LEAWOOD, Kan. – Feb. 14, 2017 – Tortoise Index Solutions, part of the Tortoise family, today announced the launch of the Tortoise Water Fund (TBLU). TBLU is an ETF designed to track the total return of the Tortoise Water IndexSM, which is comprised of companies that are substantially engaged in the water infrastructure and water management industries.
“Water is critical for economic growth and social stability. We believe that there is a tremendous need in the market for a quality index that accurately represents the water industry,” said Jeremy Goff, Tortoise director. “Creating this product is a natural extension of our strategy to provide essential asset solutions in wrappers that are desired by advisors and investors.”
TBLU will employ a passive approach to provide exposure to water infrastructure, management and treatment companies that appear poised to benefit from the expected and much needed investment to rebuild existing infrastructure, construct new infrastructure and better manage and enhance the sustainability of this vital, but finite resource.
“We believe that our fund offers the purest exposure to the water industry by tracking an index that incorporates fundamental weighting factors that recognize and adjust for the fragmented nature of the water space,” said Matthew Weglarz, portfolio manager for the fund. “The urgent need for investment in this essential asset, and the infrastructure that supports it, is becoming increasingly recognized and our fund provides a more direct way for investors to access the opportunity.”
TBLU is the second ETF offering from Tortoise Index Solutions. Its first offering, Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund (TPYP), provides access to the sizable pipeline network of one of the world‘s largest consumers of energy. The full suite of indices include: Tortoise Water IndexSM (TBLUE/TBLUET), Tortoise MLP Index® (TMLP/TMLPT), Tortoise North American Pipeline IndexSM (TNAP/TNAPT), Tortoise Oil & Gas Producers IndexSM (TNEP/TNEPT) and Tortoise Real Yield® Index (TYLD/TYLDT).
Tortoise Index Solutions
Tortoise Index Solutions provides research-driven indices that can be used as a realistic basis for exchange- traded products and thought leadership in the universe of essential assets. Its indices are intended to fill a void in the market and provide benchmarks and investible asset class universes for use by investment professionals, research analysts and industry executives to analyze relative performance, as well as to provide a basis for passively managed exchange-traded products. Tortoise Index Solutions, LLC is part of the Tortoise Investments family, which had approximately $20.5 billion of assets under advisement through its family of registered advisers as of Dec. 31, 2016. For more information about Tortoise Index Solutions, LLC visit www.tortoiseindexsolutions.com or www.tortoiseinvest.com
Tortoise Water IndexSM
The Tortoise Water IndexSM is a float-adjusted, modified market capitalization-weighted index comprised of companies that are materially engaged in the water infrastructure or water management industries. Water infrastructure companies provide public water distribution or supporting water distribution infrastructure via equipment or engineering and construction. Water management companies provide technologies or products that manage or facilitate water distribution and usage, including the fields of water efficiency, water treatment and irrigation.
The Tortoise MLP Index® is a float-adjusted, capitalization-weighted index of energy master limited partnerships (MLPs). The index is comprised of publicly traded companies organized in the form of limited partnerships or limited liability companies engaged in transportation, production, processing and/or storage of energy commodities. The Tortoise North American Pipeline IndexSM is a float-adjusted, capitalization weighted index of pipeline companies headquartered in the United States and Canada. The Tortoise North American Oil & Gas Producers IndexSM is a float-adjusted, capitalization-weighted index of North American energy companies primarily engaged in the production of crude oil, condensate, natural gas or natural gas liquids (NGLs). The Tortoise Real Yield® Index is a new differentiated index that aims to track real asset exposure anchored in current income. It provides an efficient benchmark for real yielding, tax pass-through, liquid companies that distribute substantial cash flow streams to investors by investing in REITs (real estate investment trusts), MLPs (master limited partnerships) and BDCs (business development companies).
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains certain statements that may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are "forward-looking statements." Although the fund and Tortoise Index Solutions believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the funds‘ reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Other than as required by law, the fund and Tortoise Index Solutions do not assume a duty to update this forward-looking statement.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction.
Disclosures
The fund‘s investment objective, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The summary and statutory prospectus contains this and other important information about the fund and may be obtained by calling 844-TR-INDEX (844-874-6339) or visiting www.tortoiseindexsolutions.com. Read it carefully before investing.
Shares of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are not individually redeemable and owners of the shares may acquire those shares from the ETF and tender those shares for redemption to the ETF in Creation Units only, see the ETF prospectus for additional information regarding Creation Units. Investors may purchase or sell ETF shares throughout the day through any brokerage account, which will result in typical brokerage commissions.
Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. The fund is non-diversified, meaning it may concentrate its assets in fewer individual holdings than a diversified fund. Therefore, the fund is more exposed to individual stock volatility than a diversified fund. Investing in specific sectors such as energy pipelines may involve greater risk and volatility than less concentrated investments. The fund is not actively managed and therefore the fund generally will not sell a security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry or sector, unless that security is removed from the index or the selling of the security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the index. There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to the index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Shares may trade at prices different than net asset value per share.
TBLU:
Investment in the water infrastructure and management industry may significantly affect the value of the shares of the fund. Companies in the water industry are subject to environmental considerations, taxes, government regulation, price and supply fluctuations, competition and water conservation influences. Investments in non-U.S. companies (including Canadian issuers) involve risk not ordinarily associated with investments in securities and instruments of U.S. issuers, including risks related to political, social and economic developments abroad, differences between U.S. and foreign regulatory and accounting requirements, tax risk and market practices, as well as fluctuations in foreign currencies. The fund invests in small and mid-cap companies, which involve additional risks such as limited liquidity and greater volatility than larger companies. The fund has elected to be, and intends to qualify each year for treatment as, a Regulated Investment Company (RIC). To maintain the fund‘s qualification for federal income tax treatment as a RIC, the fund must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. If for any taxable year the fund fails to qualify for the special federal income tax treatment afforded to RICs, all of the fund‘s taxable income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders) and its income available for distribution will be reduced. Derivatives involve risks different from, and in certain cases, greater than the risks presented by more traditional investments.
TPYP:
Risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with companies owning and/or operating energy pipelines, as well as Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs), MLP affiliates, capital markets, terrorism, natural disasters, climate change, operating, regulatory, environmental, supply and demand, and price volatility risks. The tax benefits received by an investor investing in the fund differ from that of a direct investment in an MLP by an investor. The value of the fund‘s investment in an MLP will depend largely on the MLP‘s treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the MLP is deemed to be a corporation then its income would be subject to federal taxation, reducing the amount of cash available for distribution to the fund which could result in a reduction of the fund‘s value. Investments in non-U.S. companies (including Canadian issuers) involve risk not ordinarily associated with investments in securities and instruments of U.S. issuers, including risks related to political, social and economic developments abroad, differences between U.S. and foreign regulatory and accounting requirements, tax risk and market practices, as well as fluctuations in foreign currencies. The fund invests in small and midcap companies, which involve additional risks such as limited liquidity and greater volatility than larger companies.
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any state.
The Tortoise Water IndexSM Tortoise MLP Index®, Tortoise North American Pipeline IndexSM and Tortoise Oil& Gas ProducersSM Index are the exclusive property of Tortoise Index Solutions, LLC, which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices) to calculate and maintain the Index. The Index is not sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices or its affiliates or its third party licensors (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC”). S&P Dow Jones Indices will not be liable for any errors or omission in calculating the Index. “Calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices” and its related stylized mark(s) are service marks of S&P Dow Jones Indices and have been licensed for use by Tortoise Index Solutions, LLC and its affiliates. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor‘s Financial Services LLC (“SPFS”), and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”). No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any format or by any means including electronically or mechanically, by photocopying, or by any other form or manner whatsoever, without the prior written consent of Tortoise Index Solutions, LLC. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
The Tortoise Real Yield® Index is calculated by NYSE or its affiliates (“NYSE”). NYSE MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO THE TORTOISE
REAL YIELD® INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. IN NO EVENT SHALL NYSE HAVE ANY LI- ABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Nothing contained in this communication should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell any shares of the portfolio in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Nothing contained in this communication constitutes tax, legal or investment advice. Investors must consult their tax adviser or legal counsel for advice and information concerning their particular situation.
Quasar Distributors, LLC, distributor for TBLU. Quasar Distributors, LLC is not affiliated with Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Distributor for TPYP
• NOT FDIC INSURED
• NO BANK GUARANTEE
• MAY LOSE VALUE
Contact Information
Tortoise Index Solutions, LLC
Pam Kearney, Investor and Media Relations, 844-872-1562, info@tortoiseindexsolutions.com