Q&A - Alfi
Q&A - Alfi
Q&A - Alfi
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Page 5, Para 6(b)<br />
Q. Does this paragraph apply only to funds of funds?<br />
A. No. It applies to every UCITS that acquires the units of another UCITS or collective investment undertaking.<br />
Page 5, Para 8<br />
Q. What constitutes a "substantial proportion" of assets for the purpose of applying this paragraph and does<br />
the CESR advice mean to reference Art 55(3) of the UCITS Directive rather than Art 50(3)?<br />
A. We note that Circular CSSF 03/122 in respect of the simplified prospectus says that "if a UCITS invests more than<br />
20% of its assets in other investment funds which publish a TER in accordance with this circular, a synthetic TER<br />
corresponding to such investment must be indicated." Although Circular CSSF 03/122 will not apply to the KID,<br />
practitioners may wish to take it into account it when deciding what "substantial" means.<br />
In the EU, the home state regulator's guidance should normally be respected. If an EU host state regulator<br />
recommends a lower threshold then practitioners may choose to apply it but they would risk no sanction if they did not.<br />
The reference to Art 50(3) in paragraph 8 of CESR/10-674 is a typographic error. The correct reference is to Art 55(3).<br />
Page 6, Para 8(d)<br />
Q. CESR's paper says, "where CIUs falling within (c) represent less than 15% of the UCITS assets …". Is it<br />
acceptable to determine the 15% at a single date (for example, 31 December) or is it necessary to calculate the<br />
volume-weighted average of such holdings on every day in the year?<br />
A. We think that it is acceptable to test the 15% threshold on 31 December only and to analyse the underlying UCITS'<br />
or CIU's ongoing charges on the same "snapshot" basis on the same date. This is consistent with the spirit of the<br />
methodology, which at paragraph 15(a) requires "the ongoing charges figure … of each underlying CIU [to be] prorated<br />
according to the proportion of the UCITS' net asset value which that CIU represents at the relevant date (being<br />
the date at which the UCITS figures are taken)."<br />
Page 6, Para 8(e)<br />
Q. Can we understand this paragraph to mean that if a UCITS receives a rebate of charges from a fund in<br />
which it invests and the UCITS assessment of the ongoing charge of that underlying fund as prepared<br />
according to paragraphs 8(a), (b), (c) or (d) did not take account of the rebate, the UCITS may reduce the<br />
aggregate result of its calculation by the rebate amount?<br />
A. Yes.<br />
Q. Must this be applied only in respect of rebates that have been received?<br />
A. It may be applied to rebates that have been received and to rebates that have been accrued. The practitioner may<br />
decide the method that it thinks appropriate.<br />
Q. Should funds of funds include the performance fee of underlying funds in their calculation of the ongoing<br />
charges figures?<br />
A. No. Paragraph 8 of CESR/10-674 requires funds of funds "to take account of the ongoing charges incurred in the<br />
underlying CIUs", and explains how that may be done in several circumstances, none of which require the underlying<br />
CIU's performance fees to be taken into account. Paragraph 8(a) is a good example: only the underlying CIU's "most<br />
recently available ongoing charges figure shall be used," which means the figure calculated in accordance with<br />
CESR/10-674, which at Paragraph 5(b) explicitly excludes "a performance fee payable to the management company<br />
or any investment adviser."<br />
Page 6, Para 8(f)<br />
Q. Should an underlying fund's entry/exit charges be included in the ongoing charge of the holding fund's<br />
KID?<br />
A. Yes. See paragraph 8(f) of CESR/10-674 and Art 30 of EU Regulation 583/2010.<br />
ALFI KID Q&A, Issue 1112, 19 December 201116 February 2012 Page 46