITs) and certain non-U.S. corporations ( e.g ., non-U.S. corporations that are not “passive foreign investment companies” and which are incorporated in a possession of the U.S. or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the U.S., or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S.). Under current IRS guidance, the United States has appropriate comprehensive income tax treaties with the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China (but not with Hong Kong, which is treated as a separate jurisdiction for U.S. tax purposes), Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

A dividend from a Fund will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that (i) the Shareholder has not held the Shares on which the dividend was paid for 61 days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the Shares become ex-dividend with respect to such dividend or the Fund fails to satisfy those holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends distributed to the Shareholder (or, in the case of certain preferred stocks, the holding requirement of 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend); (ii) the Fund or the Shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property; or (iii) the Shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under Section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Code. Dividends received by a Fund from a REIT or another RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT or other RIC. It is expected that dividends received by a Fund from a REIT and distributed to a Shareholder generally will be taxable to the Shareholder as ordinary income.

If you lend your Fund Shares pursuant to securities lending arrangements you may lose the ability to use non-U.S. tax credits passed through by the Fund or to treat Fund dividends (paid while the Shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividends. Consult your financial intermediary or tax adviser. If you enter into a short sale with respect to Shares of the Fund, substitute payments made to the lender of such Shares may not be deductible. Consult your financial intermediary or tax adviser.

 

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Corporate Dividends Received Deduction. Each Fund does not expect dividends that are paid to its corporate Shareholders to be eligible, in the hands of such Shareholders, for the corporate dividends received deduction.

Excess Inclusion Income. Under current law, the Funds serve to block unrelated business taxable income from being realized by their tax-exempt Shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt Shareholder could realize unrelated business taxable income by virtue of its investment in a Fund if Shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt Shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). Certain types of income received by a Fund from REITs, real estate mortgage investment conduits, taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause the Fund to designate some or all of its distributions as “excess inclusion income.” To Fund Shareholders, such excess inclusion income may (i) constitute taxable income, as “unrelated business taxable income” for those Shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) accounts, Keogh plans, pension plans and certain charitable entities; (ii) not be offset by otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (iii) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. Shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (iv) cause the Fund to be subject to tax if certain “disqualified organizations” as defined by the Code are Fund Shareholders. If a charitable remainder annuity trust or a charitable remainder unitrust (each as defined in Code Section 664) has UBTI for a taxable year, a 100% excise tax on the UBTI is imposed on the trust.

Non-U.S. Investments. Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time a Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a non-U.S. currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss. In general, gains (and losses) realized on debt instruments will be treated as Section 988 gain (or loss) to the extent attributable to changes in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which the instruments are denominated. Similarly, gain or losses on non-U.S. currency, non-U.S. currency forward contracts and certain non-U.S. currency options or futures contracts denominated in non-U.S currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss unless the Fund were to elect otherwise.

Each Fund may be subject to non-U.S. income taxes withheld at the source. Each Fund, if more than 50% of the value of its total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations,, may elect to “pass through” to its investors the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid by the Fund provided that the Fund held the security on the dividend settlement date and for at least 15 additional days immediately before and/or thereafter, with the result that each investor with respect to Shares of the Fund held for a minimum 16-day holding period at the time of deemed distribution will (i) include in gross income, even though not actually received, the investor’s pro rata Share of the Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes, and (ii) either deduct (in calculating U.S. taxable income) or credit (in calculating U.S. federal income tax) the investor’s pro rata Share of the Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes. A non-U.S. person invested in the Fund in a year that the Fund elects to “pass through” its non-U.S. taxes may be treated as receiving additional dividend income subject to U.S. withholding tax. A non-U.S. tax credit may not exceed the investor’s U.S. federal income tax otherwise payable with respect to the investor’s non-U.S. source income. For this purpose, Shareholders must treat as non-U.S. source gross income (i) their proportionate Shares of non-U.S. taxes paid by the Fund; and (ii) the portion of any dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from non-U.S. sources; the Fund’s gain from the sale of securities will generally be treated as U.S.-source income. Certain limitations will be imposed to the extent to which the non-U.S. tax credit may be claimed.

Passive Foreign Investment Companies. If a Fund purchases Shares in “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”), it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such Shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its Shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

If a Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” under the Code, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Fund might be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the 90% and excise tax distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, the Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain.

Alternatively, a Fund may make a mark-to-market election that would result in the Fund being treated as if it had sold and repurchased its PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by the Fund and, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. By making the election, the Fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences with respect to its ownership of Shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. The Fund may have to distribute this “phantom” income and gain to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.

A Fund will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effects of these rules.

 

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Reporting. If a Shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to a Fund’s Shares of $2 million or more for an individual Shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate Shareholder, the Shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct Shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, Shareholders of a RIC are not exempted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and non-U.S. taxes depending on each Shareholder’s particular situation.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders. Dividends paid by a Fund to non-U.S. Shareholders are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate or a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty to the extent derived from investment income and short-term capital gains. In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a non-U.S. Shareholder will be required to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN certifying its entitlement to benefits under a treaty. The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a non-U.S. Shareholder who provides a Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. Shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the non-U.S. Shareholder were a U.S. Shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A non-U.S. Shareholder who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or other applicable form may be subject to back-up withholding at the appropriate rate.

In general, U.S. federal withholding tax will not apply to any gain or income realized by a non-U.S. Shareholder in respect of any distributions of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses, exempt-interest dividends, or upon the sale or other disposition of Shares of a Fund.

The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”) makes a non-U.S. person subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a U.S. real property interest as if such person were a U.S. person. Such gain is sometimes referred to as “FIRPTA gain”. The Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of “FIRPTA gain” by a RIC if all of the following requirements are met: (i) the RIC is classified as a “qualified investment entity” (which includes a RIC if, in general, more than 50% of the RIC’s assets consists of interests in REITs and U.S. real property holding corporations); and (ii) you are a non-U.S. shareholder that owns more than 5% of a Fund’s shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the distribution. If these conditions are met, Fund distributions to you to the extent derived from gain from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest (“USRPI”), may also be treated as USRPI gain and therefore subject to U.S. federal income tax, and requiring that you file a nonresident U.S. income tax return. Also, such gain may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a non-U.S. shareholder that is a corporation. Even if a non-U.S. Shareholder does not own more than 5% of a Fund’s shares, Fund distributions that are attributable to gain from the sale or disposition of a USRPI will be taxable as ordinary dividends subject to withholding at a 30% or lower treaty rate.

These rules apply to dividends paid by a Fund before January 1, 2014 (unless such sunset date is extended or made permanent). After such sunset date, Fund distributions from a U.S. REIT attributable to FIRPTA gain will continue to be subject to the withholding rules described above provided the fund would otherwise be classified as a “qualified investment entity”.

Further, if a Fund is a “U.S. real property holding corporation,” any gain realized on the sale or exchange of Fund shares by a foreign shareholder that owns more than 5% of a class of Fund shares would generally be taxed in the same manner as for a U.S. shareholder. A Fund will be a “U.S. real property holding corporation” if, in general, 50% or more of the fair market value of its assets consists of U.S. real property interests, including stock of certain U.S. REITs.

For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2014 (unless further extended by Congress), properly designated dividends received by a nonresident alien or foreign entity are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax when they (a) are paid in respect of a Fund’s “qualified net interest income” (generally, a Fund’s U.S. source interest income, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income), or (b) are paid in connection with a Fund’s “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of a Fund’s net short-term capital gain over the Fund’s long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on the circumstances, a Fund may designate all, some or none of the Fund’s potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains, and a portion of the Fund’s distributions ( e.g . interest from non U.S. sources or any foreign currency gains) would be ineligible for this potential exemption from withholding. There can be no assurance as to whether or not legislation will be enacted to extend this exemption.

Shares of a Fund held by a non-U.S. Shareholder at death will be considered situated within the United States and generally will be subject to the U.S. estate tax.

Effective July 1, 2014, the Funds will be required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of taxable dividends and (effective January 1, 2017) redemption proceeds made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive new reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the Funds to enable the Funds to determine whether withholding is required.

 

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The foregoing discussion is a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations only and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Purchasers of Shares should consult their own tax advisers as to the tax consequences of investing in such Shares, including under state, local and non-U.S tax laws. Finally, the foregoing discussion is based on applicable provisions of the Code, regulations, judicial authority and administrative interpretations in effect on the date of this SAI. Changes in applicable authority could materially affect the conclusions discussed above, and such changes often occur.

With respect to Brazil, a 6% Imposto sobre Operacões Financeiras (IOF) tax, with the rate subject to change, applies to certain foreign exchange inflows into Brazil with respect to fixed income trades, and 2% IOF tax, with rates subject to change, applies to certain foreign exchange inflows into Brazil with respect to equity trades. Also, a 1.5% IOF tax applies to the creation of new American or Global Depositary Receipt issuances with respect to Brazilian equities and a 0.38% IOF tax applies to the cancellation of American or Global Depositary Receipts if the underlying equities are then issued in the Brazil (local) markets. If incurred by the Fund, an IOF tax would not be creditable against U.S. income tax liability.

Standby Commitments. The db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund may purchase municipal securities together with the right to resell the securities to the seller at an agreed upon price or yield within a specified period prior to the maturity date of the securities. Such a right to resell is commonly known as a “put” and is also referred to as a “standby commitment.” The Fund may pay for a standby commitment either in cash or in the form of a higher price for the securities which are acquired subject to the standby commitment, thus increasing the cost of securities and reducing the yield otherwise available. Additionally, the Fund may purchase beneficial interests in municipal securities held by trusts, custodial arrangements or partnerships and/or combined with third-party puts or other types of features such as interest rate swaps; those investments may require the Fund to pay “tender fees” or other fees for the various features provided. The IRS has issued a revenue ruling to the effect that, under specified circumstances, a regulated investment company will be the owner of tax-exempt municipal obligations acquired subject to a put option. The IRS has also issued private letter rulings to certain taxpayers (which do not serve as precedent for other taxpayers) to the effect that tax-exempt interest received by a regulated investment company with respect to such obligations will be tax-exempt in the hands of the company and may be distributed to its shareholders as exempt-interest dividends. The IRS has subsequently announced that it will not ordinarily issue advance ruling letters as to the identity of the true owner of property in cases involving the sale of securities or participation interests therein if the purchaser has the right to cause the security, or the participation interest therein, to be purchased by either the seller or a third-party. The Fund, where relevant, intends to take the position that it is the owner of any municipal obligations acquired subject to a standby commitment or other third-party put and that tax-exempt interest earned with respect to such municipal obligations will be tax-exempt in its hands. There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with such position in any particular case. If the Fund is not viewed as the owner of such municipal obligations, it will not be permitted to treat the exempt interest paid on such obligations as belonging to it. This may affect the Fund’s eligibility to pay exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders. Additionally, the federal income tax treatment of certain other aspects of these investments, including the treatment of tender fees paid by the Fund, in relation to various regulated investment company tax provisions is unclear. However, the Advisor intends to manage the Fund’s portfolio in a manner designed to minimize any adverse impact from the tax rules applicable to these investments.

As described herein, in certain circumstances the Fund may be required to recognize taxable income or gain even though no corresponding amounts of cash are received concurrently. The Fund may therefore be required to obtain cash to satisfy its distribution requirements by selling securities at times when it might not otherwise be desirable to do so or by borrowing the necessary cash, thereby incurring interest expense. In certain situations, the Fund will, for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its capital losses and currency losses realized after October 31 until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October 31 may affect the federal income tax character of shareholder distributions.

Exempt-interest dividends. Any dividends paid by the db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund that are reported by the Fund as exempt-interest dividends will not be subject to regular federal income tax. The Fund will be qualified to pay exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders if, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of the total value of the Fund’s assets consists of obligations of a state or political subdivision thereof the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax under Code section 103(a). Distributions that the Fund reports as exempt-interest dividends are treated as interest excludable from shareholders’ gross income for federal income tax purposes but may result in liability for federal AMT purposes and for state and local tax purposes, both for individual and corporate shareholders. For example, if the Fund invests in “private activity bonds,” certain shareholders may be subject to AMT on the part of the Fund’s distributions derived from interest on such bonds.

Interest on indebtedness incurred directly or indirectly to purchase or carry shares of the Fund will not be deductible to the extent it is deemed related to exempt-interest dividends paid by the Fund. The portion of interest that is not deductible is equal to the total interest paid or accrued on the indebtedness, multiplied by the percentage of the Fund’s total distributions (not including Capital Gain Dividends) paid to the shareholder that are exempt-interest dividends. Under rules used by the IRS to determine when borrowed funds are considered incurred for the purpose of purchasing or carrying particular assets, the purchase of shares may be considered to have been made with borrowed funds even though such funds are not directly traceable to the purchase of shares. In addition, the Code

 

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may require a shareholder that receives exempt-interest dividends to treat as taxable income a portion of certain otherwise non-taxable social security and railroad retirement benefit payments. A portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status in the hands of a shareholder who is a “substantial user” of a facility financed by such bonds, or a “related person” thereof. Moreover, some or all of the exempt-interest dividends distributed by the Fund may be a specific preference item, or a component of an adjustment item, for purposes of the federal individual and corporate AMT. The receipt of dividends and distributions from the Fund may affect a foreign corporate shareholder’s federal “branch profits” tax liability and the federal “excess net passive income” tax liability of a shareholder that is a Subchapter S corporation. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors as to whether they are (i) “substantial users” with respect to a facility or “related” to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to a federal AMT, the federal “branch profits” tax or the federal “excess net passive income” tax. Additionally, any loss realized upon the sale or exchange of Fund shares with a tax holding period of six months or less will be disallowed to the extent of any distributions treated as exempt-interest dividends with respect to such shares.

Shareholders that are required to file tax returns are required to report tax-exempt interest income, including exempt-interest dividends, on their federal income tax returns. The Fund will inform shareholders of the federal income tax status of its distributions after the end of each calendar year, including the amounts, if any, that qualify as exempt-interest dividends and any portions of such amounts that constitute tax preference items under the federal AMT. Shareholders who have not held shares of the Fund for a full taxable year may have designated as tax-exempt or as a tax preference item a percentage of their distributions which is different from the percentage of the Fund’s income that was tax-exempt or comprising tax preference items during the period of their investment in the Fund. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors for more information.

Miscellaneous Information

Counsel. Dechert LLP, located at 1095 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, is counsel to the Trust.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Ernst & Young LLP, located at 5 Times Square, New York, New York 10036, serves as the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, audits the Funds’ financial statements, and may perform other services.

Financial Statements

The Annual Report to shareholders as of May 31, 2013 is a separate document supplied with this SAI. The audited financial statements included in the Annual Report, including the financial highlights, accompanying notes and report appearing therein of Ernst & Young LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm are incorporated by reference into this SAI. You may request a copy of the Trust’s Annual Report at no charge by calling 1-855-329-3837 (1-855-DBX-ETFS) during normal business hours.

 

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APPENDIX A - 1

SUMMARY OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR TDAM

Although the Trust generally does not invest in voting securities, the Board of Trustees of the Trust has delegated proxy voting responsibility to the Sub-Adviser and approved the Sub-Adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures (the “Proxy Voting Policy”). The Sub-Adviser may delegate responsibility for performing certain proxy voting activities to service providers (as discussed below). In all such cases, however, the Sub-Adviser shall retain the final authority over all proxy voting and the fiduciary duties with respect to such voting and the right to make all final decisions.

The objective of the Proxy Voting Policy is to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of each Fund. Pursuant to the Proxy Voting Policy, voting decisions are made based on the particular facts and circumstances of each matter. The guidelines discussed below are not intended to be inflexible or all-encompassing and may not be applied if their application would not be in the best interests of a Fund. The Sub-Adviser will abstain from voting shares of issuers affiliated with the Sub-Adviser and may abstain from voting from time to time where it determines that to do so is in the best interests of a Fund ( i.e. where adequate notice is not provided or where the estimated costs associated with voting on a particular matter outweighs the expected benefits).

The Proxy Voting Policy provides the following list of general principles (“General Principles”) relating to corporate governance to be generally considered when determining how to vote on a particular matter: (a) corporate management must be accountable to the board of directors. The board of directors is responsible for supervising management. The board of directors reports to shareholders. The board of directors should reinforce these concepts in making its appointments and by appropriately defining the separate roles of board members and management; (b) ownership rights should not be subordinated. Minority shareholders should not be treated differently from controlling shareholders. All shareholders should be treated equally and all shares should have equal voting rights based upon the principle of “one share, one vote”; (c) all shareholders have a right to receive proper notice of corporate actions and to vote on issues that have a material impact upon their investments; and (d) the proxy vote is an important asset of a shareholder. Ownership and voting rights should be used to support ethical conduct but not any particular external, social or political agenda at the expense of long-term returns. Fiduciaries are obliged to exercise their ownership rights in order to optimize the long-term value of their investments.

In general, the Sub-Adviser supports management on the following issues that are generally treated as routine matters: approval of the corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm; standard compensation plans; standard changes in capital or corporate structure; and other standard matters which do not raise issues of principle with respect to corporate governance.

The table on the following pages shows the list of issues, contained in the Proxy Voting Policy, which are grouped into six major categories and are to be used as general guidelines for analysis in reaching an appropriate decision on how to vote in respect of a particular matter. Issues not specifically covered are resolved by the application of the General Principles to the guidelines and/or upon the advice of the proxy voting committee (as defined below) and such appropriately qualified, Proxy Consultants the Sub-Adviser may engage. The Sub-Adviser has retained Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) to vote proxies in accordance with this Proxy Voting Policy.

1. GOVERNANCE

 

Board of Directors, Majority Independent    If the majority of nominees are not independent (e.g., do not have a direct relationship, other than a non-majority shareholders’ relationship, with the Corporation), the Sub-Adviser generally opposes the entire slate of nominees or, if possible, selectively opposes directors who are not independent.
Green Mail    Oppose entire slate of nominees, or specific nominees, if possible, who previously authorized Green Mail.
Excessive Compensation (“Golden Parachutes”)    Typically, the Sub-Adviser recommends opposing Boards or specific nominees, if possible, who previously authorized Golden Parachutes or other excessive compensation/severance.
Management Entrenchment    Boards or specific nominees, where applicable, should be opposed if they are found to have adopted an excessive number of defensive measures designed to entrench management.
Appointment of Interim Directors    Resolutions which would allow directors to appoint interim directors between annual meetings in order to replace those who resign or are otherwise removed between such meetings should typically be supported. Resolutions which would permit the appointment of interim directors for any other purpose should generally be opposed.

 

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Attendance of Directors    If possible to withhold or oppose individual nominees, nominees who have attended less than 75% of Board meetings or less than 75% of applicable Board Committee meetings for two consecutive years should generally be opposed.
Resolution Implementation    The Sub-Adviser prefers opposing the slate of nominees or specific nominees, where possible, if they failed to implement the resolution of a shareholder, which received a favorable vote from the majority of shareholders.
Separation of Chairman and CEO    Separating the positions of Chairman and CEO is preferred except where the Board has a strong Corporate Governance Committee, comprised solely of independent directors or where the Board has an independent lead director (a non-management, independent board member who leads the independent board members and acts as a chair of board meetings where management is not present). Note: If selective opposition is available, oppose the nominee who is both Chairman and CEO. If selective opposition is not available, do not oppose the entire Board.
Size of Board    A Board with a maximum of 16 members is preferred, but priority is given to a competent Board comprised of a majority of independent directors.
Auditors    The Sub-Adviser prefers an audit committee comprised solely of independent directors. Auditors are generally expected to be reputable with routine rotation.
Classified Board    The annual election of directors is generally supported. Staggered/classified boards are typically opposed. If a staggered/classified board has been approved by shareholders, generally support those directors in conformity with the other guidelines.
Cumulative Voting    Cumulative voting, which allows all votes to be cast for a single candidate or for any two or more of them, should generally, be opposed.
Liability and Indemnification    Generally, support proposals to limit directors’ liability and provide indemnification.
Continuance/Exporting Jurisdictions    Resolutions approving the continuance or export of a corporation into another jurisdiction are generally supported when management can demonstrate sound financial or business reasons for the move and opposed when they appear to be part of an anti-takeover defense or solely to limit directors’ liability. Consideration should be given to the effect on shareholders’ rights resulting from the change in jurisdiction.
Supermajority    The Sub-Adviser will generally oppose resolutions where management seeks to increase the number of votes required on an issue above the level provided for in local law.
Linked Proposals    Proposals which seek to link two elements ( e.g ., fair price and super majority or governance issue and dividend/right) should generally be opposed except where the two issues being linked are both beneficial to shareholders.

 

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2. REORGANIZATIONS, MERGERS AND ANTI-TAKEOVER DEFENSES

 

Mergers    A merger is generally defined as the combining of two or more entities into one through a purchase, acquisition, amalgamation or a pooling of interests. In each case, consideration will be exchanged in the transaction. In some cases, a shareholder will be offered a choice of the type of consideration he/she wishes to receive (i.e., stock, cash or a combination of the two). Where shareholders are offered a choice of consideration, it would be rare for the voting decision to make reference to the type of consideration desired. Generally speaking, the voting decision involves voting for or against the merger. In general, the Sub-Adviser will vote in the following manner: (a) for mergers where there is only one type of consideration offered, the Sub-Adviser will support the merger if the Company’s board of directors supports the merger and if it appears the board is acting in the best interest of shareholders; (b) for mergers where the shareholder is offered a choice of consideration, the Sub-Adviser will support the merger and, if required, elect the consideration that maximizes value, after consultation with the appropriate business unit.
Fair Price Proposals    Generally support proposals which require a bidder to pay every shareholder a fair price for their shares providing: (a) they apply only to two-tier offers; (b) fair price is highest price paid at the time of voting decision; (c) the fair price is not linked to any anti-takeover provisions, provisions restricting shareholder’s rights, or any supermajority amendments; (d) fair price provisions are not applicable if tender offer has been approved by target’s board; and (e) fair price test is two-thirds of outstanding shares voted in favor of “fair price.”
Crown Jewels    Crown Jewel Defenses (when a company sells its most valuable assets to a friendly third-party in order to frustrate a take-over attempt) are generally opposed. All takeover offers must nonetheless be analyzed on a case-by-case basis in order to assess the best interests of the shareholders.
Leveraged Buyouts    Generally support leveraged buyouts by management when it appears management has pursued the best interests of shareholders to seek maximum value. Relevant factors in determining whether management has pursued the best interests of shareholders include: (a) whether other bidders were allowed to make competing bids; (b) whether management used a “lock-up” device to prevent fairness in the bidding process; (c) whether management with control will match or exceed competing offers; and (d) whether a fairness opinion was issued and under what conditions.
Lock-ups    Lock-up agreements ( e.g ., in the context of a take-over bid, an arrangement which prevents competing bids for the offeree corporation’s shares) or similar arrangements must be closely scrutinized and should generally be opposed.
Green Mail    Payments from corporate funds of a premium price to selected shareholders without all shareholders being allowed to participate should be opposed. Proposals to prevent such payments of Green Mail should be supported.
Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)    Proposals to adopt Poison Pills must be closely scrutinized to ensure they are not intended to entrench management or unduly hinder a takeover offer. Where a Poison Pill appears to entrench management or hinder further offers, the Sub-Adviser will generally oppose a resolution adopting it. Poison Pills implemented through a plan that meets the following set of allowable criteria will usually be supported by the Investment Manager: (a) the acquiring person must acquire at least 20% of the outstanding shares before a Poison Pill can be triggered; the acquiring person should exclude employee benefit plans, institutional money managers and should exclude or grandfather existing ownership positions; (b) the bid should remain open for a minimum of 45 days and a maximum of 90 days; (c) the plan should contain a sunset clause; reconfirmation by shareholders must occur after no more than five years, preferably three; (d) a board of directors should be required to consider all bids that meet the requirements of permitted bids. The Board should not have the ability to disregard a bid; (e) the plan should not exclude partial bids as long as the partial bid means that the acquirer will own at least 50% of the outstanding voting shares; and (f) the plan should generally contain an exemption for lock-up agreements.

 

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3. STOCK AND COMPENSATION PLANS

 

Option Dilution    The Sub-Adviser believes that the dilution caused by the excessive issuance of stock options is not in the best interests of Clients. Generally stock option plans should be opposed if dilution exceeds greater of 10% or 2% per annum over life of options. Exceptions may occur in highly competitive labor markets. Note that potential dilution is assessed with reference to all of a company’s existing and proposed stock option plans.
Option under Market    The Sub-Adviser generally opposes the grant of options or the implementation of stock option plans where the exercise price is less than 100% of the fair market value at the date of grant. The Sub-Adviser may support grants or plans with pre-determined formulas for determining exercise prices based on a weighted average trading price or an average of daily high and low trading prices for a short period of time prior to the time of the grant, provided there are no discounts.
Omnibus Plan    The Sub-Adviser prefers option plans that include a shareholder-approved, results driven formula. The Sub-Adviser will generally oppose omnibus plans that include 3 or more types of awards in one plan where the grant or exercise of awards is not linked to performance.
Director Compensation    Generally, resolutions approving bonuses/options should be opposed where there is a change of control.
Option Price Change    The Sub-Adviser generally opposes share option plans which allow directors or management to lower the exercise price of existing options or resolutions which seek to reduce the exercise price of outstanding options. Proposals to cancel and reissue options which appear to be an attempt to otherwise lower the exercise price of options should also generally be opposed.
Extension of Option Exercise Periods    The Sub-Adviser opposes proposals to extend the exercise period for existing options.
Employee Loans    Generally vote against proposals permitting a corporation to make loans to employees to buy stock/options with a note or loan from that corporation, unless lending is considered a regular part of the granting corporation’s business.
Pay for Performance    Incentive compensation plans, including restricted stock grants or options which are not related to corporate and/or individual performance, should generally be opposed.
Employee Stock Purchase Plans    The Sub-Adviser believes that employee stock purchase plans are desirable because they can lead to greater alignment of interests and commitment from employees. The Sub-Adviser will typically approve employee stock purchase plans where: (a) shares available under the plan are purchased on the open market; (b) the voting power of shares available under the plan does not exceed 10% of the aggregate outstanding voting power of shares. Employee stock purchase plans with any of the following characteristics should generally be opposed: (a) a corporate loan is required to enable the purchase of shares, unless lending is considered a regular part of the granting corporation’s business; (b) shares available under the plan are being issued from treasury and may be purchased by employees for less than fair market value; or (c) the voting power of shares available under the plan dilutes aggregate voting power by greater than 10%.
Compensation for Outside Directors    In most cases the Sub-Adviser supports approving automatic granting of (unrestricted) stock as part of outside directors’ compensation in lieu of cash. The granting of options as part of outside directors’ compensation should be closely scrutinized. Generally oppose a grant of options to outside directors if there is no shareholder-approved formula or a capping of the options, or options granted on a change of control of the corporation or if issued from treasury.
Golden Parachutes    Proposals involving excessive compensation, including excessive golden parachutes for officers, employees or directors, which are contingent upon the merger/acquisition of the corporation with a resulting change in control, should generally be opposed. Support should be given to shareholder proposals seeking shareholder ratification of golden parachutes.
Option / Compensation Plans    The Sub-Adviser normally opposes option/compensation plans when full plan text is not included in the circular.

 

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Amendments to Plans    Proposed amendments to existing stock option, share purchase or other compensation plans require only a review of the particular amendments, not the entire plan. The restatement or renewal of such a plan is akin to the adoption of a new plan; therefore, all aspects of the plan must be reviewed.

4. CAPITALIZATION

 

Dual Class    The creation of any new class of shares with voting rights unequal to other series in the class of shares or unequal to those of another class of shares creates concerns regarding management entrenchment and violates the principle of “one share, one vote.” The Sub-Adviser will normally oppose the creation or issuance of dual class voting stock.
Share Authorization    The Sub-Adviser supports proposals for the authorization of additional common shares, provided the amount requested is necessary for sound business reasons. Proposals which seek a 100% or more increase in authorized shares when management does not demonstrate a specific need should be closely scrutinized and opposed if not in the best interest of the Fund. In carefully scrutinizing such proposals, consideration should be given to factors, such as the size of the company, the nature of its industry, the number of authorized shares remaining available for issuance, and any anti-takeover effects.
Blank Cheque Preferreds    The Sub-Adviser generally opposes the authorization or increase of blank cheque preferred shares.
Private Placements    Ordinarily support resolutions authorizing the corporation to issue over 25% of the issued and outstanding shares by way of private placements if the following criteria are met: (a) the subscription price for any securities issued must be set at market price; and (b) management has provided sound business reasons.
Tracking Stocks    Proposals to create tracking stock will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Consideration shall be given to the following factors in addition to any other relevant factors: (a) corporate governance changes — whether management bundling the proposal with other changes that are negative; (b) method of distribution — whether it is by stock dividend or IPO; (c) dilution of voting rights; (d) whether management has provided sound business reasons; and (e) whether management has evaluated other alternatives, such as a spin-off.

5. SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

 

Shareholder Proposals Generally    As a general policy, where a proposal seeks to alter or constrict the responsibility of directors to supervise management, or to mandate considerations which the directors or management must take into account in making business decisions, the Sub-Adviser will oppose the proposal unless management is in favor of it.
Shareholder Proposal Regarding Voting Procedures    The merits of proposals to change voting procedures ( i.e . confidentiality) must be considered on a case by case basis.

Shareholder Proposals

Regarding the Expensing of Stock Options

   Shareholder proposals recommending a policy of expensing the cost of all future stock option grants on the company’s income statement are generally supported by the Sub-Adviser, unless management discloses the cost of option grants in notes to the financial statements and provides sound reasons for not expensing stock options.
Shareholder Proposals Regarding Environmental, Social or Ethical Issues    The Sub-Adviser is of the view that directors and management of a company are in a good position to consider whether the environmental, social or ethical issues raised in a proposal present material risks, liabilities and/or opportunities in the context of the company’s business. If after considering all relevant factors, TDAM concludes that adopting a proposal will produce a net financial benefit for its clients, the Sub-Adviser will support the proposal.

 

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6. OTHER ISSUES

 

Conflicts of Interest    Abstain from voting of shares of The Toronto-Dominion Bank, or related issuers (see above).
Other Business    The issue of voting on proposals relating to other business involves a balancing of two competing concerns. First, is the right of all shareholders to receive notice and disclosure of all matters brought before the meeting, and second, is the ability of companies to conduct efficient meetings and to deal with non-substantive issues that may arise. Since it is impossible to evaluate issues that may arise at the shareholders meeting, the Sub-Adviser recommends abstaining, where possible, on proposals relating to other business.
   To ensure that the Sub-Adviser resolves all material conflicts of interest between the Fund and the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates and/or individuals making proxy voting decisions, the Proxy Voting Policy requires that all voting decisions are made by individuals who are insulated from the business conducted by the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates, properly trained to identify conflicts of interests and properly instructed on appropriate action in the event a conflict of interest is identified. The Sub-Adviser has employed the services of ISS to provide voting recommendations and to vote routine proxies generally in accordance with the Proxy Voting Policy. A proxy voting committee composed of employees of or persons providing services to, the Sub-Adviser (the “Committee”) will oversee the actions of ISS and the proxy voting process generally. In the event ISS identifies a conflict of interest or is unable to furnish a reasonable recommendation based on the Proxy Voting Policy (an “Exception”), the chairman of the Committee will review the matter using such information as he deems appropriate. In certain circumstances, including an Exception, the chairman of the Committee shall refer matters to the Committee for consideration. The Committee will review the matter and determine what action is appropriate under the circumstances and in furtherance of the foregoing may consult another outside service provider for advice.

 

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APPENDIX A - 2

SUMMARY OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR RREEF AND DIMA

I. INTRODUCTION

Deutsche Asset Management (“AM”) has adopted and implemented the following policies and procedures, which it believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best economic interest of clients, in accordance with its fiduciary duties and local regulation. These Proxy Voting Policies, Procedures and Guidelines shall apply to all accounts managed by U.S. domiciled advisers and to all U.S. client accounts managed by non-U.S. regional offices. Non-U.S. regional offices are required to maintain procedures and to vote proxies as may be required by law on behalf of their non-U.S. clients. In addition, AM’s proxy policies reflect the fiduciary standards and responsibilities for ERISA accounts.

The attached guidelines represent a set of global recommendations that were determined by the Global Proxy Voting Sub-Committee (“the GPVSC”). These guidelines were developed to provide AM with a comprehensive list of recommendations that represent how AM will generally vote proxies for its clients. The recommendations derived from the application of these guidelines are not intended to influence the various AM legal entities either directly or indirectly by parent or affiliated companies. In addition, the organizational structures and documents of the various AM legal entities allows, where necessary or appropriate, the execution by individual AM subsidiaries of the proxy voting rights independently of any DB parent or affiliated company. This applies in particular to non-U.S. fund management companies. The individuals that make proxy voting decisions are also free to act independently, subject to the normal and customary supervision by the management/boards of these AM legal entities.

II. AM’S PROXY VOTING RESPONSIBILITIES

Proxy votes are the property of AM’s advisory clients. 1 As such, AM’s authority and responsibility to vote such proxies depend upon its contractual relationships with its clients. AM has delegated responsibility for effecting its advisory clients’ proxy votes to Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”), an independent third-party proxy voting specialist. ISS votes AM’s advisory clients’ proxies in accordance with AM’s proxy guidelines or AM’s specific instructions. Where a client has given specific instructions as to how a proxy should be voted, AM will notify ISS to carry out those instructions. Where no specific instruction exists, AM will follow the procedures in voting the proxies set forth in this document. Certain Taft-Hartley clients may direct AM to have ISS vote their proxies in accordance with Taft Hartley voting Guidelines.

Clients may in certain instances contract with their custodial agent and notify AM that they wish to engage in securities lending transactions. In such cases, it is the responsibility of the custodian to deduct the number of shares that are on loan so that they do not get voted twice.

III. POLICIES

1. Proxy voting activities are conducted in the best economic interest of clients

AM has adopted the following policies and procedures to ensure that proxies are voted in accordance with the best economic interest of its clients, as determined by AM in good faith after appropriate review.

2. The Global Proxy Voting Sub-Committee

The Global Proxy Voting Sub-Committee (the “GPVSC”) is an internal working group established by the applicable AM’s Investment Risk Oversight Committee pursuant to a written charter. The GPVSC is responsible for overseeing AM’s proxy voting activities, including:

(i) adopting, monitoring and updating guidelines, attached as Exhibit A (the “Guidelines”), that provide how AM will generally vote proxies pertaining to a comprehensive list of common proxy voting matters;

 

1   For purposes of these Policies and Procedures, “clients” refers to persons or entities: for which AM serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser; for which AM votes proxies; and that have an economic or beneficial ownership interest in the portfolio securities of issuers soliciting such proxies.

(ii) voting proxies where (A) the issues are not covered by specific client instruction or the Guidelines; (B) the Guidelines specify that the issues are to be determined on a case-by-case basis; or (C) where an exception to the Guidelines may be in the best economic interest of AM’s clients; and

(iii) monitoring the Proxy Vendor Oversight’s proxy voting activities (see below).

AM’s Proxy Vendor Oversight, a function of AM’s Operations Group, is responsible for coordinating with ISS to administer AM’s proxy voting process and for voting proxies in accordance with any specific client instructions or, if there are none, the Guidelines, and overseeing ISS’ proxy responsibilities in this regard.

 

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3. Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures and proxy voting record

Copies of these Policies and Procedures, as they may be updated from time to time, are made available to clients as required by law and otherwise at AM’s discretion. Clients may also obtain information on how their proxies were voted by AM as required by law and otherwise at AM’s discretion; however, AM must not selectively disclose its investment company clients’ proxy voting records. The Proxy Vendor Oversight will make proxy voting reports available to advisory clients upon request. The investment companies’ proxy voting records will be disclosed to shareholders by means of publicly-available annual filings of each company’s proxy voting record for 12-month periods ended June 30 (see “Recordkeeping” below), if so required by relevant law.

IV. PROCEDURES

The key aspects of AM’s proxy voting process are as follows:

1. The GPVSC’s Proxy Voting Guidelines

The Guidelines set forth the GPVSC’s standard voting positions on a comprehensive list of common proxy voting matters. The GPVSC has developed, and continues to update the Guidelines based on consideration of current corporate governance principles, industry standards, client feedback, and the impact of the matter on issuers and the value of the investments.

The GPVSC will review the Guidelines as necessary to support the best economic interests of AM’s clients and, in any event, at least annually. The GPVSC will make changes to the Guidelines, whether as a result of the annual review or otherwise, taking solely into account the best economic interests of clients. Before changing the Guidelines, the GPVSC will thoroughly review and evaluate the proposed change and the reasons therefore, and the GPVSC Chair will ask GPVSC members whether anyone outside of the AM organization (but within Deutsche Bank and its affiliates) or any entity that identifies itself as a AM advisory client has requested or attempted to influence the proposed change and whether any member has a conflict of interest with respect to the proposed change. If any such matter is reported to the GPVSC Chair, the Chair will promptly notify the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee (see below) and will defer the approval, if possible. Lastly, the GPVSC will fully document its rationale for approving any change to the Guidelines.

The Guidelines may reflect a voting position that differs from the actual practices of the public company(ies) within the Deutsche Bank organization or of the investment companies for which AM or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or sponsor. Investment companies, particularly closed-end investment companies, are different from traditional operating companies. These differences may call for differences in voting positions on the same matter. Further, the manner in which AM votes investment company proxies may differ from proposals for which an AM-advised or sponsored investment company solicits proxies from its shareholders. As reflected in the Guidelines, proxies solicited by closed-end (and open-end) investment companies are generally voted in accordance with the pre-determined guidelines of ISS. See Section IV.3.B.

Funds (“Underlying Funds”) in which Topiary Fund Management Fund of Funds (each, a “Fund”) invest, may from time to time seek to revise their investment terms ( i.e . liquidity, fees, etc.) or investment structure. In such event, the Underlying Funds may require approval/consent from its investors to effect the relevant changes. Topiary Fund Management has adopted Proxy Voting Procedures which outline the process for these approvals.

2. Specific proxy voting decisions made by the GPVSC

The Proxy Vendor Oversight will refer to the GPVSC all proxy proposals (i) that are not covered by specific client instructions or the Guidelines; or (ii) that, according to the Guidelines, should be evaluated and voted on a case-by-case basis.

Additionally, if, the Proxy Vendor Oversight, the GPVSC Chair or any member of the GPVSC, a portfolio manager, a research analyst or a sub-adviser believes that voting a particular proxy in accordance with the Guidelines may not be in the best economic interests of clients, that individual may bring the matter to the attention of the GPVSC Chair and/or the Proxy Vendor Oversight. 2

If the Proxy Vendor Oversight refers a proxy proposal to the GPVSC or the GPVSC determines that voting a particular proxy in accordance with the Guidelines is not in the best economic interests of clients, the GPVSC will evaluate and vote the proxy, subject to the procedures below regarding conflicts.

The GPVSC endeavors to hold meetings to decide how to vote particular proxies sufficiently before the voting deadline so that the procedures below regarding conflicts can be completed before the GPVSC’s voting determination.

 

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3. Certain proxy votes may not be cast

In some cases, the GPVSC may determine that it is in the best economic interests of its clients not to vote certain proxies. If the conditions below are met with regard to a proxy proposal, AM will abstain from voting:

 

    Neither the Guidelines nor specific client instructions cover an issue;

 

    ISS does not make a recommendation on the issue;

 

    The GPVSC cannot convene on the proxy proposal at issue to make a determination as to what would be in the client’s best interest. (This could happen, for example, if the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-committee found that there was a material conflict or if despite all best efforts being made, the GPVSC quorum requirement could not be met).

In addition, it is AM’s policy not to vote proxies of issuers subject to laws of those jurisdictions that impose restrictions upon selling shares after proxies are voted, in order to preserve liquidity. In other cases, it may not be possible to vote certain proxies, despite good faith efforts to do so. For example, some jurisdictions do not provide adequate notice to shareholders so that proxies may be voted on a timely basis. Voting rights on securities that have been loaned to third-parties transfer to those third-parties, with loan termination often being the only way to attempt to vote proxies on the loaned securities. Lastly, the GPVSC may determine that the costs to the client(s) associated with voting a particular proxy or group of proxies outweighs the economic benefits expected from voting the proxy or group of proxies.

The Proxy Vendor Oversight will coordinate with the GPVSC Chair regarding any specific proxies and any categories of proxies that will not or cannot be voted. The reasons for not voting any proxy shall be documented.

4. Conflict of Interest Procedures

A. Procedures to Address Conflicts of Interest and Improper Influence

Overriding Principle . In the limited circumstances where the GPVSC votes proxies, 3 the GPVSC will vote those proxies in accordance with what it, in good faith, determines to be the best economic interests of AM’s clients. 4

 

2   The Proxy Vendor Oversight generally monitors upcoming proxy solicitations for heightened attention from the press or the industry and for novel or unusual proposals or circumstances, which may prompt the Proxy Vendor Oversight to bring the solicitation to the attention of the GPVSC Chair. AM portfolio managers, AM research analysts and sub-advisers also may bring a particular proxy vote to the attention of the GPVSC Chair, as a result of their ongoing monitoring of portfolio securities held by advisory clients and/or their review of the periodic proxy voting record reports that the GPVSC Chair distributes to AM portfolio managers and AM research analysts.
3   As mentioned above, the GPVSC votes proxies (i) where neither a specific client instruction nor a Guideline directs how the proxy should be voted; (ii) where the Guidelines specify that an issue is to be determined on a case by case basis; or (iii) where voting in accordance with the Guidelines may not be in the best economic interests of clients.

Independence of the GPVSC . As a matter of Compliance policy, the GPVSC and the Proxy Vendor Oversight are structured to be independent from other parts of Deutsche Bank. Members of the GPVSC and the employee responsible for Proxy Vendor Oversight are employees of AM. As such, they may not be subject to the supervision or control of any employees of Deutsche Bank Corporate and Investment Banking division (“CIB”). Their compensation cannot be based upon their contribution to any business activity outside of AM without prior approval of Legal and Compliance. They can have no contact with employees of Deutsche Bank outside of the Private Client and Asset Management division (“PCAM”) regarding specific clients, business matters or initiatives without the prior approval of Legal and Compliance. They furthermore may not discuss proxy votes with any person outside of AM (and within AM only on a need to know basis).

Conflict Review Procedures . There will be a committee (the “Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee”) established within AM that will monitor for potential material conflicts of interest in connection with proxy proposals that are to be evaluated by the GPVSC. Promptly upon a determination that a vote shall be presented to the GPVSC, the GPVSC Chair shall notify the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee. The Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee shall promptly collect and review any information deemed reasonably appropriate to evaluate, in its reasonable judgment, if AM or any person participating in the proxy voting process has, or has the appearance of, a material conflict of interest. For the purposes of this policy, a conflict of interest shall be considered “material” to the extent that a reasonable person could expect the conflict to influence, or appear to influence, the GPVSC’s decision on the particular vote at issue. GPVSC should provide the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee a reasonable amount of time (no less than 24 hours) to perform all necessary and appropriate reviews. To the extent that a conflicts review cannot be sufficiently completed by the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee the proxies will be voted in accordance with the standard guidelines.

 

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The information considered by the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee may include without limitation information regarding (i) AM client relationships; (ii) any relevant personal conflict known by the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee or brought to the attention of that sub-committee; (iii) and any communications with members of the GPVSC (or anyone participating or providing information to the GPVSC) and any person outside of the AM organization (but within Deutsche Bank and its affiliates) or any entity that identifies itself as a AM advisory client regarding the vote at issue. In the context of any determination, the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee may consult with, and shall be entitled to rely upon, all applicable outside experts, including legal counsel.

Upon completion of the investigation, the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee will document its findings and conclusions. If the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee determines that (i) AM has a material conflict of interest that would prevent it from deciding how to vote the proxies concerned without further client consent; or (ii) certain individuals should be recused from participating in the proxy vote at issue, the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee will so inform the GPVSC chair.

If notified that AM has a material conflict of interest as described above, the GPVSC chair will obtain instructions as to how the proxies should be voted either from (i) if time permits, the effected clients; or (ii) in accordance with the standard guidelines. If notified that certain individuals should be recused from the proxy vote at issue, the GPVSC Chair shall do so in accordance with the procedures set forth below.

Note: Any AM employee who becomes aware of a potential, material conflict of interest in respect of any proxy vote to be made on behalf of clients shall notify Compliance. Compliance shall call a meeting of the conflict review committee to evaluate such conflict and determine a recommended course of action.

Conflict Review Procedures . There will be a committee (the “Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee”) established within AM that will monitor for potential material conflicts of interest in connection with proxy proposals that are to be evaluated by the GPVSC. Promptly upon a determination that a vote shall be presented to the GPVSC, the GPVSC Chair shall notify the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee. The Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee shall promptly collect and review any information deemed reasonably appropriate to evaluate, in its reasonable judgment, if AM or any person participating in the proxy voting process has, or has the appearance of, a material conflict of interest. For the purposes of this policy, a conflict of interest shall be considered “material” to the extent that a reasonable person could expect the conflict to influence, or appear to influence, the GPVSC’s decision on the particular vote at issue. GPVSC should provide the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee a reasonable amount of time (no less than 24 hours) to perform all necessary and appropriate reviews. To the extent that a conflicts review cannot be sufficiently completed by the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee the proxies will be voted in accordance with the standard guidelines.

 

4   The Proxy Vendor Oversight, who serves as the non-voting secretary of the GPVSC, may receive routine calls from proxy solicitors and other parties interested in a particular proxy vote. Any contact that attempts to exert improper pressure or influence shall be reported to the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee.

The information considered by the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee may include without limitation information regarding (i) AM client relationships; (ii) any relevant personal conflict known by the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee or brought to the attention of that sub-committee; (iii) and any communications with members of the GPVSC (or anyone participating or providing information to the GPVSC) and any person outside of the AM organization (but within Deutsche Bank and its affiliates) or any entity that identifies itself as a AM advisory client regarding the vote at issue. In the context of any determination, the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee may consult with, and shall be entitled to rely upon, all applicable outside experts, including legal counsel.

Upon completion of the investigation, the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee will document its findings and conclusions. If the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee determines that (i) AM has a material conflict of interest that would prevent it from deciding how to vote the proxies concerned without further client consent; or (ii) certain individuals should be recused from participating in the proxy vote at issue, the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee will so inform the GPVSC chair.

If notified that AM has a material conflict of interest as described above, the GPVSC chair will obtain instructions as to how the proxies should be voted either from (i) if time permits, the effected clients; or (ii) in accordance with the standard guidelines. If notified that certain individuals should be recused from the proxy vote at issue, the GPVSC Chair shall do so in accordance with the procedures set forth below.

 

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Note: Any AM employee who becomes aware of a potential, material conflict of interest in respect of any proxy vote to be made on behalf of clients shall notify Compliance. Compliance shall call a meeting of the conflict review committee to evaluate such conflict and determine a recommended course of action.

Procedures to be followed by the GPVSC. At the beginning of any discussion regarding how to vote any proxy, the GPVSC Chair (or his or her delegate) will inquire as to whether any GPVSC member (whether voting or ex officio) or any person participating in the proxy voting process has a personal conflict of interest or has actual knowledge of an actual or apparent conflict that has not been reported to the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee.

The GPVSC Chair also will inquire of these same parties whether they have actual knowledge regarding whether any director, officer or employee outside of the AM organization (but within Deutsche Bank and its affiliates) or any entity that identifies itself as a AM advisory client, has: (i) requested that AM, the Proxy Vendor Oversight (or any member thereof) or a GPVSC member vote a particular proxy in a certain manner; (ii) attempted to influence AM, the Proxy Vendor Oversight (or any member thereof), a GPVSC member or any other person in connection with proxy voting activities; or (iii) otherwise communicated with a GPVSC member or any other person participating or providing information to the GPVSC regarding the particular proxy vote at issue, and which incident has not yet been reported to the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee.

If any such incidents are reported to the GPVSC Chair, the Chair will promptly notify the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee and, if possible, will delay the vote until the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee can complete the conflicts report. If a delay is not possible, the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee will instruct the GPVSC whether anyone should be recused from the proxy voting process, or whether AM should vote the proxy in accordance with the standard guidelines, seek instructions as to how to vote the proxy at issue from ISS or, if time permits, the effected clients. These inquiries and discussions will be properly reflected in the GPVSC’s minutes.

Duty to Report . Any AM employee, including any GPVSC member (whether voting or ex officio), that is aware of any actual or apparent conflict of interest relevant to, or any attempt by any person outside of the AM organization (but within Deutsche Bank and its affiliates) or any entity that identifies itself as a AM advisory client to influence, how AM votes its proxies has a duty to disclose the existence of the situation to the GPVSC Chair (or his or her designee) and the details of the matter to the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee. In the case of any person participating in the deliberations on a specific vote, such disclosure should be made before engaging in any activities or participating in any discussion pertaining to that vote.

Recusal of Members . The GPVSC will recuse from participating in a specific proxy vote any GPVSC members (whether voting or ex officio) and/or any other person who (i) are personally involved in a material conflict of interest; or (ii) who, as determined by the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee, have actual knowledge of a circumstance or fact that could affect their independent judgment, in respect of such vote. The GPVSC will also exclude from consideration the views of any person (whether requested or volunteered) if the GPVSC or any member thereof knows, or if the Conflicts of Interest Management Sub-Committee has determined, that such other person has a material conflict of interest with respect to the particular proxy, or has attempted to influence the vote in any manner prohibited by these policies.

If, after excluding all relevant GPVSC voting members pursuant to the paragraph above, there are three or more GPVSC voting members remaining, those remaining GPVSC members will determine how to vote the proxy in accordance with these Policies and Procedures. If there are fewer than three GPVSC voting members remaining, the GPVSC Chair will vote the proxy in accordance with the standard guidelines, will obtain instructions as to how to have the proxy voted from, if time permits, the effected clients and otherwise from ISS.

B. Investment Companies and Affiliated Public Companies

Investment Companies . As reflected in the Guidelines, all proxies solicited by open-end and closed-end investment companies are voted in accordance with the pre-determined guidelines of ISS, unless the investment company client directs AM to vote differently on a specific proxy or specific categories of proxies. However, regarding investment companies for which AM or an affiliate serves as investment adviser or principal underwriter, such proxies are voted in the same proportion as the vote of all other shareholders ( i.e ., “mirror” or “echo” voting). Master fund proxies solicited from feeder funds are voted in accordance with applicable provisions of Section 12 of the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Subject to participation agreements with certain Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETF”) issuers that have received exemptive orders from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allowing investing DWS funds to exceed the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, DeAM will echo vote proxies for ETFs in which Deutsche Bank holds more than 25% of outstanding voting shares globally when required to do so by participation agreements and SEC orders.

 

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Affiliated Public Companies . For proxies solicited by non-investment company issuers of or within the Deutsche Bank organization, e.g ., Deutsche bank itself, these proxies will be voted in the same proportion as the vote of other shareholders ( i.e ., “mirror” or “echo” voting).

Note: With respect to the Central Cash Management Fund (registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940), the Fund is not required to engage in echo voting and the investment adviser will use these Guidelines, and may determine, with respect to the Central Cash Management Fund, to vote contrary to the positions in the Guidelines, consistent with the Fund’s best interest.

C. Other Procedures That Limit Conflicts of Interest

AM and other entities in the Deutsche Bank organization have adopted a number of policies, procedures and internal controls that are designed to avoid various conflicts of interest, including those that may arise in connection with proxy voting, including:

 

    Deutsche Bank Americas Restricted Activities Policy . This policy provides for, among other things, independence of AM employees from CIB, and information barriers between AM and other affiliates. Specifically, no AM employee may be subject to the supervision or control of any employee of CIB. No AM employee shall have his or her compensation based upon his or her contribution to any business activity within the Bank outside of the business of AM, without the prior approval of Legal or Compliance. Further, no employee of CIB shall have any input into the compensation of an AM employee without the prior approval of Legal or Compliance. Under the information barriers section of this policy, as a general rule, AM employees who are associated with the investment process should have no contact with employees of Deutsche Bank or its affiliates, outside of PCAM, regarding specific clients, business matters, or initiatives. Further, under no circumstances should proxy votes be discussed with any Deutsche Bank employee outside of AM (and should only be discussed on a need-to-know basis within AM).

Other relevant internal policies include the Deutsche Bank Americas Code of Professional Conduct, the Deutsche Asset Management Information Sharing Procedures, the Deutsche Asset Management Code of Ethics, the Sarbanes-Oxley Senior Officer Code of Ethics, and the Deutsche Bank Group Code of Conduct. The GPVSC expects that these policies, procedures and internal controls will greatly reduce the chance that the GPVSC (or, its members) would be involved in, aware of or influenced by, an actual or apparent conflict of interest.

V. RECORDKEEPING

At a minimum, the following types of records must be properly maintained and readily accessible in order to evidence compliance with this policy.

 

    AM will maintain a record of each vote cast by AM that includes among other things, company name, meeting date, proposals presented, vote cast and shares voted.

 

    The Proxy Vendor Oversight maintains records for each of the proxy ballots it votes. Specifically, the records include, but are not limited to:

 

    The proxy statement (and any additional solicitation materials) and relevant portions of annual statements.

 

    Any additional information considered in the voting process that may be obtained from an issuing company, its agents or proxy research firms.

 

    Analyst worksheets created for stock option plan and share increase analyses.

 

    Proxy Edge print-screen of actual vote election.

AM will retain these Policies and Procedures and the Guidelines; will maintain records of client requests for proxy voting information; and will retain any documents the Proxy Vendor Oversight or the GPVSC prepared that were material to making a voting decision or that memorialized the basis for a proxy voting decision.

The GPVSC also will create and maintain appropriate records documenting its compliance with these Policies and Procedures, including records of its deliberations and decisions regarding conflicts of interest and their resolution.

With respect to AM’s investment company clients, ISS will create and maintain records of each company’s proxy voting record for 12-month periods ended June 30. AM will compile the following information for each matter relating to a portfolio security considered at any shareholder meeting held during the period covered by the report and with respect to which the company was entitled to vote:

 

    The name of the issuer of the portfolio security;

 

    The exchange ticker symbol of the portfolio security (if symbol is available through reasonably practicable means);

 

    The Council on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures number for the portfolio security (if the number is available through reasonably practicable means);

 

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    The shareholder meeting date;

 

    A brief identification of the matter voted on;

 

    Whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a security holder;

 

    Whether the company cast its vote on the matter;

 

    How the company cast its vote ( e.g ., for or against proposal, or abstain; for or withhold regarding election of directors); and

 

    Whether the company cast its vote for or against management.

Note: This list is intended to provide guidance only in terms of the records that must be maintained in accordance with this policy. In addition, please note that records must be maintained in accordance with the applicable AM Records Management Policy.

With respect to electronically stored records, “properly maintained” is defined as complete, authentic (unalterable) usable and backed-up. At a minimum, records should be retained for a period of not less than six years (or longer, if necessary to comply with applicable regulatory requirements), the first three years in an appropriate AM office.

VI. THE GPVSC’S OVERSIGHT ROLE

In addition to adopting the Guidelines and making proxy voting decisions on matters referred to it as set forth above, the GPVSC will monitor the proxy voting process by reviewing summary proxy information presented by ISS. The GPVSC will use this review process to determine, among other things, whether any changes should be made to the Guidelines. This review will take place at least quarterly and will be documented in the GPVSC’s minutes.

 

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DBX ETF TRUST (THE “REGISTRANT”)

PART C – OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28. Exhibits.

 

(a)(1)   Certificate of Trust of DBX ETF Trust (the “Registrant” or the “Trust”), dated October 7, 2010 is incorporated by reference to the Trust’s Registration Statement, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 25, 2010.
(a)(2)   Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated as of October 7, 2010, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Trust’s Registration Statement, filed with the SEC on February 9, 2011.
(b)   By-Laws of the Trust, dated October 7, 2010 are incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Trust’s Registration Statement, filed with the SEC on February 9, 2011.
(c)   Not applicable.
(d)(1)   Investment Advisory Agreement, dated January 31, 2011 between the Trust and DBX Advisors LLC is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2011.
(d)(2)   Form of Amended Schedules A and B, dated July 25, 2013 to the Investment Advisory Agreement, dated January 31, 2011 between the Trust and DBX Advisors LLC is filed herewith.
(d)(3)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement, dated August 15, 2013 between the Trust and DBX Advisors LLC is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, filed with the SEC on August 29, 2013.
(d)(4)   Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated January 31, 2011 between DBX Advisors LLC and TDAM USA Inc. is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2011.
(d)(5)   Form of Amended Schedule A, dated July 25, 2013 to the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated January 31, 2011 between DBX Advisors LLC and TDAM USA Inc. is filed herewith.
(d)(6)   Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated March 25, 2013 between DBX Advisors LLC and RREEF Americas L.L.C. is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 11, filed with the SEC on May 21, 2013.
(d)(7)   Form of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated March 25, 2013 and revised July 25, 2013 between DBX Advisors LLC and Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. is filed herewith.
(d)(8)   Form of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated August 15, 2013 between DBX Advisors, LLC and Harvest Global Investments Limited is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, filed with the SEC on August 29, 2013.
(e)(1)   Distribution Agreement, dated as of October 11, 2011, between the Registrant and ALPS Distributors, Inc. is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on September 28, 2012.
(e)(2)   Form of Amendment No. 3, dated August 15, 2013 to the Distribution Agreement dated as of October 11, 2011 between the Registrant and ALPS Distributors, Inc. is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, filed with the SEC on August 29, 2013.
(f)   Not applicable.
(g)(1)   Custody Agreement, dated January 31, 2011 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2011.


(g)(2)   Form of Schedule II, as revised August 15, 2013, to the Custody Agreement, dated January 31, 2011 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, filed with the SEC on August 29, 2013.
(g)(3)   Foreign Custody Manager Agreement, dated January 31, 2011 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, as filed with the SEC on May 11, 2011.
(g)(4)   Form of Annex I, as revised August 15, 2013, to the Foreign Custody Agreement, dated January 31, 2011 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, filed with the SEC on August 29, 2013.
(h)(1)   Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement, dated January 31, 2011 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2011.
(h)(2)   Form of Exhibit A and Schedule II, as revised August 15, 2013, to the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement, dated January 31, 2011 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, filed with the SEC on August 29, 2013.
(h)(3)   Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated January 31, 2011 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, as filed with the SEC on May 11, 2011.
(h)(4)   Form of Appendix I, dated as of August 15, 2013, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated January 31, 2011 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, filed with the SEC on August 29, 2013.
(h)(5)   Form of Participation Agreement is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2011.
(h)(6)   Form of Sublicense Agreement between the Registrant and DBX Advisors LLC is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2011.
(h)(7)   Expense Limitation Agreement, effective as of September 28, 2012, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on September 28, 2012.
(i)(1)   Opinion of Dechert LLP is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2011.
(i)(2)   Opinion of Dechert LLP, relating to shares of the db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund is filed herewith.
(i)(3)   Opinion of Bingham McCutchen LLP, relating to shares of the db X-trackers Harvest China Fund is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, filed with the SEC on August 29, 2013.
(j)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, Ernst & Young LLP is filed herewith.
(k)   Not applicable.
(l)   Initial Share Purchase Agreement, dated February 11, 2011 between the Registrant and DBX Advisors LLC is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2011.
(m)   Not applicable.
(n)   Not applicable.
(o)   Not applicable.
(p)(1)   Code of Ethics of the Registrant is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, file with the SEC on May 11, 2011.


(p)(2)   Code of Ethics of DBX Advisors LLC if filed herewith.
(p)(3)   Code of Ethics of TDAM USA Inc. is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed with the SEC on September 28, 2012.
(p)(4)   Code of Ethics of RREEF America L.L.C. and Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 11, filed with the SEC on May 21, 2013.
(p)(5)   Code of Ethics of Harvest Global Investments Limited is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, filed with the SEC on August 29, 2013.
(q)   Powers of Attorney of Trustees of the Registrant, incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2, filed on September 28, 2012.

Item 29. Persons controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund.

Not applicable.

Item 30. Indemnification.

(a) Pursuant to Article IX of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, the Trust has agreed that no person who is or has been a Trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust shall be subject to any personal liability whatsoever to any person, other than the Trust or its Shareholders, in connection with the affairs of the Trust; and all persons shall look solely to the Trust property or property of a Series for satisfaction of claims of any nature arising in connection with the affairs of the Trust or such Series.

Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate, Share or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been executed or done only in or with respect to their or his capacity as Trustees or Trustee and neither such Trustees or Trustee nor the Shareholders shall be personally liable thereon.

All Persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust or a Series shall look only to the assets of the Trust property or the Trust property of such Series for payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the Trustees, nor any of the Trust’s officers, employees or agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor.

No person who is or has been a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust shall be liable to the Trust or to any Shareholder for any action or failure to act except for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties involved in the conduct of the individual’s office, and for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law.

Without limiting the foregoing limitations of liability, a Trustee shall not be responsible for or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, employee, investment adviser, sub-adviser, principal underwriter, custodian or other agent of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible or liable for the act or omission of any other Trustee (or for the failure to compel in any way any former or acting Trustee to redress any breach of trust), except in the case of such Trustee’s own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Manager.

With respect to each of DBX Advisors LLC, TDAM USA Inc., RREEF Americas L.L.C. Deutsche Investment Management Americas, Inc. and Harvest Global Investments Limited (collectively, the “Advisers”), the response to this Item will be incorporated by reference to the Advisers’ Uniform Applications for Investment Adviser Registration (“Form ADV”) on file with the SEC. Each Adviser’s Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.


Item 32. Principal Underwriters.

 

(a) ALPS Distributors, Inc. acts as the distributor for the Registrant and the following investment companies: ALPS ETF Trust, Ameristock Mutual Fund, Inc., Arbitrage Funds, AQR Funds, BBH Trust, BLDRS Index Funds Trust, BPV Family of Funds, Brown Management Funds, Caldwell & Orkin Funds, Inc., Campbell Multi-Strategy Trust, Century Capital Management Trust, Columbia ETF Trust, CornerCap Group of Funds, The Cortina Funds, Inc., CRM Mutual Fund Trust, Cullen Funds, Drexel Hamilton Investment Partners LLC, EGA Global Shares Trust, Financial Investors Variable Insurance Trust, Firsthand Funds, GLG Investment Series Trust, Heartland Group, Inc., Henssler Funds, Inc., Holland Balanced Fund, IndexIQ Trust, Index IQ ETF Trust, James Advantage Funds, Laudus Trust, Laudus Institutional Trust, Mairs & Power Funds Trust, Oak Associates Funds, Pax World Series Trust I, Pax World Funds Trust II, PowerShares QQQ 100 Trust Series 1, RiverNorth Funds, Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust, SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust, SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust, Select Sector SPDR Trust, Stonebridge Funds Trust, Stone Harbor Investment Funds, Tilson Investment Trust, Transparent Value Trust, db-X Exchange-Traded Funds Inc., Trust for Professional Managers, Wakefield Alternative Series Trust, Wasatch Funds, WesMark Funds, Westcore Trust, Whitebox Mutual Funds, Williams Capital Liquid Assets Fund, Wilmington Funds and WisdomTree Trust.

 

(b) To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of ALPS Distributors, Inc., are as follows:

 

Name*

    

Position with Underwriter

  Positions with Fund

Edmund J. Burke

     Director   None

Thomas A. Carter

     President, Director   None

Jeremy O. May

     Executive Vice President, Director   None

Kevin J. Ireland

     Senior Vice President, Director of Institutional Sales   None

Mark R. Kiniry

     Senior Vice President, National Sales Director – Investments   None

Bradley J. Swenson

     Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer   None

Robert J. Szydlowski

     Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer   None

Tané T. Tyler

     Senior Vice President, Assistant Secretary, General Counsel   None

Kenneth V. Hager

     Vice President, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary   None

Eric Parsons

     Vice President, Controller and Assistant Treasurer   None

Steven Price

     Vice President, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer   None

James Stegall

     Vice President, Institutional Sales Manager   None

Jeff Brainard

     Vice President, Regional Sales Manager   None

Paul F. Leone

     Vice President, Assistant General Counsel   None

Erin E. Douglas

     Vice President, Senior Associate Counsel   None

JoEllen Legg

     Vice President, Senior Associate Counsel   None

David T. Buhler

     Vice President, Senior Associate Counsel   None

Rhonda A. Mills

     Vice President, Associate Counsel   None

Jennifer Welsh

     Vice President, Associate Counsel   None

Randall D. Young

     Secretary   None

Gregg Wm. Givens

     Assistant Treasurer   None

 

* The principal business address for each of the above directors and executive officers is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.


(c) Not applicable.

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.

 

(a)    The Registrant maintains accounts, books and other documents required by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules thereunder (collectively, “Records”) at its offices at 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005.
(b)    DBX Advisors LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as investment adviser to the Registrant at 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005.
(c)    TDAM USA Inc. maintains all Records relating to its services as a sub-adviser to the Registrant at 31 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10019.
(d)    RREEF Americas L.L.C. maintains all Records relating to its services as sub-adviser to the Registrant at 875 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
(e)    Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. maintains all Records relating to its services as sub-adviser to the Registrant at One Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02108.
(f)    Harvest Global Investments Limited maintains all Records relating to its services as sub-adviser to the Registrant at 31/F, One Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong.
(g)    ALPS Distributors, Inc. maintains all Records relating to its services as Distributor of the Registrant at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.
(h)    The Bank of New York Mellon maintains all Records relating to its services as administrator, transfer agent and custodian of the Registrant at One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286.

Item 34. Management Services.

There are no management related service contracts not discussed in Part A or Part B.

Item 35. Undertakings.

None.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of New York and state of New York on the 30th day of September, 2013.

 

DBX ETF Trust
By:   /s/ Alex Depetris
  Alex Depetris
  President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities stated and on the dates indicated.

 

SIGNATURE

    

CAPACITY

 

DATE

/s/ Alex Depetris

      
Alex Depetris      Trustee and Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary   September 30, 2013
/s/ Michael Gilligan       
Michael Gilligan      Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Controller   September 30, 2013
/s/ J. David Officer*       
J. David Officer      Trustee   September 30, 2013
/s/ Stephen R. Byers*       
Stephen R. Byers      Trustee   September 30, 2013
/s/ George O. Elston*       
George O. Elston      Trustee   September 30, 2013

 

*By:   /s/ Alex Depetris
  Alex Depetris
  (Attorney-in-Fact)


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

  

Exhibit

EX-99.D2    Form of Amended Schedules A and B to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and DBX Advisors LLC
EX-99.D5    Form of Amended Schedule A to the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between DBX Advisors LLC and TDAM USA Inc.
EX-99.D7    Form of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between DBX Advisors LLC and Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc.
EX-99.I2    Opinion of Counsel, Dechert LLP, relating to shares of the db X-trackers MSCI Emerging Markets Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Brazil Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Asia Pacific ex Japan Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund, db X-trackers Regulated Utilities Fund and db X-trackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond Fund
EX-99.J    Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, Ernst & Young LLP
EX-99.P2    Code of Ethics of DBX Advisors LLC
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