Summary Prospectus

 

Innovator S&P Investment Grade Preferred ETF

 

(Cboe BZX — EPRF)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 2, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus (including amendments and supplements) and other information about the Fund, including the Fund’s statement of additional information and shareholder report, online at http://www.innovatoretfs.com/etf/?ticker=eprf. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 208-5212, or from your financial professional. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated March 2, 2020, as amended and supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.

 

 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

Innovator S&P Investment Grade Preferred ETF

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks investment results that generally correspond (before fees and expenses) to the price and yield of the S&P U.S. High Quality Preferred Stock Index (the “Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Shares, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.

 

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

Management Fees

0.47%

Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees

0.00%

Other Expenses

0.00%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.47%

 

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 at current levels. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares.

 

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions, would be:

$48

$151

$263

$591

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended October 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 34% of the average value of its portfolio, excluding the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of the Fund’s in-kind creations and redemptions.

 

 

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Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund normally invests at least 90% of its total assets in the securities that comprise the Index. The Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate, before fees and expenses, the performance of the Index. The Fund’s investment sub-adviser seeks a correlation of 0.95 or better (before fees and expenses) between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Index; a figure of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation. S&P Opco LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices, LLC) (“S&P” or the “Index Provider”) compiles, maintains and calculates the Index. Penserra Capital Management LLC (“Penserra” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

 

The Index seeks to measure the performance of U.S.-listed preferred securities possessing quality characteristics pertaining to type of issuance, payment and rating. The Index is composed of all preferred stocks that are constituents of the S&P U.S. Investment Grade Preferred Stock Index (the “Base Index”). To be eligible for inclusion in the Base Index, a security must be considered investment grade with a credit rating minimum of BBB-/Baa3/BBB- issued by S&P, Moody’s and Fitch, respectively. For an issue rated by all of S&P, Moody’s and Fitch, the lowest of the three ratings is used as the issue’s credit rating. When there are two ratings, the lower of the two ratings must be considered investment grade. When there is only one rating, that rating must be considered investment grade. Defaulted securities are removed at the next Index rebalance and reconstitution. In addition to the credit rating minimum, to be eligible for inclusion in the Base Index, a preferred security must be listed on a qualifying U.S. securities exchange, have a total market capitalization of greater than or equal to $100 million and have traded more than 250,000 shares per month over each of the prior six months. Once included in the Index, a security must maintain a market capitalization of $75 million and have traded more than 125,000 shares per month over each of the prior six months in order to remain eligible. Preferred stocks for which the Index Provider cannot determine an indicated dividend yield are not eligible for inclusion.

 

Once eligible securities have been selected for inclusion in the Index, the Index assigns an equal weight to each issuer represented by the selected securities. That weight is then equally distributed among that issuer’s component securities. The Index is rebalanced quarterly.

 

To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent. As of February 14, 2020, the Fund was concentrated in the financial sector.

 

Principal Risks

 

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved. The order of the risk factors set forth below does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.

 

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Active Markets Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will develop or be maintained. Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”). Securities, including the Shares, are subject to market fluctuations and liquidity constraints that may be caused by such factors as economic, political, or regulatory developments, changes in interest rates, and/or perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments.

 

Authorized Participation Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as authorized participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that authorized participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other authorized participant is able to step forward to create or redeem “Creation Units,” Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to the Fund’s NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

 

Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or sector, the Fund will also concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent. The Fund may be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular issuer or issuers, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.

 

Cyber Security Risk. The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems through “hacking” or malicious software coding, but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks through efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. In addition, cyber security breaches of the Fund’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, custodian, or sub-adviser, as applicable, or issuers in which the Fund invests, can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. While the Fund has established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems. Additionally, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third-party service providers.

 

Financials Sector Risk. Companies in the financial sector, including retail and commercial banks, insurance companies and financial services companies, may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in currency exchange rates, volatile interest rates, decreased liquidity in credit markets and competition from new entrants. Profitability of these companies is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers also can negatively impact the sector. These companies are also subject to substantial government regulation and intervention, which may adversely impact the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, the amount of capital they must maintain, and potentially, their size. The impact of more stringent capital requirements, or recent or future regulation in various countries on any individual financial company or of the financial sector as a whole cannot be predicted. The financial sector is also a target for cyberattacks and may experience technology malfunctions and disruptions.

 

3

 

Index Provider Risk. The Fund seeks to achieve returns that generally correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of their Index, as published by their Index Provider. There is no assurance that the Index Provider will compile its Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined, composed or calculated accurately. While the Index Provider gives descriptions of what the Index is designed to achieve, the Index Provider does not provide any warranty or accept any liability in relation to the quality, accuracy or completeness of data in its indices, and it does not guarantee that its Index will be in line with its methodology. Additionally, the Index Provider has a limited history of experience as an index provider or investment adviser for a registered fund, which may create additional risks for investing in the Fund.

 

Interest Rate Risk. An increase in interest rates may cause the value of securities held by the Fund to decline. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations or floating or adjustable interest rates. The negative impact on the Fund from potential interest rate increases could be swift and significant, including falling market values, increased redemptions and reduced liquidity. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives.

 

Market Maker Risk. If the Fund has lower average daily trading volumes, it may rely on a small number of third party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of Shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Fund’s Shares are trading on the Exchange which could result in a decrease in value of the Fund’s Shares. In addition, decisions by market makers or authorized participants to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Funds’ market price. This reduced effectiveness could result in Fund Shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intraday bid-ask spreads for Fund Shares.

 

Market Risk. Market risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, which may affect the Fund’s value. Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your Shares, they could be worth less than what you paid for them.

 

4

 

Non-Correlation Risk. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. Although the Fund currently intends to seek to fully replicate the Index, the Fund may use a representative sampling approach, which may cause the Fund not to be as well-correlated with the return of the Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Index in the proportions represented in the Index. In addition, the performance of the Fund and the Index may vary due to asset valuation differences and differences between the Fund’s portfolio and the Index resulting from legal restrictions, cost or liquidity constraints.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund invests in the securities included in the Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform the Index or take defensive positions in declining markets, except in connection with the Index’s risk reduction mechanism. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to the Index.

 

Preferred Securities Risk. Preferred securities combine some of the characteristics of both common stocks and bonds. Preferred securities are typically subordinated to bonds and other debt securities in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income, subjecting them to greater credit risk than those debt securities. Generally, holders of preferred securities have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may obtain limited rights. In certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may defer payment on the securities and, in some cases, redeem the securities prior to a specified date. Preferred securities may also be substantially less liquid than other securities, including common stock.

 

Premium/Discount Risk. The net asset value of Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with change in net asset value as well as the relative supply of and demand for Shares on the Exchange. The Fund cannot predict whether Shares will trade bellow (discount), at or above (premium) their net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time.

 

Security Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause a security held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. 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.

 

REIT Risk. REITs typically own and operate income-producing real estate, such as residential or commercial buildings, or real-estate related assets, including mortgages. As a result, investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in real estate, which may include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the value of underlying properties; defaults by borrowers or tenants; market saturation; changes in general and local operating expenses; and other economic, political or regulatory occurrences affecting companies in the real estate sector. REITs are also subject to the risk that the real estate market may experience an economic downturn generally, which may have a material effect on the real estate in which the REITs invest and their underlying portfolio securities. REITs may have also a relatively small market capitalization which may result in their shares experiencing less market liquidity and greater price volatility than larger companies.

 

5

 

Small- and/or Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic developments, and their securities may be less liquid and may experience greater price volatility than larger, more established companies as a result of several factors, including narrower markets for their goods and/or services, more limited managerial and financial resources, limited product lines, services, markets, financial resources or are dependent on a small management group. Because these stocks may not be well-known to the investing public, do not have significant institutional ownership and are followed by relatively few security analysts, there will normally be less publicly available information concerning these securities compared to what is available for the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, can decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by the Fund resulting in more volatile performance. Accordingly, such companies are generally subject to greater market risk than larger, more established companies.

 

Trading Issues Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Further, secondary markets may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid-ask spreads (which may be especially pronounced for smaller funds). Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s Shares, and authorized participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. In the event market makers cease making a market in the Fund’s Shares or authorized participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units, Fund Shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to their net asset value. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. The Fund may have difficulty maintaining its listing on the Exchange in the event the Fund’s assets are small or the Fund does not have enough shareholders.

 

The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Performance

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the annual calendar year returns of the Fund based on NAV as well as the average annual Fund and Index returns. The bar chart and table provide an 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 total returns based on NAV compare to those of the Index and a broad-based market index. The Fund’s performance information is accessible on the Fund’s website at www.innovatoretfs.com.

 

6

 

 

The Fund’s highest quarterly return was 9.53% (quarter ended March 31, 2019) and the Fund’s lowest quarterly return was (5.48)% (quarter ended December 31, 2018).

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2019

Innovator S&P Investment Grade Preferred ETF

1 Year

Since Inception (5/23/16)

Return Before Taxes

18.85%

4.45%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

17.25%

2.88%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

11.94%

3.08%

S&P U.S. High Quality Preferred Stock Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

19.43%

5.06%

S&P U.S. Preferred Stock Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

17.64%

5.51%

 

The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Returns before taxes do not reflect the effects of any income or capital gains taxes. 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. Returns after taxes on distributions reflect the taxed return on the payment of dividends and capital gains.

 

Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Shares in tax-deferred accounts such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) or employee-sponsored retirement plans.

 

Management

 

Investment Adviser

 

Innovator Capital Management, LLC (“Innovator” or the “Adviser”)

 

Investment Sub-Adviser

 

Penserra Capital Management LLC (“Penserra” or the Sub-Adviser”)

 

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Portfolio Managers

 

The following persons serve as the portfolio managers of the Fund.

 

 

Dustin Lewellyn

 

 

Ernesto Tong

 

 

Anand Desai

 

The portfolio managers are primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund and have served in such capacity since April 1, 2018.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at NAV only with authorized participants (“APs”) that have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor and only in Creation Units (large blocks of 50,000 Shares) or multiples thereof (“Creation Unit Aggregations”), in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of securities in which the Fund invests. The Fund may issue and redeem Shares in exchange for cash at a later date but has no current intention of doing so. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

 

Individual Shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange through brokers. Shares are expected to be listed for trading on the Exchange and because the Shares will trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at prices greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount).

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income, returns of capital or capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), Innovator and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s distributor, may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

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