As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 26, 2023
Securities Act File No. 333-57793
Investment Company Act of 1940 File No. 811-08839

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
☒  
Pre-Effective Amendment No.
Post-Effective Amendment No. 306
☒  
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
☒  
Amendment No. 308
☒  

SPDR® SERIES TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
One Iron Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(617) 664-1465
(Registrant's Telephone Number)
Sean O’Malley, Esq.
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
c/o SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
W. John McGuire, Esq.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
It is proposed that this filing will become effective:
☐  
immediately upon filing pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (b)
☒  
on April 30, 2023 pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (b)
☐  
60 days after filing pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(1)
☐  
on _________________ pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(1)
☐  
75 days after filing pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(2)
☐  
on _________________ pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(2)
If appropriate, check the following box:
☐  
This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.




Prospectus
April 30, 2023
SPDR® Series Trust
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF (EBND)
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF (IBND)
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF (BWX)
SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF (BWZ)
SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF (WIP)
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 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. Shares in the Funds 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. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Funds.


Table of Contents
Fund Summaries
 
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
1
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
8
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF
14
SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF
21
SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF
28
Additional Strategies Information
35
Additional Risk Information
36
Management
52
Index/Trademark Licenses/Disclaimers
55
Additional Purchase and Sale Information
57
Distributions
57
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
58
Additional Tax Information
58
General Information
61
Financial Highlights
61
Where to Learn More About the Funds
Back Cover


Fund Summaries
SPDR® Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results
that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of an index that
tracks the fixed-rate local currency sovereign debt of emerging market countries.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (Fund Shares). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees
0.30%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees
None
Other expenses1
0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses1
0.30%
1
The Fund's Other expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated, and then sell or hold all of your Fund 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:
Year 1
Year 3
Year 5
Year 10
$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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 39% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
In seeking to track the performance of the Bloomberg EM Local Currency Government Diversified Index(the Index), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (SSGA FM or the Adviser), the Fund's investment adviser, either may invest the Fund's assets in a subset of securities in the Index or may invest the Fund's assets in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index, as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund in pursuing its objective.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index and in securities that the Adviser determines have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of the securities that comprise the Index. In addition, in seeking to track the Index, the Fund may invest in debt securities that are not included in the Index, cash and cash equivalents  
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or money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements and money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Adviser). In seeking to track the Index, the Fund's assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, but only to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The Fund may also enter into forward currency exchange contracts for hedging and/or investment purposes. Swaps and futures contracts may be used by the Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to its Index and in managing cash flows. 
The Index is designed to measure the performance of the fixed-rate local currency sovereign debt of emerging market countries. The Index includes government bonds issued by investment grade and non-investment grade countries outside the United States, in local currencies, that have a remaining maturity of one year or more and are rated B3/B-/B- or higher using the middle rating of Moody's Investors Service, Inc., S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings, Inc., respectively. Each of the component securities in the Index is a constituent of the Bloomberg EM Local Currency Government Index. As of February 28, 2023, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies located in Asia, although this may change from time to time. As of February 28, 2023, there were approximately 622 securities in the Index.  
The Index is calculated by Bloomberg Index Services Limited (as defined below) using a modified market capitalization methodology. This design ensures that each constituent country within the Index is represented in a proportion consistent with its percentage with respect to the total market capitalization of the Index. Component securities in each constituent country are represented in a proportion consistent with their percentage relative to the other component securities in the constituent country. The securities in the Index are updated on the last business day of each month. 
The Index is sponsored by Bloomberg Index Services Limited (the Index Provider), which is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser. The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index, relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index.  
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, inflation, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. Local, regional or global events such as war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments, or illiquidity in debt securities markets. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). To the extent that interest rates fall, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially faster than originally anticipated. If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities  
2

market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent that the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund.  
Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (high yield or junk bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Forward Currency Contracts Risk: In a forward currency contract, the Fund agrees to buy in the future an amount in one currency in return for another currency, at an exchange rate determined at the time the contract is entered into. If currency exchange rates have moved against the Fund's position at the time the contract is settled  
3

or closed, the Fund will lose money on the contract. There is no limit on the extent to which exchange rates may move against the Fund's position. The markets for certain currencies may at times become illiquid, and the Fund may be unable to enter into new forward contracts or to close out existing contracts. Forward currency contracts are entered into in the over-the-counter market, and the Fund's ability to profit from a contract will depend on the willingness and ability of its counterparty to perform its obligations under the contract. 
Futures Contract Risk: A futures contract is a standardized agreement that calls for the purchase or sale of a specific asset at a specific price at a specific future time, or cash settlement of the terms of the contract. Transactions in futures contracts can create investment leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a futures contract transaction will result in a much greater loss than the principal amount invested, and the Fund may not be able to close out the futures contract at a favorable time or price. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular futures contract. In the event no such market exists, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions, and the Fund will be unable to terminate its exposure to the futures contract. There is also a risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the futures contract and movements in the price of the underlying assets. The counterparty to a futures contract may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return the Fund's margin, or otherwise honor its obligations. 
Geographic Focus Risk: The performance of a fund that is less diversified across countries or geographic regions will be closely tied to market, currency, economic, political, environmental, or regulatory conditions and developments in the countries or regions in which the fund invests, and may be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically-diversified fund. 
Asia: 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. 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 the 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. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk: The Fund is managed with an indexing investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the Index or of the actual securities comprising the Index. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund's performance may be less favorable than that of a portfolio managed using an active investment strategy. The structure and composition of the Index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the Index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the Fund. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent circumstances evolve in between reconstitutions, the Index may include, and the Fund may therefore hold for a period of time, securities of companies that do not align with the Index's objective and/or criteria. When there are changes made to the component securities of the Index and the Fund in turn makes similar changes to its portfolio, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio changes will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund may recognize gains as a result of rebalancing or reconstituting its securities holdings to reflect changes in the securities included in the Index. The Fund also may be required to distribute any such gains to its shareholders to avoid adverse federal income tax consequences. While the Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), the Fund's return may not match the return of the Index. The Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested at times, generally as a result of cash flows into or out of the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions. The Adviser may attempt to track the Index return by investing in fewer than all of the securities in the Index, or in some securities not included in the Index, potentially increasing the risk of divergence between the Fund's return and that of the Index. 
4

Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Non-Diversification Risk: As a non-diversified fund, the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. The Fund may become diversified for periods of time solely as a result of tracking the Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities). 
Swaps Risk: A swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates the parties to exchange payments based on a specified reference security, basket of securities, security index or index component. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk of a counterparty's defaulting on the obligation or bankruptcy), credit risk and pricing risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). It may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including fair valued securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time.  
Fund Performance
The following 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 returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual returns of the Index and of a relevant broad-based securities index. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)
Highest Quarterly Return: 9.29% (Q4, 2022)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -11.12% (Q1, 2020)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/22)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
5

 
One
Year
Five
Years
Ten
Years
Return Before Taxes
-11.89%
-3.01%
-1.84%
Return After Taxes on Distributions
-11.89%
-3.46%
-2.24%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
-6.98%
-2.34%
-1.47%
Bloomberg EM Local Currency Government Diversified Index (reflects no deduction for fees,
expenses or taxes)
-12.73%
-2.71%
-1.30%
Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
-16.25%
-1.66%
-0.44%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Abhishek Kumar, Robert Golcher, Catherine Smith, Kheng Siang Ng and Imran Khan. Mr. Kumar, Mr. Golcher and Ms. Smith are part of State Street Global Advisors Limited (SSGA LTD), an affiliate of the Adviser, and provide portfolio management services through a personnel-sharing arrangement between the Adviser and SSGA LTD. Mr. Ng and Mr. Khan are part of State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited (SSGA Singapore), an affiliate of the Adviser, and provide portfolio management services through a personnel-sharing arrangement between the Adviser and SSGA Singapore.
Abhishek Kumar is a Managing Director and the Sector Head for Emerging Markets Debt within the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. He joined SSGA LTD in 2010.
Robert Golcher is a Vice President and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. He joined SSGA LTD in 2013.
Catherine Smith is a Vice President and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. She joined SSGA LTD in 2013.
Kheng Siang Ng, CFA, is a Vice President, the Asia Pacific Head of the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA Singapore, and the Head of SSGA Singapore. He joined SSGA Singapore in 2005.
Imran Khan is a Vice President and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA Singapore. He joined SSGA Singapore in 2021.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as Creation Units. Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (NAV), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the bid-ask spread). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you. Some distributions may be treated as a return of capital for tax purposes.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to
6

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.
7

SPDR® Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results
that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of an index that
tracks the investment grade corporate sector of the global bond market outside of the United States.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (Fund Shares). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees
0.50%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees
None
Other expenses1
0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses1
0.50%
1
The Fund's Other expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated, and then sell or hold all of your Fund 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:
Year 1
Year 3
Year 5
Year 10
$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 14% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
In seeking to track the performance of the Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex-USD ˃$1B: Corporate Bond Index(the Index), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (SSGA FM or the Adviser), the Fund's investment adviser, either may invest the Fund's assets in a subset of securities in the Index or may invest the Fund's assets in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index, as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund in pursuing its objective.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index and in securities that the Adviser determines have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of the securities that comprise the Index. In addition, in seeking to track the Index, the Fund may invest in debt securities that are not included in the Index, cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements and money market funds (including money market funds advised by SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (SSGA FM or the Adviser), the investment adviser to the Fund). In seeking to track the Index, the Fund's assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, but only to the  
8

extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The Fund may also enter into forward currency exchange contracts for hedging and/or investment purposes. Swaps and futures contracts may be used by the Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to its Index and in managing cash flows. 
The Index is designed to be a broad based measure of the global investment grade, fixed rate, fixed income corporate markets outside the United States. The Index is part of the Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex-USD Bond Index. The securities in the Index must have a $1 billion USD equivalent market capitalization outstanding and at least 1 year remaining. Securities must be fixed rate, although zero coupon bonds and step-ups are permitted. Additionally, securities must be rated investment grade (Baa3/BBB-/BBB- or better) using the middle rating from Moody's Investors Service, Inc., Fitch Ratings, Inc., or S&P Global Ratings after dropping the highest and lowest available ratings. If only two agencies rate a security, then the more conservative (lower) rating will be used. If only one rating agency rates a security, then that one rating will be used. Excluded from the Index are subordinated debt, convertible securities, floating-rate notes, fixed-rate perpetuals, warrants, inflation-linked bonds, and structured notes. The Index is market capitalization weighted and the securities in the Index are updated on the last business day of each month. As of February 28, 2023, there were approximately 932 securities in the Index. As of February 28, 2023, the following countries were represented in the Index: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. As of February 28, 2023, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies located in Europe, although this may change from time to time. As of February 28, 2023, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies in the financial sector, although this may change from time to time. 
The Index is sponsored by Bloomberg Index Services Limited (the Index Provider), which is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser. The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index, relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index.  
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, inflation, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. Local, regional or global events such as war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments, or illiquidity in debt securities markets. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). To the extent that interest rates fall, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially faster than originally anticipated. If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and  
9

settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent that the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund.  
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Financial Sector Risk: Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation, which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause 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. Certain events in the financial sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Securities of financial services companies may experience a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers and financial losses associated with investment activities can negatively impact the sector. Insurance companies may be subject to severe price competition. Adverse economic, business or political developments could adversely affect financial institutions engaged in mortgage finance or other lending or investing activities directly or indirectly connected to the value of real estate. 
Forward Currency Contracts Risk: In a forward currency contract, the Fund agrees to buy in the future an amount in one currency in return for another currency, at an exchange rate determined at the time the contract is entered into. If currency exchange rates have moved against the Fund's position at the time the contract is settled or closed, the Fund will lose money on the contract. There is no limit on the extent to which exchange rates may move against the Fund's position. The markets for certain currencies may at times become illiquid, and the Fund may be unable to enter into new forward contracts or to close out existing contracts. Forward currency contracts are entered into in the over-the-counter market, and the Fund's ability to profit from a contract will depend on the willingness and ability of its counterparty to perform its obligations under the contract. 
Futures Contract Risk: A futures contract is a standardized agreement that calls for the purchase or sale of a specific asset at a specific price at a specific future time, or cash settlement of the terms of the contract. Transactions in futures contracts can create investment leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a futures contract transaction will result in a much greater loss than the principal amount invested, and the Fund may not be able to close out the futures contract at a favorable time or price. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular futures contract. In the event no such market  
10

exists, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions, and the Fund will be unable to terminate its exposure to the futures contract. There is also a risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the futures contract and movements in the price of the underlying assets. The counterparty to a futures contract may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return the Fund's margin, or otherwise honor its obligations. 
Geographic Focus Risk: The performance of a fund that is less diversified across countries or geographic regions will be closely tied to market, currency, economic, political, environmental, or regulatory conditions and developments in the countries or regions in which the fund invests, and may be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically-diversified fund. 
Europe: Developed and emerging market countries in Europe will be significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary controls of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EU). Changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange rate of the euro and recessions among European countries may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other European countries. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. For example, on January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as Brexit) and, after a transition period, left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement on December 31, 2020. The agreement governs the new relationship between the United Kingdom and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. The full scope and nature of the consequences of the exit are not at this time known and are unlikely to be known for a significant period of time. It is also unknown whether the United Kingdom's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Any exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, may have a significant impact on the United Kingdom, Europe, and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth for such economies that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of the Fund's investments. In addition, a number of countries in Europe have suffered terrorist attacks and additional attacks may occur in the future. Such attacks may cause uncertainty in financial markets and may adversely affect the performance of the issuers to which the Fund has exposure. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk: The Fund is managed with an indexing investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the Index or of the actual securities comprising the Index. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund's performance may be less favorable than that of a portfolio managed using an active investment strategy. The structure and composition of the Index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the Index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the Fund. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent circumstances evolve in between reconstitutions, the Index may include, and the Fund may therefore hold for a period of time, securities of companies that do not align with the Index's objective and/or criteria. When there are changes made to the component securities of the Index and the Fund in turn makes similar changes to its portfolio, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio changes will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund may recognize gains as a result of rebalancing or reconstituting its securities holdings to reflect changes in the securities included in the Index. The Fund also may be required to distribute any such gains to its shareholders to avoid adverse federal income tax consequences. While the Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), the Fund's return may not match the return of the Index. The Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested at times, generally as a result of cash flows into or out of the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions. The Adviser may attempt to track the Index return by investing in fewer than all of the securities in the Index, or in some securities not included in the Index, potentially increasing the risk of divergence between the Fund's return and that of the Index. 
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Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Swaps Risk: A swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates the parties to exchange payments based on a specified reference security, basket of securities, security index or index component. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk of a counterparty's defaulting on the obligation or bankruptcy), credit risk and pricing risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). It may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. 
Unconstrained Sector Risk: The Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets within one or more economic sectors or industries, which may change from time to time. Greater investment focus on one or more sectors or industries increases the potential for volatility and the risk that events negatively affecting such sectors or industries could reduce returns, potentially causing the value of the Fund's Shares to decrease, perhaps significantly. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including fair valued securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time.  
Fund Performance
The following 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 returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual returns of the Index and of a relevant broad-based securities index. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)
Highest Quarterly Return: 10.58% (Q4, 2022)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -12.79% (Q2, 2022)
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Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/22)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
 
One
Year
Five
Years
Ten
Years
Return Before Taxes
-19.86%
-4.31%
-1.86%
Return After Taxes on Distributions
-20.04%
-4.43%
-2.05%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
-11.76%
-3.25%
-1.45%
Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex-USD ˃$1B: Corporate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees,
expenses or taxes)
-19.59%
-3.87%
-1.40%
Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
-16.25%
-1.66%
-0.44%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Richard Darby-Dowman, Paul Brown and Peter Spano, who are part of State Street Global Advisors Limited (SSGA LTD), an affiliate of the Adviser, and provide portfolio management services through a personnel-sharing arrangement between the Adviser and SSGA LTD.
Richard Darby-Dowman is a Vice President and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. He joined SSGA LTD in 2006.
Paul Brown is a Vice President and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. He joined SSGA LTD in 2013.
Peter Spano, CFA, is a Managing Director and the EMEA Head of the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. He joined SSGA LTD in 2007.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as Creation Units. Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (NAV), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the bid-ask spread). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you. Some distributions may be treated as a return of capital for tax purposes.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and 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.
13

SPDR® Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results
that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of an index that
tracks the fixed-rate local currency sovereign debt of investment grade countries outside the United States.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (Fund Shares). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees
0.35%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees
None
Other expenses1
0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses1
0.35%
1
The Fund's Other expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated, and then sell or hold all of your Fund 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:
Year 1
Year 3
Year 5
Year 10
$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.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
In seeking to track the performance of the Bloomberg Global Treasury ex-US Capped Index(the Index), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (SSGA FM or the Adviser), the investment adviser to the Fund, either may invest the Fund's assets in a subset of securities in the Index or may invest the Fund's assets in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index, as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund in pursuing its objective.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index and in securities that the Adviser determines have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of the securities that comprise the Index. In addition, in seeking to track the Index, the Fund may invest in debt securities that are not included in the Index, cash and cash equivalents  
14

or money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements and money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Adviser). The Fund may also enter into forward currency exchange contracts for hedging and/or investment purposes. Futures contracts may be used by the Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to its Index and in managing cash flows. 
The Index is designed to track the fixed-rate local currency sovereign debt of investment grade countries outside the United States. The Index includes government bonds issued by investment grade countries outside the United States, in local currencies, that have a remaining maturity of one year or more and are rated investment grade (Baa3/BBB-/BBB- or higher using the middle rating of Moody's Investors Service, Inc., S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings, Inc., respectively). Securities included in the Index may include securities that are subject to restrictions on resale under the U.S. federal securities laws (restricted securities). Each of the component securities in the Index is a constituent of the Bloomberg Global Treasury ex-US Index. In addition, the securities in the Index must be fixed-rate and have certain minimum amounts outstanding, depending upon the currency in which the bonds are denominated. The Index is calculated by Bloomberg Index Services Limited using a modified market capitalization methodology. This design ensures that each constituent country within the Index is represented in a proportion consistent with its percentage with respect to the total market capitalization of the Index. Component securities in each constituent country are represented in a proportion consistent with their percentage relative to the other component securities in the constituent country. The securities in the Index are updated on the last business day of each month. As of February 28, 2023, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies located in Europe and Japan, although this may change from time to time. As of February 28, 2023, there were approximately 1,524 securities in the Index. 
The Index is sponsored by Bloomberg Index Services Limited (the Index Provider), which is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser. The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index, relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index.  
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, inflation, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. Local, regional or global events such as war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments, or illiquidity in debt securities markets. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). To the extent that interest rates fall, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially faster than originally anticipated. If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the  
15

Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent that the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund.  
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
Forward Currency Contracts Risk: In a forward currency contract, the Fund agrees to buy in the future an amount in one currency in return for another currency, at an exchange rate determined at the time the contract is entered into. If currency exchange rates have moved against the Fund's position at the time the contract is settled or closed, the Fund will lose money on the contract. There is no limit on the extent to which exchange rates may move against the Fund's position. The markets for certain currencies may at times become illiquid, and the Fund may be unable to enter into new forward contracts or to close out existing contracts. Forward currency contracts are entered into in the over-the-counter market, and the Fund's ability to profit from a contract will depend on the willingness and ability of its counterparty to perform its obligations under the contract. 
Futures Contract Risk: A futures contract is a standardized agreement that calls for the purchase or sale of a specific asset at a specific price at a specific future time, or cash settlement of the terms of the contract. Transactions in futures contracts can create investment leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible  
16

that a futures contract transaction will result in a much greater loss than the principal amount invested, and the Fund may not be able to close out the futures contract at a favorable time or price. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular futures contract. In the event no such market exists, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions, and the Fund will be unable to terminate its exposure to the futures contract. There is also a risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the futures contract and movements in the price of the underlying assets. The counterparty to a futures contract may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return the Fund's margin, or otherwise honor its obligations. 
Geographic Focus Risk: The performance of a fund that is less diversified across countries or geographic regions will be closely tied to market, currency, economic, political, environmental, or regulatory conditions and developments in the countries or regions in which the fund invests, and may be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically-diversified fund. 
Europe: Developed and emerging market countries in Europe will be significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary controls of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EU). Changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange rate of the euro and recessions among European countries may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other European countries. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. For example, on January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as Brexit) and, after a transition period, left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement on December 31, 2020. The agreement governs the new relationship between the United Kingdom and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. The full scope and nature of the consequences of the exit are not at this time known and are unlikely to be known for a significant period of time. It is also unknown whether the United Kingdom's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Any exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, may have a significant impact on the United Kingdom, Europe, and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth for such economies that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of the Fund's investments. In addition, a number of countries in Europe have suffered terrorist attacks and additional attacks may occur in the future. Such attacks may cause uncertainty in financial markets and may adversely affect the performance of the issuers to which the Fund has exposure. 
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 also remains heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the economy. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely at times and any increase in its value may cause a decline in exports that could weaken the Japanese economy. Japan has, in the past, intervened in the currency markets to attempt to maintain or reduce the value of the yen. Japanese intervention in the currency markets could cause the value of the yen to fluctuate sharply and unpredictably and could cause losses to investors. Japan has an aging workforce and has experienced a significant population decline in recent years. Japan's labor market appears to be undergoing fundamental structural changes, as a labor market traditionally accustomed to lifetime employment adjusts to meet the need for increased labor mobility, which may adversely affect Japan's economic competitiveness. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons or tsunamis, could occur in Japan or surrounding areas and could negatively affect the Japanese economy and, in turn, the Fund. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk: The Fund is managed with an indexing investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the Index or of the actual securities comprising the Index. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund's performance may be less favorable than that of a portfolio managed using an active investment strategy. The structure and composition of the Index will  
17

affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the Index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the Fund. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent circumstances evolve in between reconstitutions, the Index may include, and the Fund may therefore hold for a period of time, securities of companies that do not align with the Index's objective and/or criteria. When there are changes made to the component securities of the Index and the Fund in turn makes similar changes to its portfolio, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio changes will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund may recognize gains as a result of rebalancing or reconstituting its securities holdings to reflect changes in the securities included in the Index. The Fund also may be required to distribute any such gains to its shareholders to avoid adverse federal income tax consequences. While the Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), the Fund's return may not match the return of the Index. The Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested at times, generally as a result of cash flows into or out of the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions. The Adviser may attempt to track the Index return by investing in fewer than all of the securities in the Index, or in some securities not included in the Index, potentially increasing the risk of divergence between the Fund's return and that of the Index. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Non-Diversification Risk: As a non-diversified fund, the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. The Fund may become diversified for periods of time solely as a result of tracking the Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities). 
Restricted Securities Risk: The Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including fair valued securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time.  
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Fund Performance
The following 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 returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual returns of the Index and of a relevant broad-based securities index. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)
Highest Quarterly Return: 8.49% (Q1, 2016)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -11.57% (Q2, 2022)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/22)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
 
One
Year
Five
Years
Ten
Years
Return Before Taxes
-19.66%
-3.70%
-2.14%
Return After Taxes on Distributions
-20.05%
-4.09%
-2.50%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
-11.63%
-2.88%
-1.70%
Bloomberg Global Treasury ex-US Capped Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
-19.44%
-3.35%
-1.69%
Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
-16.25%
-1.66%
-0.44%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are James Kramer, Joanna Madden and Cynthia Moy.
James Kramer is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 1996.
Joanna Madden is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group. She joined the Adviser in 2003.
Cynthia Moy is a Principal of the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group. She joined the Adviser in 2007.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as Creation Units. Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (NAV), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the bid-ask spread). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
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Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you. Some distributions may be treated as a return of capital for tax purposes.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and 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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SPDR® Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF (the Fund) seeks to provide
investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance
of an index that tracks the short-term (1-3 year remaining maturity) fixed rate, investment grade debt issued
by foreign governments of investment grade countries.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (Fund Shares). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees
0.35%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees
None
Other expenses1
0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses1
0.35%
1
The Fund's Other expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated, and then sell or hold all of your Fund 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:
Year 1
Year 3
Year 5
Year 10
$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 56% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
In seeking to track the performance of the Bloomberg 1-3 Year Global Treasury ex-US Capped Index(the Index), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (SSGA FM or the Adviser), the investment adviser to the Fund, either may invest the Fund's assets in a subset of securities in the Index or may invest the Fund's assets in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index, as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund in pursuing its objective.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index and in securities that the Adviser determines have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of the securities that comprise the Index. In addition, in seeking to track the Index, the Fund may invest in debt securities that are not included in the Index, cash and cash equivalents  
21

or money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements and money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Adviser).  The Fund may also enter into forward currency exchange contracts for hedging and/or investment purposes. Futures contracts may be used by the Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to its Index and in managing cash flows. 
The Index is designed to measure the performance of fixed-rate local currency sovereign debt of investment grade countries outside the United States that have remaining maturities of one to three years. The Index includes government bonds issued by investment grade countries outside the United States, in local currencies, that have remaining maturities of one to three years and are rated investment grade (Baa3/BBB-/BBB- or higher using the middle rating of Moody's Investors Service, Inc., S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings, Inc., respectively). Securities included in the Index may include securities that are subject to restrictions on resale under the U.S. federal securities laws (restricted securities). Each of the component securities in the Index is a constituent of the Bloomberg Global Treasury ex-US Index. In addition, the securities in the Index must be fixed-rate and have certain minimum amounts outstanding, depending upon the currency in which the bonds are denominated. The Index is calculated by Bloomberg Index Services Limited using a modified market capitalization methodology. This design ensures that each constituent country within the Index is represented in a proportion consistent with its percentage with respect to the total market capitalization of the Index. Component securities in each constituent country are represented in a proportion consistent with their percentage relative to the other component securities in the constituent country. The securities in the Index are updated on the last business day of each month. As of February 28, 2023, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies located in Europe and Japan, although this may change from time to time. As of February 28, 2023, there were approximately 294 securities in the Index and the dollar-weighted average maturity of the securities in the Index was 1.91 years. 
The Index is sponsored by Bloomberg Index Services Limited (the Index Provider), which is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser. The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index, relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index.  
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, inflation, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. Local, regional or global events such as war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments, or illiquidity in debt securities markets. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). To the extent that interest rates fall, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially faster than originally anticipated. If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities  
22

market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent that the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund.  
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
Forward Currency Contracts Risk: In a forward currency contract, the Fund agrees to buy in the future an amount in one currency in return for another currency, at an exchange rate determined at the time the contract is entered into. If currency exchange rates have moved against the Fund's position at the time the contract is settled or closed, the Fund will lose money on the contract. There is no limit on the extent to which exchange rates may move against the Fund's position. The markets for certain currencies may at times become illiquid, and the Fund may be unable to enter into new forward contracts or to close out existing contracts. Forward currency contracts are entered into in the over-the-counter market, and the Fund's ability to profit from a contract will depend on the willingness and ability of its counterparty to perform its obligations under the contract. 
23

Futures Contract Risk: A futures contract is a standardized agreement that calls for the purchase or sale of a specific asset at a specific price at a specific future time, or cash settlement of the terms of the contract. Transactions in futures contracts can create investment leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a futures contract transaction will result in a much greater loss than the principal amount invested, and the Fund may not be able to close out the futures contract at a favorable time or price. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular futures contract. In the event no such market exists, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions, and the Fund will be unable to terminate its exposure to the futures contract. There is also a risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the futures contract and movements in the price of the underlying assets. The counterparty to a futures contract may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return the Fund's margin, or otherwise honor its obligations. 
Geographic Focus Risk: The performance of a fund that is less diversified across countries or geographic regions will be closely tied to market, currency, economic, political, environmental, or regulatory conditions and developments in the countries or regions in which the fund invests, and may be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically-diversified fund. 
Europe: Developed and emerging market countries in Europe will be significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary controls of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EU). Changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange rate of the euro and recessions among European countries may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other European countries. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. For example, on January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as Brexit) and, after a transition period, left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement on December 31, 2020. The agreement governs the new relationship between the United Kingdom and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. The full scope and nature of the consequences of the exit are not at this time known and are unlikely to be known for a significant period of time. It is also unknown whether the United Kingdom's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Any exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, may have a significant impact on the United Kingdom, Europe, and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth for such economies that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of the Fund's investments. In addition, a number of countries in Europe have suffered terrorist attacks and additional attacks may occur in the future. Such attacks may cause uncertainty in financial markets and may adversely affect the performance of the issuers to which the Fund has exposure. 
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 also remains heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the economy. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely at times and any increase in its value may cause a decline in exports that could weaken the Japanese economy. Japan has, in the past, intervened in the currency markets to attempt to maintain or reduce the value of the yen. Japanese intervention in the currency markets could cause the value of the yen to fluctuate sharply and unpredictably and could cause losses to investors. Japan has an aging workforce and has experienced a significant population decline in recent years. Japan's labor market appears to be undergoing fundamental structural changes, as a labor market traditionally accustomed to lifetime employment adjusts to meet the need for increased labor mobility, which may adversely affect Japan's economic competitiveness. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons or tsunamis, could occur in Japan or surrounding areas and could negatively affect the Japanese economy and, in turn, the Fund. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
24

Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk: The Fund is managed with an indexing investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the Index or of the actual securities comprising the Index. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund's performance may be less favorable than that of a portfolio managed using an active investment strategy. The structure and composition of the Index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the Index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the Fund. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent circumstances evolve in between reconstitutions, the Index may include, and the Fund may therefore hold for a period of time, securities of companies that do not align with the Index's objective and/or criteria. When there are changes made to the component securities of the Index and the Fund in turn makes similar changes to its portfolio, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio changes will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund may recognize gains as a result of rebalancing or reconstituting its securities holdings to reflect changes in the securities included in the Index. The Fund also may be required to distribute any such gains to its shareholders to avoid adverse federal income tax consequences. While the Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), the Fund's return may not match the return of the Index. The Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested at times, generally as a result of cash flows into or out of the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions. The Adviser may attempt to track the Index return by investing in fewer than all of the securities in the Index, or in some securities not included in the Index, potentially increasing the risk of divergence between the Fund's return and that of the Index. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Non-Diversification Risk: As a non-diversified fund, the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. The Fund may become diversified for periods of time solely as a result of tracking the Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities). 
Restricted Securities Risk: The Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including fair valued securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time.  
25

Fund Performance
The following 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 returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual returns of the Index and of a relevant broad-based securities index. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)
Highest Quarterly Return: 8.05% (Q4, 2022)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -7.94% (Q2, 2022)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/22)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
 
One
Year
Five
Years
Ten
Years
Return Before Taxes
-11.07%
-2.94%
-2.69%
Return After Taxes on Distributions
-11.22%
-3.11%
-2.80%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
-6.54%
-2.26%
-2.02%
Bloomberg 1-3 Year Global Treasury ex-US Capped Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses
or taxes)
-10.70%
-2.54%
-2.30%
Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
-16.25%
-1.66%
-0.44%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are James Kramer, Joanna Madden and Cynthia Moy.
James Kramer is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 1996.
Joanna Madden is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group. She joined the Adviser in 2003.
Cynthia Moy is a Principal of the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group. She joined the Adviser in 2007.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as Creation Units. Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (NAV), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary
26

market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the bid-ask spread). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you. Some distributions may be treated as a return of capital for tax purposes.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and 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.
27

SPDR® FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF (the Fund) seeks to provide
investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance
of an index that tracks the inflation protected sector of the global bond market outside the United States.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (Fund Shares). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees
0.50%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees
None
Other expenses1
0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses1
0.50%
1
The Fund's Other expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated, and then sell or hold all of your Fund 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:
Year 1
Year 3
Year 5
Year 10
$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 37% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
In seeking to track the performance of the FTSE International Inflation-Linked Securities Select Index(the Index), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (SSGA FM or the Adviser), the investment adviser to the Fund, either may invest the Fund's assets in a subset of securities in the Index or may invest the Fund's assets in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index, as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund in pursuing its objective.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index and in securities that the Adviser determines have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of the securities that comprise the Index. In addition, in seeking to track the Index, the Fund may invest in debt securities that are not included in the Index, cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements and money market funds (including money market  
28

funds advised by the Adviser). In seeking to track the Index, the Fund's assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, but only to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The Fund may use derivatives, including credit default swaps and credit default index swaps, to obtain investment exposure that the Adviser expects to correlate closely with the Index, or a portion of the Index, and in managing cash flows. 
The Index is designed to measure the total return performance of inflation-linked bonds outside the United States with fixed-rate coupon payments that are linked to an inflation index. Inflation-protected public obligations of the inflation-linked government bond markets of developed and emerging market countries, commonly known in the United States as TIPS, are securities issued by such governments that are designed to provide inflation protection to investors. The Index includes government debt (direct obligations of the issuer country) but does not include quasi-government debt or corporate debt. To be included in the Index, bonds must be linked to an inflation index and (i) meet a country-specific minimum issue size, depending on the currency in which the issue is denominated; (ii) have a fixed-rate stated coupon; (iii) have at least one year remaining to maturity at the Index rebalancing date; (iv) settle on or before the Index rebalancing date; and (v) be rated at least C by S&P Global Ratings (S&P) or at least Ca by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (excluding defaulted issuers). Securities included in the Index may include securities that are subject to restrictions on resale under the U.S. federal securities laws (restricted securities). 
The Index is a market-value weight, capped total return index, in which the maximum market capitalization-based weights of each individual country in the Index cannot exceed 22.5% of the total Index weight. The total market weights of countries with more than 4.6% market weight in the Index cannot collectively exceed 45% of the total Index weight and the number of countries with more than 4.6% market weight in the Index can be no less than five. If the combined weights of each country with more than 4.6% market weight exceeds 45% of the total Index weight, then the weights of those countries are reduced in proportion to each country's market capitalizations until they sum to 45%, and the weights of the remaining smaller countries are increased in proportion to each country's market capitalizations by the same amount. After the country weights are determined, constituents within each country are assigned weights in proportion to their market capitalization. When an issuer defaults, is assigned a D rating by S&P, or enters into Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. (or equivalent in its local market), its bonds remain in the Index until the end of the month. The Index is rebalanced monthly, on the last day of the month. Countries covered in the Index as of February 28, 2023 comprised: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom, although this may change from time to time. As of February 28, 2023, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies located in Europe and the United Kingdom, although this may change from time to time. As of February 28, 2023, there were approximately 172 securities in the Index. 
The Index is sponsored by FTSE Russell (the Index Provider), which is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser. The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index, relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index.  
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, inflation, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. Local, regional or global events such as war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments, or illiquidity in debt securities markets. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an  
29

operating basis). To the extent that interest rates fall, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially faster than originally anticipated. If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.  
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent that the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund.  
Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk: The principal amount of an inflation-indexed security typically increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by a specified index. It is possible that, in a period of declining inflation rates, the Fund could receive at maturity less than the initial principal amount of an inflation-indexed security. Changes in the values of inflation-indexed securities may be difficult to predict, and it is possible that an investment in such securities will have an effect different from that anticipated. 
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (high yield or junk bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
30

Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
Geographic Focus Risk: The performance of a fund that is less diversified across countries or geographic regions will be closely tied to market, currency, economic, political, environmental, or regulatory conditions and developments in the countries or regions in which the fund invests, and may be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically-diversified fund. 
Europe: Developed and emerging market countries in Europe will be significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary controls of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EU). Changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange rate of the euro and recessions among European countries may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other European countries. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. For example, on January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as Brexit) and, after a transition period, left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement on December 31, 2020. The agreement governs the new relationship between the United Kingdom and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. The full scope and nature of the consequences of the exit are not at this time known and are unlikely to be known for a significant period of time. It is also unknown whether the United Kingdom's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Any exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, may have a significant impact on the United Kingdom, Europe, and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth for such economies that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of the Fund's investments. In addition, a number of countries in Europe have suffered terrorist attacks and additional attacks may occur in the future. Such attacks may cause uncertainty in financial markets and may adversely affect the performance of the issuers to which the Fund has exposure. 
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 condition of the United States and other European countries. The British economy relies heavily on the export of financial services to the United States and other European countries and, therefore, a prolonged slowdown in the financial services sector may have a negative impact on the British economy. Continued governmental involvement or control in certain sectors may stifle competition in certain sectors or cause adverse effects on economic growth. 
On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as Brexit) and, after a transition period, left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement on December 31, 2020. The agreement governs the new relationship between the United Kingdom and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. There is still considerable uncertainty relating to the potential consequences associated with the exit and whether the United Kingdom's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Any exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, may have a significant impact on the United Kingdom, Europe, and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth for these economies that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of the Fund's investments.  In addition, the United Kingdom has been a target of terrorism in the past. 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. 
31

Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk: The Fund is managed with an indexing investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the Index or of the actual securities comprising the Index. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund's performance may be less favorable than that of a portfolio managed using an active investment strategy. The structure and composition of the Index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the Index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the Fund. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent circumstances evolve in between reconstitutions, the Index may include, and the Fund may therefore hold for a period of time, securities of companies that do not align with the Index's objective and/or criteria. When there are changes made to the component securities of the Index and the Fund in turn makes similar changes to its portfolio, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio changes will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund may recognize gains as a result of rebalancing or reconstituting its securities holdings to reflect changes in the securities included in the Index. The Fund also may be required to distribute any such gains to its shareholders to avoid adverse federal income tax consequences. While the Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), the Fund's return may not match the return of the Index. The Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested at times, generally as a result of cash flows into or out of the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions. The Adviser may attempt to track the Index return by investing in fewer than all of the securities in the Index, or in some securities not included in the Index, potentially increasing the risk of divergence between the Fund's return and that of the Index. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Non-Diversification Risk: As a non-diversified fund, the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. The Fund may become diversified for periods of time solely as a result of tracking the Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities). 
Restricted Securities Risk: The Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. 
Swaps Risk: A swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates the parties to exchange payments based on a specified reference security, basket of securities, security index or index component. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk of a counterparty's defaulting on the obligation or bankruptcy), credit risk and pricing risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). It may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. 
32

Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including fair valued securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time.  
Fund Performance
The following 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 returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual returns of the Index and of a relevant broad-based securities index. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)
Highest Quarterly Return: 9.29% (Q4, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -13.99% (Q2, 2022)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/22)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares. Effective February 12, 2016 (the Benchmark Index Change Date), the Fund's benchmark index changed from the DB Global Government ex-U.S. Inflation-Linked Bond Capped Index (the Previous Benchmark Index) to the FTSE International Inflation-Linked Securities Select Index, consistent with a change in the Fund's principal investment strategy to track the performance of the current index. Performance of the Fund prior to the Benchmark Index Change Date is therefore based on the Fund's investment strategy to track the Previous Benchmark Index.
 
One
Year
Five
Years
Ten
Years
Return Before Taxes
-15.41%
-2.12%
-1.09%
Return After Taxes on Distributions
-17.91%
-3.35%
-2.03%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
-9.03%
-2.00%
-1.11%
FTSE International Inflation-Linked Securities Select Index/DB Global Government ex-U.S.
Inflation-Linked Bond Capped Index1,2 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
-14.78%
-1.53%
-0.53%
Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
-16.25%
-1.66%
-0.44%
1
Returns shown are reflective of the Index for periods beginning on the Benchmark Index Change Date and the Previous Benchmark Index for periods prior to the Benchmark Index Change Date.
2
Prior to May 31, 2018, the FTSE International Inflation-Linked Securities Select Index was named the Citi International Inflation-Linked Securities Select Index.
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are James Kramer, Cynthia Moy and Joanna Madden.
James Kramer is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 1996.
Cynthia Moy is a Principal of the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group. She joined the Adviser in 2007.
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Joanna Madden is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group. She joined the Adviser in 2003.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as Creation Units. Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (NAV), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the bid-ask spread). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you. Some distributions may be treated as a return of capital for tax purposes.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and 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 Strategies Information
Principal Strategies
General. Please see each Fund's The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy section under Fund Summaries above for a discussion of each Fund's principal investment strategies. A Fund may invest in various types of securities and engage in various investment techniques which are not the principal focus of the Fund and therefore are not described in this Prospectus. These securities, techniques and practices, together with their risks, are described in the Statement of Additional Information (the SAI), which you may obtain free of charge by contacting shareholder services (see the back cover of this Prospectus for the address and phone number).
The Adviser seeks to track the performance of each Fund's Index as closely as possible (i.e., obtain a high degree of correlation with the Index). A number of factors may affect a Fund's ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with its Index, and there can be no guarantee that a Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. For example, a Fund may not be able to achieve a high degree of correlation with its Index when there are practical difficulties or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of securities to follow the Index, when a security in the Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or legal restrictions exist that prohibit the Fund from investing in a security in the Index.
The Adviser will utilize a sampling strategy in managing the Funds. Sampling means that the Adviser uses quantitative analysis to select securities, including securities in the Index, outside of the Index and derivatives that have a similar investment profile as the relevant Index in terms of key risk factors, performance attributes and other economic characteristics. These include industry weightings, market capitalization, and other financial characteristics of securities. The quantity of holdings in a Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. In addition, from time to time, securities are added to or removed from each Index. The Adviser may sell securities that are represented in an Index, or purchase securities that are not yet represented in an Index, in anticipation of their removal from or addition to an Index. Further, the Adviser may choose to overweight securities in an Index, purchase or sell securities not in an Index, or utilize various combinations of other available techniques, in seeking to track an Index.
Each Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy to invest at least 80% of its respective net assets, plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes, in investments suggested by its name, measured at the time of investment. A Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days' notice prior to any change in this non-fundamental 80% investment policy.The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the Board) may change a Fund's investment strategy, Index and other policies without shareholder approval, except as otherwise indicated in this Prospectus or in the SAI. The Board may also change a Fund's investment objective without shareholder approval.
Non-Principal Strategies
Certain Other Investments. Each Fund may invest in 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 security or index), swaps, options and futures contracts. Swaps, options and futures contracts and structured notes may be used by a Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to its Index and in managing cash flows.
Temporary Defensive Positions. In certain situations or market conditions, a Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies, provided that the alternative is consistent with the Fund's investment objective and is in the best interest of the Fund. For example, a Fund may make larger than normal investments in derivatives to maintain exposure to its Index if it is unable to invest directly in a component security.
Borrowing Money. Each Fund may borrow money from a bank as permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act), or other governing statute, by the rules thereunder, or by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund, but only for temporary or emergency purposes. The 1940 Act presently allows a Fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets). A Fund may also invest in reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions. Consistent with a rule under the 1940 Act, a Fund may treat such investments as either borrowings or derivatives
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transactions. To the extent a Fund treats reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions as borrowings, such investments will also be included in the 33 1/3% limit. Under normal circumstances, any borrowings by a Fund (including investments in reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions treated as borrowings) will not exceed 10% of the Fund's total assets.
Lending of Securities. Each Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 40% of the value of its net assets via a securities lending program through its securities lending agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street or the Lending Agent), to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions desiring to borrow securities to complete transactions and for other purposes. A securities lending program allows a Fund to receive a portion of the income generated by lending its securities and investing the respective collateral.  A Fund will receive collateral for each loaned security which is at least equal to the market value of that security, marked to market each trading day. To the extent a Fund receives cash collateral, as of the date of this Prospectus, the Adviser expects to invest such cash collateral in a fund managed by the Adviser that invests in: a broad range of money market instruments; certificates of deposit and time deposits of U.S. and foreign banks; commercial paper and other high quality obligations of U.S. or foreign companies; asset-backed securities; mortgage-related securities; repurchase agreements; and shares of money market funds. In the securities lending program, the borrower generally has the right to vote the loaned securities; however, a Fund may call loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the Fund's economic interest in the investment is to be voted upon. Security loans may be terminated at any time by a Fund.
Additional Risk Information
The following section provides information regarding the principal risks identified under Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund in each Fund Summary along with additional risk information.
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Principal Risks
The table below identifies the principal risks of investing in each Fund.
Fund Name
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF
SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF
SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk
x
 
 
 
x
Call/Prepayment Risk
x
x
 
 
x
Counterparty Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Credit Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Currency Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Debt Securities Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Derivatives Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Forward Currency Contracts Risk
x
x
x
x
 
Futures Contract Risk
x
x
x
x
 
Swaps Risk
x
x
 
 
x
Emerging Markets Risk
x
 
x
x
x
Extension Risk
x
x
 
 
x
Financial Sector Risk
 
x
 
 
 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Geographic Focus Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Asia
x
 
 
 
 
Europe
 
x
x
x
x
Japan
 
 
x
x
 
United Kingdom
 
 
 
 
x
Income Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk
 
 
 
 
x
Interest Rate Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Leveraging Risk
x
x
x
x
x
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Fund Name
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF
SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF
SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF
Liquidity Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Market Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Non-Diversification Risk
x
 
x
x
x
Non-U.S. Securities Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Reinvestment Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Restricted Securities Risk
 
 
x
x
x
Settlement Risk
x
x
x
x
x
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk
x
 
x
x
x
Unconstrained Sector Risk
 
x
 
 
 
Valuation Risk
x
x
x
x
x
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Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk. Securities rated below investment-grade and unrated securities of comparable credit quality (commonly known as high-yield or junk bonds) lack strong investment-grade characteristics, are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to make principal and interest payments, and are subject to greater levels of credit, liquidity and market risk than higher-rated securities. They can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher-rated securities, and their values can decline significantly over short periods of time. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. In the event the issuer of a debt security held by a Fund defaults on its payments or becomes insolvent or bankrupt, the Fund may not receive the return it was promised on the investment and could lose its entire investment. The lower ratings of junk bonds reflect a greater possibility that actual or perceived adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions, or an unanticipated rise in interest rates, may impair the ability of the issuer to make payments of interest and principal. If this were to occur, the values of such securities held by a Fund may fall substantially and a Fund could lose some or all of the value of its investment. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general, than higher quality debt securities. The market for lower quality debt securities can be less liquid than for higher quality debt securities, especially during periods of recession or general market decline, which could make it difficult at times for a Fund to sell certain securities at prices used in calculating a Fund's net asset value. These securities may have significant volatility.
Call/Prepayment Risk. Call/prepayment risk is the risk that an issuer will exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation held by a Fund earlier than expected or required. This may occur, for example, when there is a decline in interest rates, and an issuer of bonds or preferred stock redeems the bonds or stock in order to replace them with obligations on which it is required to pay a lower interest or dividend rate. It may also occur when there is an unanticipated increase in the rate at which mortgages or other receivables underlying mortgage- or asset-backed securities held by a Fund are prepaid. In any such case, a Fund may be forced to invest the prepaid amounts in lower-yielding investments, resulting in a decline in the Fund's income.
Counterparty Risk. A Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into derivatives contracts and other transactions such as repurchase agreements or reverse repurchase agreements. A Fund's ability to profit from these types of investments and transactions will depend on the willingness and ability of its counterparty to perform its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, a Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. A Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving its counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. If a Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. Under applicable law or contractual provisions, including if a Fund enters into an investment or transaction with a financial institution and such financial institution (or an affiliate of the financial institution) experiences financial difficulties, then the Fund may in certain situations be prevented or delayed from exercising its rights to terminate the investment or transaction, or to realize on any collateral and may result in the suspension of payment and delivery obligations of the parties under such investment or transactions or in another institution being substituted for that financial institution without the consent of the Fund. Further, a Fund may be subject to bail-in risk under applicable law whereby, if required by the financial institution's authority, the financial institution's liabilities could be written down, eliminated or converted into equity or an alternative instrument of ownership. A bail-in of a financial institution may result in a reduction in value of some or all of its securities and, if a Fund holds such securities or has entered into a transaction with such a financial security when a bail-in occurs, such Fund may also be similarly impacted.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer, guarantor or liquidity provider of a fixed-income security held by a Fund may be unable or unwilling, or may be perceived (whether by market participants, ratings agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as unable or unwilling, to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations. It includes the risk that the security will be downgraded by a credit rating agency; generally, lower credit quality issuers present higher credit risks. An actual or perceived decline in creditworthiness of an issuer of a fixed-income security held by a Fund may result in a decrease in the value of the security. It is possible that the ability of an issuer to meet its obligations will decline substantially during the period when a Fund owns securities of the issuer or that the issuer will default on its obligations or that the obligations of the issuer will be limited or restructured.
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The credit rating assigned to any particular investment does not necessarily reflect the issuer's current financial condition and does not reflect an assessment of an investment's volatility or liquidity. Securities rated in the lowest category of investment-grade are considered to have speculative characteristics. If a security held by a Fund loses its rating or its rating is downgraded, the Fund may nonetheless continue to hold the security in the discretion of the Adviser. In the case of asset-backed or mortgage-related securities, changes in the actual or perceived ability of the obligors on the underlying assets or mortgages to make payments of interest and/or principal may affect the values of those securities.
Currency Risk. Investments in issuers in different countries are often denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Changes in the values of those currencies relative to the U.S. dollar may have a positive or negative effect on the values of a Fund's investments denominated in those currencies. The values of other currencies relative to the U.S. dollar may fluctuate in response to, among other factors, interest rate changes, intervention (or failure to intervene) by national governments, central banks, or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, the imposition of currency controls, and other political or regulatory developments. Currency values can decrease significantly both in the short term and over the long term in response to these and other developments. Continuing uncertainty as to the status of the Euro and the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (the EMU) has created significant volatility in currency and financial markets generally. Any partial or complete dissolution of the EMU, or any continued uncertainty as to its status, could have significant adverse effects on currency and financial markets, and on the values of a Fund's portfolio investments.
Debt Securities Risk. The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of a Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, a decline in a Fund's income and yield, an adverse impact on the liquidity of a Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, a Fund's yield can be low, and a Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). To the extent that interest rates fall, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially faster than originally anticipated. If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by a Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities. The U.S. Federal Reserve has been engaged in an aggressive campaign to raise interest rates in an effort to combat historically high levels of inflation. Interest rate increases may continue. High levels of inflation and/or a significantly changing interest rate environment can lead to heightened levels of volatility and reduced liquidity.
Derivatives Risk. A derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, interest rate, or index. Derivative transactions typically involve leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a derivative transaction will result in a loss greater than the principal amount invested, and a Fund may not be able to close out a derivative transaction at a favorable time or price. Risks associated with derivative instruments include potential changes in value in response to interest rate changes or other market developments or as a result of the counterparty's credit quality; the potential for the derivative transaction not to have the effect the Adviser anticipated or a different or less favorable effect than the Adviser anticipated; the failure of the counterparty to the derivative transaction to perform its obligations under the transaction or to settle a trade; possible mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative instrument; imperfect correlation in the value of a derivative with the asset, rate, or index underlying the derivative; the risk that a Fund may be required to post collateral or margin with its counterparty, and will not be able to recover the collateral or margin in the event of the counterparty's insolvency or bankruptcy; the risk that a Fund will experience losses on its derivatives investments and on its other portfolio investments, even when the derivatives investments may be intended in part or entirely to hedge those portfolio investments; the risks specific to the asset underlying the derivative instrument; lack of liquidity for the derivative instrument, including, without limitation, absence of a secondary trading market; the potential for reduced returns to a Fund due to losses on the transaction and an increase in volatility; the potential for the derivative transaction to have the effect of accelerating the recognition of gain; and legal risks arising from the documentation relating to the derivative transaction.
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Forward Currency Contracts Risk. In a forward currency contract, a Fund agrees to buy in the future an amount in one currency in return for another currency, at an exchange rate determined at the time the contract is entered into. If currency exchange rates have moved against the Fund's position at the time the contract is settled or closed, the Fund will lose money on the contract. There is no limit on the extent to which exchange rates may move against a Fund's position. The markets for certain currencies may at times become illiquid, and a Fund may be unable to enter into new forward contracts or to close out existing contracts. Forward currency contracts are entered into in the over-the-counter market, and a Fund's ability to profit from a contract will depend on the willingness and ability of its counterparty to perform its obligations under the contract. Use by a Fund of foreign currency forward contracts may give rise to investment leverage.
Futures Contract Risk. The risk of loss relating to the use of futures contracts is potentially unlimited. The ability to establish and close out positions in futures contracts will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular futures contract or at any particular time. In the event no such market exists, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions, and a Fund will be unable to terminate the futures contract. In using futures contracts, a Fund will be reliant on the ability of the Adviser to predict market and price movements correctly; the skills needed to use such futures contracts successfully are different from those needed for traditional portfolio management. If a Fund uses futures contracts for hedging purposes, there is a risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the futures contracts and movements in the securities or index underlying the futures contracts or movements in the prices of the Fund's investments that are the subject of such hedge. The prices of futures contracts, for a number of reasons, may not correlate perfectly with movements in the securities or index underlying them. For example, participants in the futures markets are subject to margin deposit requirements. Such requirements may cause investors to take actions with respect to their futures positions that they would not otherwise take. The margin requirements in the futures markets may be less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets in general, and as a result those markets may attract more speculators than the securities markets do. Increased participation by speculators in those markets may cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of price distortion, even a correct forecast of general market trends by the Adviser still may not result in a successful futures activity over a very short time period. The risk of a position in a futures contract may be very large compared to the relatively low level of margin a Fund is required to deposit. A Fund will typically be required to post margin with its futures commission merchant in connection with its transactions in futures contracts. 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. A Fund will incur brokerage fees in connection with its futures transactions. In the event of an insolvency of the futures commission merchant or a clearing house, a Fund may not be able to recover all (or any) of the margin it has posted with the futures commission merchant, or to realize the value of any increase in the price of its positions, or it may experience a significant delay in doing so. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the CFTC) and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as speculative position limits on the maximum net long or net short positions that any person and certain affiliated entities may hold or control in a particular futures contract. In addition, federal position limits apply to swaps that are economically equivalent to futures contracts that are subject to CFTC-set speculative limits. All positions owned or controlled by the same person or entity, even if in different accounts, must be aggregated for purposes of complying with position limits. It is possible that the positions of different clients managed by the Adviser may be aggregated for this purpose. Therefore, the trading decisions of the Adviser may have to be modified and positions held by a Fund liquidated in order to avoid exceeding such limits. The modification of investment decisions or the elimination of open positions, if it occurs, may adversely affect the performance of a Fund. A violation of position limits could also lead to regulatory action materially adverse to a Fund's investment strategy. In addition, exchanges may establish accountability levels applicable to a futures contract instead of position limits, provided that the futures contract is not subject to federal position limits. An exchange may order a person who holds or controls a position in excess of a position accountability level not to further increase its position, to comply with any prospective limit that exceeds the size of the position owned or controlled, or to reduce any open position that exceeds the position accountability level if the exchange determines that such action is necessary to maintain an orderly market. Position accountability levels could adversely affect a Fund's ability to establish and maintain positions in commodity futures contracts to which such levels apply, if the Fund were to trade in such contracts, and a Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective.
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Futures contracts traded on markets outside the U.S. are not generally subject to the same level of regulation by the CFTC or other U.S. regulatory entities as contracts traded in the U.S., including without limitation as to the execution, delivery, and clearing of transactions. U.S. regulators neither regulate the activities of a foreign exchange, nor have the power to compel enforcement of the rules of the foreign exchange or the laws of the foreign country in question. Margin and other payments made by a Fund may not be afforded the same protections as are afforded those payments in the U.S., including in connection with the insolvency of an executing or clearing broker or a clearinghouse or exchange. Certain foreign futures contracts may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. contracts.
Swaps Risk. A swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates the parties to exchange payments based on a specified reference security, basket of securities, security index or index component. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk of a counterparty's defaulting on the obligation or bankruptcy), credit risk and pricing risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). Swaps may also be considered illiquid. It may not be possible for a Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in emerging markets are generally subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This may be due to, among other things, the possibility of greater market volatility, lower trading volume and liquidity, greater risk of expropriation, nationalization, and social, political and economic instability, greater reliance on a few industries, international trade or revenue from particular commodities, less developed accounting, legal and regulatory systems, higher levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, greater risk of market shutdown, and more significant governmental limitations on investment policy as compared to those typically found in a developed market. There may be limited legal rights and remedies for investors in companies domiciled in emerging markets. In addition, issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may have less financial stability than in other countries. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. A Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as embargo and acts of war. As a result, there will tend to be an increased risk of price volatility in investments in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar. Settlement and asset custody practices for transactions in emerging markets may differ from those in developed markets. Such differences may include possible delays in settlement and certain settlement 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. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative.
Extension Risk. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of certain types of securities may be extended because of slower-than-expected principal payments. This may increase the period of time during which an investment earns a below-market interest rate, increase the security's duration and reduce the value of the security. Extension risk may be heightened during periods of adverse economic conditions generally, as payment rates decline due to higher unemployment levels and other factors.
Financial Sector Risk. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation, which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause 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. Certain events in the financial sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Securities of financial services companies may experience a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers and financial losses associated with investment activities can
42

negatively impact the sector. Insurance companies may be subject to severe price competition. Adverse economic, business or political developments could adversely affect financial institutions engaged in mortgage finance or other lending or investing activities directly or indirectly connected to the value of real estate.
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk. The net asset value of Fund Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of a Fund's securities holdings. The market prices of Fund Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in a Fund's net asset value and supply and demand of Fund Shares on the Exchange. It cannot be predicted whether Fund Shares will trade below, at or above 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 Fund Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of an Index trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. The market prices of Fund Shares may deviate significantly from the net asset value of Fund Shares during periods of market volatility. However, given that Fund Shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of Fund Shares should not be sustained over long periods. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that Fund Shares normally will trade close to a Fund's net asset value, disruptions to creations and redemptions or market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from such Fund's net asset value. If an investor purchases Fund Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the net asset value of Fund Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the net asset value of Fund Shares, then the investor may sustain losses.
Geographic Focus Risk. The performance of a fund that is less diversified across countries or geographic regions will be closely tied to market, currency, economic, political, environmental, or regulatory conditions and developments in the countries or regions in which the fund invests, and may be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically-diversified fund.
Asia. 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. 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 the countries in which a 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 a Fund's investments.
Europe. The Economic and Monetary Union of the 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 common currency of certain EU countries), 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. These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect every country in Europe, including countries that do not use the euro.
Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not produce the desired results, 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. For example, on January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as Brexit) and, after a transition period, left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement on December 31, 2020. The agreement governs the new relationship between the United Kingdom and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain
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unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. The full scope and nature of the consequences of the exit are not at this time known and are unlikely to be known for a significant period of time. It is also unknown whether the United Kingdom's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Any exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, may have a significant impact on the United Kingdom, Europe, and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth for such economies that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of the Fund's investments. In addition, a number of countries in Europe have suffered terrorist attacks and additional attacks may occur in the future. Such attacks may cause uncertainty in financial markets and may adversely affect the performance of the issuers to which the Fund has exposure.
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 also remains heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the economy. The Japanese economy faces several other 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. These issues may cause a slowdown of the Japanese economy. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely at times and any increase in its value may cause a decline in exports that could weaken the Japanese economy. Japan has, in the past, intervened in the currency markets to attempt to maintain or reduce the value of the yen. Japanese intervention in the currency markets could cause the value of the yen to fluctuate sharply and unpredictably and could cause losses to investors. Japan has an aging workforce and has experienced a significant population decline in recent years. Japan's labor market appears to be undergoing fundamental structural changes, as a labor market traditionally accustomed to lifetime employment adjusts to meet the need for increased labor mobility, which may adversely affect Japan's economic competitiveness. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons or tsunamis, could occur in Japan or surrounding areas and could negatively affect the Japanese economy and, in turn, a Fund.
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 condition of the United States and other European countries. The British economy relies heavily on the export of financial services to the United States and other European countries and, therefore, a prolonged slowdown in the financial services sector may have a negative impact on the British economy. Continued governmental involvement or control in certain sectors may stifle competition in certain sectors or cause adverse effects on economic growth. 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 a Fund has exposure.
On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as Brexit) and, after a transition period, left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement on December 31, 2020. The agreement governs the new relationship between the United Kingdom and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. There is still considerable uncertainty relating to the potential consequences associated with the exit and whether the United Kingdom's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU.  Brexit may have a significant impact on the United Kingdom, Europe, and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth for these economies that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of a Fund's investments.
Income Risk. A Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by a Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by a Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. A reduction in the income earned by a Fund may limit the Fund's ability to achieve its objective.
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Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk. Each Fund is managed with an indexing investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. Each Fund will seek to provide investment results that correspond generally to the performance of the Index, regardless of the current or projected performance of the Index or of the actual securities comprising the Index. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. Each Fund generally will buy and will not sell a security included in the Index as long as the security is part of the Index regardless of any sudden or material decline in value or foreseeable material decline in value of the security, even though the Adviser may make a different investment decision for other actively managed accounts or portfolios that hold the security. As a result, a Fund's performance may be less favorable than that of a portfolio managed using an active investment strategy. The structure and composition of the Index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the Index (in absolute terms and by comparison with other indices) and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of a Fund. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on a Fund and its shareholders. To the extent circumstances evolve in between reconstitutions, an Index may include, and the corresponding Fund may therefore hold for a period of time, securities of companies that do not align with the Index's objective and/or criteria. While the Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), a Fund's return may not match the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the return on the sample of securities purchased by a Fund (or the return on securities not included in the Index) may not correlate precisely with the return of the Index. Each Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities. In addition, a Fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into or out of the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions. The Adviser may attempt to track the Index return by investing in fewer than all of the securities in the Index, or in some securities not included in the Index, potentially increasing the risk of divergence between a Fund's return and that of the Index. Changes in the composition of the Index and regulatory requirements also may impact a Fund's ability to match the return of the Index. The Adviser may apply one or more screens or investment techniques to refine or limit the number or types of issuers included in the Index in which a Fund may invest. Application of such screens or techniques may result in investment performance below that of the Index and may not produce results expected by the Adviser. Index tracking risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions.
Pursuant to each Index methodology, a security may be removed from an Index in the event that it does not comply with the eligibility requirements of the Index. As a result, a Fund may be forced to sell securities at inopportune times and/or unfavorable prices due to these changes in the Index components. When there are changes made to the component securities of an Index and the corresponding Fund in turn makes similar changes to its portfolio to attempt to increase the correlation between the Fund's portfolio and the Index, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio changes will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. Unscheduled changes to an Index may expose the corresponding Fund to additional tracking error risk. A Fund may recognize gains as a result of rebalancing or reconstituting its securities holdings to reflect changes in the securities included in the corresponding Index. A Fund also may be required to distribute any such gains to its shareholders to avoid adverse federal income tax consequences.
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Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk. The principal amount of an inflation-indexed security typically increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by a specified index. It is possible that, in a period of declining inflation rates, a Fund could receive at maturity less than the initial principal amount of an inflation-indexed security. Although the holders of U.S. TIPS receive no less than the par value of the security at maturity, if a Fund purchases U.S. TIPS in the secondary market whose principal values have previously been adjusted upward and there is a period of subsequent declining inflation rates, a Fund may receive at maturity less than it invested. Depending on the changes in inflation rates during the period a Fund holds an inflation-indexed security, a Fund may earn less on the security than on a conventional bond. The principal amounts of inflation-indexed securities are typically only adjusted periodically, and changes in the values of the securities may only approximately reflect changes in inflation rates and may occur substantially after the changes in inflation rates in question occur.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the securities held by a Fund will decline in value because of increases in market interest rates. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security's price to changes in interest rates. Debt securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than debt securities with shorter durations. For example, the value of a security with a duration of five years would be expected to decrease by 5% for every 1% increase in interest rates. Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in a Fund's income and yield. Interest-only and principal-only securities are especially sensitive to interest rate changes, which can affect not only their prices but can also change the income flows and repayment assumptions about those investments. Variable and floating rate securities also generally increase or decrease in value in response to changes in interest rates, although generally to a lesser degree than fixed-rate securities. A substantial increase in interest rates may also have an adverse impact on the liquidity of a security, especially those with longer durations. Interest rate changes can be sudden and unpredictable, and are influenced by a number of factors, including government policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, perceptions of risk, and supply and demand for bonds. Changes in government or central bank policy, including changes in tax policy or changes in a central bank's implementation of specific policy goals, may have a substantial impact on interest rates. This could lead to heightened levels of interest rate, volatility and liquidity risks for the fixed income markets generally and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of a Fund's investments. There can be no guarantee that any particular government or central bank policy will be continued, discontinued or changed, nor that any such policy will have the desired effect on interest rates.
Leveraging Risk. Borrowing transactions, reverse repurchase agreements, certain derivatives transactions, securities lending transactions and other investment transactions such as when-issued, delayed-delivery, or forward commitment transactions may create investment leverage. If a Fund engages in transactions that have a leveraging effect on the Fund's investment portfolio, the value of the Fund will be potentially more volatile and all other risks will tend to be compounded. This is because leverage generally creates investment risk with respect to a larger base of assets than a Fund would otherwise have and so magnifies the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund's underlying assets. The use of leverage is considered to be a speculative investment practice and may result in losses to a Fund. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. The use of leverage may cause a Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy repayment, interest payment, or margin obligations or to meet asset coverage requirements.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a Fund may not be able to dispose of investments readily at a favorable time or prices (or at all) or at prices approximating those at which a Fund currently values them. For example, certain investments may be subject to restrictions on resale, may trade in the over-the-counter market or in limited volume, or may not have an active trading market. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. It may be difficult for a Fund to value illiquid investments accurately. The market for certain investments may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. If the liquidity of a Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Disposal of illiquid investments may entail registration expenses and other transaction costs that are higher than those for liquid investments. A Fund may seek to borrow money to meet its obligations (including among other things redemption obligations) if it is unable to dispose of illiquid investments, resulting in borrowing expenses and possible leveraging of the Fund.
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Market Risk. Market prices of investments held by a Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. A Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile, and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors, including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, inflation, changes in actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers and general market liquidity. Even if general economic conditions do not change, the value of an investment in a Fund could decline if the particular industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests do not perform well or are adversely affected by events. Further, legal, political, regulatory and tax changes also may cause fluctuations in markets and securities prices. Local, regional or global events such as war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on a Fund and its investments.
The COVID-19 global pandemic has resulted in major disruptions to economies and markets around the world, including the United States. Although vaccines have been developed and approved for use by various governments, the duration of the pandemic and its effects cannot be predicted with certainty. COVID-19, and efforts to contain its spread, have contributed to, and may continue to contribute to, market volatility, inflation, reduced liquidity of certain instruments, supply chain disruptions, and systemic economic weakness, and trading in many instruments was and may continue to be disrupted as a result. In response, governments and central banks, including the Federal Reserve in the United States, have taken extraordinary and unprecedented actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets. The impact of these measures, and whether they will be effective to mitigate the economic and market disruption, will not be known for some time. The foregoing could impact a Fund and its investments and result in disruptions to the services provided to a Fund by its service providers.
Non-Diversification Risk. Funds classified as non-diversified may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent a Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. A non-diversified Fund may become diversified for periods of time solely as a result of tracking its Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities).
Non-U.S. Securities Risk. Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers entail risks not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Similar risks may apply to securities traded on a U.S. securities exchange that are issued by entities with significant exposure to non-U.S. countries. In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with regard to U.S. investments. Because non-U.S. securities are typically denominated and traded in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, the value of the Fund's assets, to the extent they are non-U.S. dollar denominated, may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of non-U.S. currencies. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Income and gains with respect to investments in certain countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards, regulatory framework and practices comparable to those in the United States. The securities of some non-U.S. entities are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. entities, and could become subject to sanctions or embargoes that adversely affect a Fund's investment. Non-U.S. transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions and custody costs may be higher than in the U.S. In addition, there may be a possibility of nationalization or expropriation of assets, imposition of currency exchange controls, confiscatory taxation, and diplomatic developments that could adversely affect the values of a Fund's investments in issuers in certain non-U.S. countries. Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers also are subject to foreign political and economic risk not associated with U.S. investments, meaning that political events (civil unrest, national elections, changes in political conditions and foreign relations, imposition of exchange controls and repatriation restrictions), social and economic events (labor strikes, rising inflation) and natural disasters occurring in a country where a Fund invests could cause the Fund's investments to experience gains or losses.
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Reinvestment Risk. Income from a Fund's portfolio may decline when the Fund invests the proceeds from investment income, sales of portfolio securities or matured, traded or called debt obligations. For instance, during periods of declining interest rates, an issuer of debt obligations may exercise an option to redeem securities prior to maturity, forcing a Fund to reinvest the proceeds in lower-yielding securities. A decline in income received by a Fund from its investments is likely to have a negative effect on the yield and total return of the Fund Shares.
Restricted Securities Risk. A Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws pursuant to an exemption from registration. These securities may be less liquid than securities registered for sale to the general public. The liquidity of a restricted security may be affected by a number of factors, including, among others: (i) the creditworthiness of the issuer; (ii) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (iii) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (iv) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; (v) the nature of any legal restrictions governing trading in the security; and (vi) the nature of the security and the nature of marketplace trades. There can be no assurance that a liquid trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility.
Settlement Risk. Markets in different countries have different clearance and settlement procedures and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of transactions. Delays in settlement may increase credit risk to a Fund, limit the ability of a Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a sale of securities, hinder the ability of a Fund to lend its portfolio securities, and potentially subject a Fund to penalties for its failure to deliver to on-purchasers of securities whose delivery to a Fund was delayed. Delays in the settlement of securities purchased by a Fund may limit the ability of a Fund to sell those securities at times and prices it considers desirable, and may subject a Fund to losses and costs due to its own inability to settle with subsequent purchasers of the securities from it. A Fund may be required to borrow monies it had otherwise expected to receive in connection with the settlement of securities sold by it, in order to meet its obligations to others. Limits on the ability of a Fund to purchase or sell securities due to settlement delays could increase any variance between a Fund's performance and that of its benchmark index.
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk. Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. A governmental entity's willingness or ability to pay interest and repay principal in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow, the size of its reserves, its access to foreign exchange, the relative size of its debt service burden to its economy as a whole, and political constraints. A governmental entity may default on its obligations or may require renegotiation or reschedule of debt payments. Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by a Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. The sovereign debt of certain non-U.S. governments, including their sub-divisions and instrumentalities, is rated below investment-grade. Sovereign debt risk may be greater for debt securities issued or guaranteed by emerging and/or frontier countries.
Unconstrained Sector Risk. A Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets within one or more economic sectors or industries, which may change from time to time. When a Fund focuses its investments in a particular industry or sector, financial, economic, business, and other developments affecting issuers in that industry, market, or economic sector will have a greater effect on the Fund than if it had not focused its assets in that industry, market, or economic sector, which may increase the volatility of the Fund.
Valuation Risk. Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of a Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including fair valued securities, may be subject to greater
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fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. Technological issues or other service disruption issues involving third-party service providers may cause a Fund to value its investments incorrectly. In addition, there is no assurance that a Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that a Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by a Fund at that time.
Non-Principal Risks
Each risk discussed below is a non-principal risk of a Fund to the extent it is not identified as a principal risk for such Fund in the preceding ADDITIONAL RISK INFORMATION - PRINCIPAL RISKS section.
Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. A Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (APs), which are responsible for the creation and redemption activity for a Fund. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Fund Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
Cash Transaction Risk. To the extent a Fund sells portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely in-kind. As a result, a Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
Concentration Risk. A Fund's assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, but only to the extent that the Fund's underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. When a Fund focuses its investments in a particular industry or sector, financial, economic, business, and other developments affecting issuers in that industry, market, or economic sector will have a greater effect on the Fund than if it had not focused its assets in that industry, market, or economic sector, which may increase the volatility of the Fund.
Conflicts of Interest Risk. An investment in a Fund will be subject to a number of actual or potential conflicts of interest. For example, the Adviser or its affiliates may provide services to a Fund, such as securities lending agency services, custodial, administrative, bookkeeping, and accounting services, transfer agency and shareholder servicing, securities brokerage services, and other services for which the Fund would compensate the Adviser and/or such affiliates. The Funds may invest in other pooled investment vehicles sponsored, managed, or otherwise affiliated with the Adviser. There is no assurance that the rates at which a Fund pays fees or expenses to the Adviser or its affiliates, or the terms on which it enters into transactions with the Adviser or its affiliates will be the most favorable available in the market generally or as favorable as the rates the Adviser or its affiliates make available to other clients. Because of its financial interest, the Adviser will have an incentive to enter into transactions or arrangements on behalf of a Fund with itself or its affiliates in circumstances where it might not have done so in the absence of that interest, provided that the Adviser will comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
The Adviser and its affiliates serve as investment adviser to other clients and may make investment decisions that may be different from those that will be made by the Adviser on behalf of the Funds. For example, the Adviser may provide asset allocation advice to some clients that may include a recommendation to invest in or redeem from particular issuers while not providing that same recommendation to all clients invested in the same or similar issuers. The Adviser may (subject to applicable law) be simultaneously seeking to purchase (or sell) investments for a Fund and to sell (or purchase) the same investment for accounts, funds, or structured products for which it serves as asset manager, or for other clients or affiliates. The Adviser and its affiliates may invest for clients in various securities that are senior, pari passu or junior to, or have interests different from or adverse to, the securities that are owned by a Fund. The Adviser or its affiliates, in connection with its other business activities, may acquire material nonpublic confidential information that may restrict the Adviser from purchasing securities or selling securities for itself or its clients (including the Funds) or otherwise using such information for the benefit of its clients or itself.
The foregoing does not purport to be a comprehensive list or complete explanation of all potential conflicts of interests which may affect a Fund. A Fund may encounter circumstances, or enter into transactions, in which conflicts of interest that are not listed or discussed above may arise.
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Costs of Buying and Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Fund Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for Fund Shares (the bid price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Fund Shares (the ask price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the spread or bid/ask spread. The bid/ask spread varies over time for Fund Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if Fund Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Fund Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Fund Shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Fund Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Fund Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform business and operational functions, funds (such as the Funds) and their service providers (including the Adviser) may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks and/or technological malfunctions. In general, cyber-attacks are deliberate, but unintentional events may have similar effects. Cyber-attacks include, among others, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, preventing legitimate users from accessing information or services on a website, releasing confidential information without authorization, and causing operational disruption. Successful cyber-attacks against, or security breakdowns of, a Fund, the Adviser, or a custodian, transfer agent, or other affiliated or third-party service provider may adversely affect a Fund or its shareholders. For instance, cyber-attacks or technical malfunctions may interfere with the processing of shareholder or other transactions, affect a Fund's ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impede trading, cause reputational damage, and subject a Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and additional compliance costs. Cyber-attacks or technical malfunctions may render records of Fund assets and transactions, shareholder ownership of Fund Shares, and other data integral to the functioning of a Fund inaccessible or inaccurate or incomplete. A Fund may also incur substantial costs for cybersecurity risk management in order to prevent cyber incidents in the future. A Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. While the Adviser has established business continuity plans and systems designed to minimize the risk of cyber-attacks through the use of technology, processes and controls, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified, given the evolving nature of this threat. Each Fund relies on third-party service providers for many of its day-to-day operations, and will be subject to the risk that the protections and protocols implemented by those service providers will be ineffective to protect the Fund from cyber-attack. The Adviser does not control the cybersecurity plans and systems put in place by third-party service providers, and such third-party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Adviser or the Funds. Similar types of cybersecurity risks or technical malfunctions also are present for issuers of securities in which each Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause a Fund's investment in such securities to lose value.
Index Construction Risk. A security included in an Index may not exhibit the characteristic or provide the specific exposure for which it was selected and consequently a Fund's holdings may not exhibit returns consistent with that characteristic or exposure.
Index Licensing Risk. It is possible that the license under which the Adviser or a Fund is permitted to replicate or otherwise use an Index will be terminated or may be disputed, impaired or cease to remain in effect. In such a case, the Adviser may be required to replace the relevant Index with another index which it considers to be appropriate in light of the investment strategy of a Fund. The use of any such substitute index may have an adverse impact on a Fund's performance. In the event that the Adviser is unable to identify a suitable replacement for the relevant Index, it may determine to terminate a Fund.
Money Market Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds seek to preserve the value of their shares at $1.00 per share, although there can be no assurance that they will do so, and it is possible to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. A major or unexpected change in interest rates or a decline in the credit quality of an issuer or entity providing credit support, an inactive trading market for money market instruments, or adverse market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, and other conditions could cause the share
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price of such a money market fund to fall below $1.00. It is possible that such a money market fund will issue and redeem shares at $1.00 per share at times when the fair value of the money market fund's portfolio per share is more or less than $1.00. None of State Street Corporation, State Street, State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), SSGA FM or their affiliates (the State Street Entities) guarantee the value of an investment in a money market fund at $1.00 per share. Investors should have no expectation of capital support to a money market fund from State Street Entities. Other money market funds price and transact at a floating NAV that will fluctuate along with changes in the market-based value of fund assets. Shares sold utilizing a floating NAV may be worth more or less than their original purchase price. Recent changes in the regulation of money market funds may affect the operations and structures of money market funds. A money market fund may be permitted or required to impose redemption fees or to impose limitations on redemptions during periods of high illiquidity in the markets for the investments held by it.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. A Fund may engage in frequent trading of its portfolio securities. Fund turnover generally involves a number of direct and indirect costs and expenses to a Fund, including, for example, brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and bid/asked spreads, and transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities. The costs related to increased portfolio turnover have the effect of reducing a Fund's investment return, and the sale of securities by the Fund may result in the realization of taxable capital gains, including short-term capital gains. A Fund may engage in significant trading of its portfolio securities in connection with Index rebalancing. Frequent or significant trading may cause a Fund to incur additional transaction costs and experience different tax consequences in comparison to an ETF that does not engage in frequent or significant trading.
Securities Lending Risk. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 40% of the value of its net assets. For these purposes, net assets shall exclude the value of all assets received as collateral for the loan. Such loans may be terminated at any time. Any such loans must be continuously secured by collateral maintained on a current basis in an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned by a Fund, marked to market each trading day. A Fund will receive the amount of all dividends, interest and other distributions on the loaned securities, however, the borrower has the right to vote the loaned securities. A Fund will call loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the investment is to be voted upon. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities. Securities lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, a Fund may experience delays in recovering the securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. Loans are made only to borrowers that are deemed by the securities lending agent to be of good financial standing. In a loan transaction, a Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities provided as collateral or acquired with cash collateral. Each Fund will attempt to minimize this risk by limiting the investment of cash collateral to high quality instruments of short maturity either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or funds, which may include those managed by the Adviser. To the extent the collateral provided or investments made with cash collateral differ from securities included in an Index, such collateral or investments may have a greater risk of loss than the securities included in the Index. In addition, a Fund will be subject to the risk that any income generated by lending its securities or reinvesting cash collateral is lower than any fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower. The Adviser will take into account the tax impact to shareholders of substitute payments for dividends when overseeing a Fund's securities lending activity.
Trading Issues. Although Fund Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Fund Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Fund Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange circuit breaker rules. Similar to the shares of operating companies listed on a stock exchange, Fund Shares may be sold short and are therefore subject to the risk of increased volatility in the trading price of the Fund's shares. While each Fund expects that the ability of Authorized Participants to create and redeem Fund Shares at net asset value should be effective in reducing any such volatility, there is no guarantee that it will eliminate the volatility associated with such short sales. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of a Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that Fund Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange.
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Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to each Fund and, subject to the oversight of the Board, is responsible for the investment management of each Fund. The Adviser provides an investment management program for each Fund and manages the investment of each Fund's assets. In addition, the Adviser provides administrative, compliance and general management services to each Fund. The Adviser is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Global Advisors, Inc., which itself is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation. The Adviser is registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser and certain other affiliates of State Street Corporation make up SSGA. SSGA is one of the world's largest institutional money managers and the investment management arm of State Street Corporation. As of December 31, 2022, the Adviser managed approximately $804.40 billion in assets and SSGA managed approximately $3.48 trillion in assets. The Adviser's principal business address is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
For the services provided to each Fund under the Investment Advisory Agreement, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, each Fund paid the Adviser the annual fees based on a percentage of each Fund's average daily net assets as set forth below:
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
0.30%
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
0.50%
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF
0.35%
SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF
0.35%
SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF
0.50%
From time to time, the Adviser may waive all or a portion of its management fee. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse expenses in an amount equal to any acquired fund fees and expenses (excluding holdings in acquired funds for cash management purposes, if any) for each Fund until April 30, 2024. This waiver and/or reimbursement does not provide for the recoupment by the Adviser of any amounts waived or reimbursed. This waiver and/or reimbursement may not be terminated prior to April 30, 2024 except with the approval of the Board. The Adviser pays all expenses of each Fund other than the management fee, brokerage expenses, taxes, interest, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustee's counsel fees), litigation expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and other extraordinary expenses.
Participating Affiliates. The Adviser has entered into personnel-sharing arrangements with each of SSGA LTD and SSGA Singapore, each an affiliate of the Adviser. SSGA LTD is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Global Advisors, Inc. (SSGA, Inc.) and SSGA Singapore is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of SSGA, Inc. SSGA, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation. Pursuant to the personnel-sharing arrangements, certain employees of SSGA LTD and SSGA Singapore, as participating affiliates, serve as associated persons of the Adviser, and, in this capacity, are subject to the oversight of the Adviser and its Chief Compliance Officer.
These associated persons may, on behalf of the Adviser, provide discretionary investment management services (including portfolio management and trading services), research and related services to the applicable Fund(s) in accordance with the investment objectives, policies and limitations set forth in the prospectus and SAI. SSGA LTD provides such services to the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and the SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF. SSGA Singapore provides such services to the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF. Unlike the Adviser, neither SSGA LTD nor SSGA Singapore is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC. Each personnel-sharing arrangement is based on no-action letters of the staff of the SEC that permit SEC-registered investment advisers to rely on and use the resources of advisory affiliates, subject to certain conditions. Prior to March 31, 2023, SSGA LTD was a registered investment adviser with the SEC, and provided investment sub-advisory services to the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF.As of December 31, 2022, SSGA LTD managed approximately $362.5 billion in assets. SSGA LTD's principal business address is 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HJ, United Kingdom. As of December 31, 2022, SSGA Singapore managed approximately $3.68 billion in assets. SSGA Singapore's principal business address is 168 Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912.
A discussion regarding the Board's consideration of the Investment Advisory Agreement is provided in the Funds' Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended June 30, 2022.
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SSGA FM, as the investment adviser for the Funds, may hire one or more sub-advisers to oversee the day-to-day investment activities of the Funds. The sub-advisers are subject to oversight by the Adviser. The Adviser and SPDR Series Trust (the Trust) have received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, with the approval of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, of the Trust, to retain and amend existing sub-advisory agreements with unaffiliated investment sub-advisers for a Fund without submitting the sub-advisory agreement to a vote of the Fund's shareholders. The Trust will notify shareholders in the event of any change in the identity of such sub-adviser or sub-advisers. The Adviser has ultimate responsibility for the investment performance of the Funds due to its responsibility to oversee each sub-adviser and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement. The Adviser is not required to disclose fees paid to any unaffiliated sub-adviser retained pursuant to the order. Approval by a Fund's shareholders is required before any authority granted under the exemptive order may be exercised.
Portfolio Managers.
The Adviser manages the Funds using a team of investment professionals. The team approach is used to create an environment that encourages the flow of investment ideas. The portfolio managers within each team work together in a cohesive manner to develop and enhance techniques that drive the investment process for the respective investment strategy. This approach requires portfolio managers to share a variety of responsibilities, including investment strategy and analysis, while retaining responsibility for the implementation of the strategy within any particular portfolio. The approach also enables the team to draw upon the resources of other groups within SSGA. Each portfolio management team is overseen by the SSGA Investment Committee.
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund are:
Portfolio Managers
Fund
Abhishek Kumar, Robert Golcher, Catherine
Smith, Kheng Siang Ng and Imran Khan
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
Richard Darby-Dowman, Paul Brown and
Peter Spano
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
James Kramer, Joanna Madden and Cynthia
Moy
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF, SPDR FTSE International
Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF
Paul Brown is a Vice President and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD, having joined the company in 2013. He is responsible for the management of ESG, emerging market hard currency, high yield and credit index fixed income portfolios. Prior to joining SSGA LTD, Mr. Brown worked at JPMorgan Asset Management as a portfolio manager where he focused on high grade multi-currency portfolios for segregated clients and pooled funds, as well as strategies for private high net worth investors. Previously, he was a risk analyst within JPMorgan Asset Management's Risk Management team focusing primarily on investment risk. Mr. Brown graduated from Loughborough University with a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Management Sciences. As part of his degree, he completed one year's industrial placement at IBM. He has also obtained the Investment Management Certificate (IMC).
Richard Darby-Dowman is a Vice President and the Lead Portfolio Manager for Credit in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. He is responsible for the management of both credit and government bond portfolios. In addition, he has a lead role in the management of SPDR Fixed Income Exchange Traded Funds. He joined SSGA LTD in 2006. Prior to working in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team, Mr. Darby-Dowman worked as a Portfolio Manager in the Cash Management Team at SSGA LTD. He was responsible for the management of money market funds and securities lending. Prior to this he worked as an operations specialist providing support to the Cash Management Team. Mr. Darby-Dowman graduated from the University of Surrey with a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Business Computing. He has obtained the Investment Management Certificate (IMC).
Robert Golcher is a Vice President and the Head of Rates and Aggregates within the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. He joined SSGA LTD in 2013 after eleven years at the Bank of England, where he worked in a variety of roles associated with the management of the UK's Foreign Exchange Reserves. In particular, Mr. Golcher worked on the team responsible for hedging the interest rate and currency risk of bonds held in the Reserves, before working on the team responsible for active management. He first joined SSGA LTD on the Active Global Fixed Income Team, before moving to the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team in 2015. Mr. Golcher holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Nottingham and the Investment Management Certificate (IMC).
Imran Khan is a Vice President and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA Singapore. He manages both hard currency and local currency Asian bond funds. He joined SSGA Singapore in 2021. Prior to his role at SSGA Singapore, Mr. Khan spent eleven years at UOB Asset Management in Singapore as head of
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the Emerging Markets Fixed Income Team. He started his career as a Portfolio Manager at Bank Negara Malaysia where he managed fixed income portfolios of foreign exchange reserves. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Postgraduate Diploma in Mathematics from the University of Southern Queensland.
James Kramer is a Vice President of SSGA and the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group within the Global Fixed Income, Cash and Currency Team. In his current role, he is responsible for managing global treasuries, inflation and aggregate bond portfolios for ETFs, commingled funds and separately managed accounts. Prior to joining the Global Fixed Income, Cash and Currency Team, Mr. Kramer was the Head of North America Fixed Income Trading. He was responsible for a team of traders that execute all cash bonds and derivative instruments for the Active and Passive Fixed Income Groups. Prior to heading the trading desk, Mr. Kramer was a senior portfolio manager in the Interest Rate Strategies Group at SSGA. His primary responsibilities included the portfolio management of active government and inflation linked strategies. Other responsibilities included directing U.S. interest rate strategies globally for SSGA. Mr. Kramer has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Fitchburg State College. He started his career at State Street Bank and Trust Company and has been working in the investment industry since 1993.
Abhishek Kumar, CFA, is a Managing Director and the Sector Head for Emerging Markets Debt within the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. He is responsible for developing new strategies and solutions for clients in emerging markets debt, as well as global debt strategies such as global aggregate and global treasury. He is also the lead portfolio manager for emerging markets debt, managing both hard currency and local currency emerging markets funds. He joined SSGA LTD in 2010. Prior to joining the investment management team, Mr. Kumar spent three years at ICICI Bank UK PLC managing global credit portfolios. Mr. Kumar holds a Master in Management from ESCP Europe Paris, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (equivalent to a Master of Business Administration) from Indian Institute of Management in Lucknow, India and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, India. He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Society UK and the CFA Institute.
Joanna Madden is a Vice President of SSGA and the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group since 2013. Previously, Ms. Madden was a portfolio manager in the U.S. Cash Management Group responsible for short-term liquidity investments across all the cash and securities lending portfolios managed in Boston. She joined the Boston group in April 2010 after working as a portfolio manager with the London Cash Management Group. Prior to her portfolio management role, she was a product analyst for the London Cash Management Group where she provided analytical and business support. Before joining SSGA in London, Ms. Madden worked as an operations specialist supporting the Boston Cash Management Group. Ms. Madden received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Loyola University of Chicago, Illinois.
Cynthia Moy is a Principal of SSGA and the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group. As part of the portfolio management team, she is responsible for managing government bond strategies. Previously, Ms. Moy was an analyst in the Government Solutions Team, where she was responsible for credit surveillance of housing finance agency bonds. Ms. Moy's prior roles at State Street also include work as an analyst in the Stable Value Team, the Global Structured Products Group, as well as the Mutual Funds Division. Ms. Moy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Quantitative Economics from Tufts University.
Kheng Siang Ng, CFA, is a Vice President, the Asia Pacific Head of the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA Singapore, and the Head of SSGA Singapore. He joined SSGA Singapore in 2005. Mr. Ng leads the portfolio management team in APAC, manages both hard currency and local currency emerging market bond mandates in Singapore, works to develop new fixed income solutions for clients and helps grow overall fixed income business in the region. Prior to joining SSGA, Mr. Ng was a portfolio manager at ABN AMRO Asset Management in Singapore managing active global rates portfolios and Asian currencies. Before that, he worked at Bank Negara Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur as a portfolio manager managing global bonds and portfolios of foreign exchange reserves, and served as Head of the Financial Markets Analysis section. Mr. Ng holds First Class Honours in B.Sc (Economics) Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations, and is a member of CFA Society of Malaysia, CFA Society of Singapore, the CFA Institute and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association.
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Catherine Smith is a Vice President and Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. She is part of the Emerging Markets Debt Team, managing local currency index funds. She also manages global rates portfolios. Ms. Smith joined SSGA LTD in 2013, working in the Portfolio Services and Fixed Income Operations Teams. She began her career working in different capacities at Aviva Investors and JP Morgan. Ms. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with French from the University of Nottingham and the Investment Management Certificate (IMC).
Peter Spano, CFA, is a Managing Director and the EMEA Head of the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Team at SSGA LTD. In his role, he is responsible for overseeing a team of portfolio managers providing clients with a broad range of fixed income strategies, including investment grade credit, global rates, high yield, convertible bonds and emerging market debt. The strategies are delivered through a variety of investment vehicles, including SPDR ETFs, commingled funds and separate accounts. He is also a member of SSGA's Senior Leadership Team. Prior to commencing his current role, Mr. Spano managed a range of government and credit index fixed income portfolios. Before joining SSGA in 2007, Mr. Spano worked at the National Bank of Slovakia as a portfolio manager of the official reserves and as a front office specialist at the European Central Bank. Mr. Spano graduated from the University of Economics in Bratislava with a Master of Science in Economics. He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and obtained the Investment Management Certificate (IMC). He is a member of the CFA Society of the UK and the CFA Institute.
Additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers' ownership of the Funds is available in the SAI.
Administrator, Sub-Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. The Adviser serves as Administrator for each Fund. State Street, part of State Street Corporation, is the Sub-Administrator for each Fund and the Custodian for each Fund's assets, and serves as Transfer Agent to each Fund.
Lending Agent. State Street is the securities lending agent for the Trust. For its services, the lending agent would typically receive a portion of the net investment income, if any, earned on the collateral for the securities loaned.
Distributor. State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC serves as the Funds' distributor (SSGA FD or the Distributor) pursuant to the Distribution Agreement between SSGA FD and the Trust. The Distributor will not distribute Fund Shares in less than Creation Units, and it does not maintain a secondary market in Fund Shares. The Distributor may enter into selected dealer agreements with other broker-dealers or other qualified financial institutions for the sale of Creation Units of Fund Shares.
Additional Information. The Board oversees generally the operations of the Funds and the Trust. The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others the Funds' investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, and accountants, who provide services to the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements or intended beneficiaries of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them directly against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them directly against the service providers.
This Prospectus provides information concerning the Trust and the Funds that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund Shares. Neither this Prospectus nor the related SAI is intended, or should be read, to be or give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Funds and any investor, or to give rise to any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.
Index/Trademark Licenses/Disclaimers
The Index Providers are not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Funds' Administrator, Sub-Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent, SSGA FD or any of their respective affiliates. The Adviser (Licensee) has entered into license agreements with the Index Providers pursuant to which the Adviser pays a fee to use their respective Indices. The Adviser is sub-licensing rights to the Indices to the Funds at no charge.
Bloomberg® and the Bloomberg EM Local Currency Government Diversified Index, Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex-USD ˃$1B: Corporate Bond Index, Bloomberg Global Treasury ex-US Capped Index, and Bloomberg 1-3 Year Global Treasury ex-US Capped Index (collectively, the Bloomberg Indices) are service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates, including Bloomberg Index Services Limited (BISL), the administrator of the Bloomberg Indices (collectively, Bloomberg), and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by the Licensee.
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The SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF, and SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF (collectively, the Products) are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or marketed by Bloomberg. Bloomberg does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of or counterparties to the Products or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Products particularly. The only relationship of Bloomberg to the Licensee in respect of the Bloomberg Indices is the licensing of certain trademarks, trade names and service marks and of the Bloomberg Indices, which are determined, composed and calculated by BISL without regard to the Licensee or the Products. Bloomberg has no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Products into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Bloomberg Indices. Bloomberg is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing, price, or quantities of the Products to be issued. Bloomberg shall not have any obligation or liability, including, without limitation, to the Products' customers, in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Products.
BLOOMBERG DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE BLOOMBERG INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO AND SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. BLOOMBERG DOES NOT MAKE ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE PRODUCTS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE BLOOMBERG INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. BLOOMBERG DOES NOT MAKE ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE BLOOMBERG INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, BLOOMBERG, ITS LICENSORS, AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, SUPPLIERS, AND VENDORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGES—WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHERWISE—ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE PRODUCTS OR BLOOMBERG INDICES OR ANY DATA OR VALUES RELATING THERETO—WHETHER ARISING FROM THEIR NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF.
FTSE RUSSELL INDEX. The SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF has been developed solely by State Street Global Advisors and its affiliates. The SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF is not in any way connected to or sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the London Stock Exchange Group plc and its group undertakings (collectively, the LSE Group). FTSE Russell is a trading name of certain of the LSE Group companies.
All rights in the FTSE International Inflation-Linked Securities Select Index (the FTSE Index) vest in the relevant LSE Group company which owns the FTSE Index. FTSE® is a trademark of the relevant LSE Group company and is used by any other LSE Group company under license.
The FTSE Index is calculated by or on behalf of FTSE Fixed Income, LLC or its affiliate, agent or partner. The LSE Group does not accept any liability whatsoever to any person arising out of (a) the use of, reliance on or any error in the Index or (b) investment in or operation of the SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF. The LSE Group makes no claim, prediction, warranty or representation either as to the results to be obtained from the SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF or the suitability of the FTSE Index for the purpose to which it is being put by the Adviser.
SPDR Trademark. The SPDR trademark is used under license from Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC (S&P). No Fund offered by the Trust or its affiliates is sponsored, endorsed, sold or marketed by S&P or its affiliates. S&P makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of any Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Index on which the Funds are based to track general stock market performance. S&P is not responsible for and has not participated in any determination or calculation made with respect to issuance or redemption of Fund Shares. S&P has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.
WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL S&P HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
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Additional Purchase and Sale Information
Fund Shares are listed for secondary trading on the Exchange and individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Exchange may close early on the business day before certain holidays and on the day after Thanksgiving Day. Exchange holiday schedules are subject to change without notice. If you buy or sell Fund Shares in the secondary market, you will pay the secondary market price for Fund Shares. In addition, you may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.
The trading prices of Fund Shares will fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than the relevant Fund's net asset value, which is calculated for each Fund once daily as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that such exchange is open. Fund Shares will trade on the Exchange at prices that may be above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount), to varying degrees, the calculated net asset value of Fund Shares. The trading prices of Fund Shares may deviate significantly from the relevant Fund's net asset value during periods of market volatility. Given, however, that Fund Shares can be issued and redeemed daily in Creation Units, the Adviser believes that large discounts and premiums to net asset value should not be sustained over long periods.
The Exchange will disseminate, every fifteen seconds during the regular trading day, an indicative optimized portfolio value (IOPV) relating to each Fund. The IOPV calculations are estimates of the value of each Fund's net asset value per Fund Share. Premiums and discounts between the IOPV and the market price may occur. This should not be viewed as a real-time update of the net asset value per Fund Share. The IOPV is based on the current market value of the published basket of portfolio securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit and does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of a Fund's actual portfolio at a particular point in time. Moreover, the IOPV is generally determined by using current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers and other market intermediaries and valuations based on current market rates. The IOPV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which (i) is computed only once a day, (ii) unlike the calculation of the IOPV, takes into account Fund expenses, and (iii) may be subject, in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the IOPV. The IOPV price is based on quotes and closing prices from the securities' local market converted into U.S. dollars at the current currency rates and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market's close. Therefore, the IOPV may not reflect the best possible valuation of a Fund's current portfolio. Neither the Funds nor the Adviser or any of their affiliates are involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of such IOPVs and make no warranty as to their accuracy.
The Funds do not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions; however, the Funds reserve the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as described in the SAI. When considering that no restriction or policy was necessary, the Board evaluated the risks posed by market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient implementation of a Fund's investment strategy, or whether they would cause a Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, Fund Shares are issued and redeemed only in large quantities of shares known as Creation Units, available only from a Fund directly, and that most trading in a Fund occurs on the Exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve the Fund directly. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is unlikely that (a) market timing would be attempted by a Fund's shareholders or (b) any attempts to market time a Fund by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Fund or its shareholders.
Distributions
Dividends and Capital Gains. As a Fund shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the applicable Fund's income and net realized gains on its investments. Each Fund pays out substantially all of its net earnings to its shareholders as distributions.
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Each Fund may earn interest from debt securities and, if participating, securities lending income. Each Fund will generally realize short-term capital gains or losses whenever it sells or exchanges assets held for one year or less. Net short-term capital gains will generally be treated as ordinary income when distributed to shareholders. Each Fund will generally realize long-term capital gains or losses whenever it sells or exchanges assets held for more than one year. Net capital gains (the excess of a Fund's net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are distributed to shareholders as capital gain distributions.
Income dividend distributions, if any, are generally distributed to shareholders monthly, but may vary significantly from period to period.
Net capital gains for each Fund are distributed at least annually. Dividends may be declared and paid more frequently or at any other time to improve Index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). A portion of each distribution may result in a return of capital. You will be notified regarding the portion of the distribution which represents a return of capital.
Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Fund Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Fund Shares makes such option available. Distributions which are reinvested will nevertheless be taxable to the same extent as if such distributions had not been reinvested.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Funds' portfolio holdings disclosure policy is described in the SAI. In addition, the identities and quantities of the securities held by each Fund are disclosed on the Funds' website.
Additional Tax Information
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to an investment in a Fund. Your investment in a Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about federal, state, local, foreign or other tax laws applicable to you. Investors, including non-U.S. investors, may wish to consult the SAI tax section for additional disclosure.
Taxes On Distributions. In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in a Fund. The income dividends and short-term capital gains distributions you receive from the Funds will generally be taxed as ordinary income. Any distributions of a Fund's net capital gains are taxable as long-term capital gain regardless of how long you have owned Fund Shares. Long-term capital gains are generally taxed to noncorporate shareholders at reduced rates. Distributions in excess of a Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in the Fund's shares, and, in general, as capital gain thereafter. Since the Funds primarily hold investments that do not pay dividends, it is not expected that a substantial portion (if any) of the dividends paid by a Fund will qualify for either the dividends-received deduction for corporations or the favorable income tax rates available to individuals on qualified dividend income.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their net investment income, which includes taxable interest, dividends and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized upon the sale of Fund Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
Certain tax-exempt educational institutions will be subject to a 1.4% tax on net investment income. For these purposes, certain dividends and capital gain distributions, and certain gains from the disposition of Fund Shares (among other categories of income), are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder's net investment income.
Distributions paid in January, but declared by a Fund in October, November or December of the previous year, payable to shareholders of record in such a month, may be taxable to you in the calendar year in which they were declared. The Funds will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends and capital gain distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.
A distribution will reduce a Fund's net asset value per Fund Share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.
58

Original Issue Discount. Investments by a Fund in zero coupon or other discount securities will result in income to the Fund equal to a portion of the excess face value of the securities over their issue price (the original issue discount or OID) each year that the securities are held, even though the Fund may receive no cash interest payments or may receive cash interest payments that are less than the income recognized for tax purposes. In other circumstances, whether pursuant to the terms of a security or as a result of other factors outside the control of a Fund, a Fund may recognize income without receiving a commensurate amount of cash. A Fund's share of such income is included in determining the amount that the Fund must distribute to maintain its eligibility for treatment as a regulated investment company and to avoid the payment of federal tax, including the nondeductible 4% excise tax. Because any income required to be recognized as a result of the OID and/or market discount rules (discussed below) may not be matched by a corresponding cash payment, the Fund may be required to borrow money or dispose of securities to be able to make distributions to its shareholders in order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and eliminate taxes at the Fund level.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Special rules apply if a Fund holds inflation-indexed bonds. Generally, all stated interest on inflation-indexed bonds is taken into income by a Fund under its regular method of accounting for interest income. The amount of any positive inflation adjustment for a taxable year, which results from an increase in the inflation-adjusted principal amount of the bond, is treated as OID. The amount of a Fund's OID in a taxable year with respect to a bond will increase the Fund's taxable income for such year without a corresponding receipt of cash until the bond matures. As a result, a Fund may need to use other sources of cash to satisfy its distribution requirements for such year. The amount of any negative inflation adjustments, which result from a decrease in the inflation-adjusted principal amount of the bond, first reduces the amount of interest (including stated interest, OID, and market discount, if any) otherwise includible in a Fund's income with respect to the bond for the taxable year; any remaining negative adjustments will be either treated as ordinary loss or, in certain circumstances, carried forward to reduce the amount of interest income taken into account with respect to the bond in future taxable years.
Market Discount. Any market discount recognized on a market discount bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or below adjusted issue price if the bond was issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by a Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, the gain on the Fund's disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount. Where the income required to be recognized as a result of the market discount rules is not matched by a corresponding cash receipt by the Fund, the Fund may be required to borrow money or dispose of securities to enable the Fund to make distributions to its shareholders in order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and eliminate taxes at the Fund level, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss to the Fund.
Derivatives and Other Complex Securities. A Fund may invest in complex securities. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to a Fund and/or defer a Fund's ability to recognize losses. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by a Fund. You should consult your personal tax advisor regarding the application of these rules.
Foreign Currency Transactions. A Fund's transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.
Foreign Income Taxes. Investment income received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income taxes withheld at the source. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries which may entitle a Fund to a reduced rate of such taxes or exemption from taxes on such income. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax for a Fund in advance since the amount of the assets to be invested within various countries is not known. If more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund at the close of its taxable year consist of certain foreign stocks or securities, the Fund may elect to pass through to you certain foreign income taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund. If a Fund in which you hold Fund Shares makes such an election, you will be considered to have received as an additional dividend your share of such foreign taxes, but you may be entitled to either a corresponding tax deduction in calculating your taxable income, or, subject to certain limitations, a credit in calculating your federal income tax. No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals
59

in computing their alternative minimum tax liability. If a Fund does not so elect, the Fund will be entitled to claim a deduction for certain foreign taxes incurred by the Fund. Under certain circumstances, if a Fund receives a refund of foreign taxes paid in respect of a prior year, the value of Fund Shares could be affected or any foreign tax credits or deductions passed through to shareholders in respect of the Fund's foreign taxes for the current year could be reduced.
Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund Shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Fund Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if Fund Shares have been held for one year or less, except that any capital loss on the sale of Fund 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 Fund Shares.
Taxes on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units. A person who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash paid for the Creation Units. A person who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities and the amount of cash received. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing wash sales, or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.
Under current federal tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption (or creation) of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the applicable Fund Shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the applicable Fund Shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for one year or less.
If you create or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Fund Shares you purchased or sold and at what price.
The Trust on behalf of each Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Fund Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the applicable Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the applicable Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of the securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Trust does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Fund Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the applicable Fund, the purchaser (or group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
If a Fund redeems Creation Units in cash, it may bear additional costs and recognize more capital gains than it would if it redeems Creation Units in-kind.
Non-U.S. Investors. Ordinary income dividends paid by a Fund to shareholders who are non-resident aliens or foreign entities will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax (other than distributions reported by the Fund as interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends), unless a lower treaty rate applies or unless such income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. In general, a Fund may report interest-related dividends to the extent of its net income derived from U.S. source interest and a Fund may report short-term capital gain dividends to the extent its net short-term capital gain for the taxable year exceeds its net long-term capital loss.Gains on the sale of Fund Shares and dividends that are, in each case, effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the U.S. will generally be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates. Non-U.S. shareholders that own, directly or indirectly, more than 5% of a Fund's shares are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning special tax rules that may apply to their investment.
60

Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold Fund Shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to distributions payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.
Backup Withholding. A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as backup withholding) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the United States.
Other Tax Issues. A Fund may be subject to tax in certain states where the Fund does business (or is treated as doing business as a result of its investments). Furthermore, in those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Funds and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Funds may differ from federal tax treatment.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the consequences under current federal income tax law of an investment in the Funds. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Funds under all applicable tax laws.
General Information
The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on June 12, 1998. If shareholders of any Fund are required to vote on any matters, shareholders are entitled to one vote for each Fund Share they own. Annual meetings of shareholders will not be held except as required by the 1940 Act and other applicable law. See the SAI for more information concerning the Trust's form of organization.
Management and Organization
Each Fund is a separate series of the Trust, which is an open-end registered management investment company.
From time to time, a Fund may advertise yield and total return figures. Yield is a historical measure of dividend income, and total return is a measure of past dividend income (assuming that it has been reinvested) plus capital appreciation. Neither yield nor total return should be used to predict the future performance of a Fund.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP serves as counsel to the Trust, including the Funds. Ernst & Young LLP serves as the independent registered public accounting firm and will audit the Funds' financial statements annually.
Financial Highlights
These financial highlight tables are intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance  for the past three fiscal years ended December 31, the six-month period ended December 31, 2019 and the prior two fiscal years ended June 30. Certain information reflects the performance results for a single Fund Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in each Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with each Fund's financial highlights and financial statements, is included in the annual report to shareholders, which is available upon request. Any references to Notes in these financial highlight tables refer to the Notes to Financial Statements section of each Fund's financial statements, and the financial information included in these tables should be read in conjunction with the financial statements incorporated by reference in theSAI.
61

SPDR SERIES TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period
 
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
 
Year Ended
12/31/22
Year Ended
12/31/21
Year Ended
12/31/20
Six-month Period
Ended
12/31/19(a)
Year
Ended
6/30/19
Year
Ended
6/30/18
Net asset value, beginning of
period
$24.37
$28.00
$27.83
$27.76
$27.08
$28.99
Income (loss) from investment
operations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income (loss) (b)
1.13
1.01
1.13
0.65
1.51
1.41
Net realized and unrealized gain
(loss) (c)
(4.08)
(3.72)
0.05
0.15
0.45
(2.28)
Total from investment operations
(2.95)
(2.71)
1.18
0.80
1.96
(0.87)
Contribution from Affiliate (Note 4)
0.01
0.01
Other capital (b)
0.04
0.02
0.02
0.01
0.02
0.06
Distributions to shareholders from:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income
(0.04)
(0.81)
(0.22)
(0.07)
(0.79)
(0.67)
Return of Capital
(0.94)
(0.13)
(0.81)
(0.67)
(0.52)
(0.43)
Total distributions
(0.98)
(0.94)
(1.03)
(0.74)
(1.31)
(1.10)
Net asset value, end of period
$20.49
$24.37
$28.00
$27.83
$27.76
$27.08
Total return (d)
(11.89)%(e)
(9.74)%
4.59%
2.94%
7.70%(f)
(3.03)%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)
$2,151,484
$1,179,569
$1,013,443
$1,015,629
$810,738
$519,933
Ratios to average net assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total expenses
0.31%
0.30%
0.30%
0.30%(g)
0.39%
0.41%
Net expenses
0.31%
0.30%
0.30%
0.30%(g)
0.38%
0.41%
Net investment income (loss)
5.45%
3.86%
4.26%
4.69%(g)
5.68%
4.81%
Portfolio turnover rate (h)
39%
22%
50%
18%(i)
43%
83%
(a)
Effective November 12, 2019, the Board of Trustees approved a change in fiscal year end for the Fund from June 30 to December 31.
(b)
Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c)
Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period
because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(d)
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period
reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of
each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(e)
If an Affiliate had not made a contribution during the year ended December 31, 2022, the total return would have been (11.93)%.
(f)
If an Affiliate had not made a contribution during the year ended June 30, 2019, the total return would have been 7.66%.
(g)
Annualized.
(h)
Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
(i)
Not annualized.
62

SPDR SERIES TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period
 
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
 
Year Ended
12/31/22
Year Ended
12/31/21
Year Ended
12/31/20
Six-month Period
Ended
12/31/19(a)
Year
Ended
6/30/19
Year
Ended
6/30/18
Net asset value, beginning of period
$34.46
$37.76
$33.98
$34.15
$33.87
$33.17
Income (loss) from investment
operations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income (loss) (b)
0.23
0.12
0.18
0.14
0.29
0.25
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
(c)
(7.08)
(3.30)
3.74
(0.20)
0.23
0.63
Total from investment operations
(6.85)
(3.18)
3.92
(0.06)
0.52
0.88
Other capital (b)
0.01
0.01
0.02
0.02
0.00(d)
0.04
Distributions to shareholders from:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income
(0.15)
(0.13)
(0.04)
(0.10)
(0.22)
Return of Capital
(0.12)
(0.03)
(0.24)
Total distributions
(0.15)
(0.13)
(0.16)
(0.13)
(0.24)
(0.22)
Net asset value, end of period
$27.47
$34.46
$37.76
$33.98
$34.15
$33.87
Total return (e)
(19.86)%
(8.41)%
11.69%
(0.15)%
1.59%
2.71%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)
$140,105
$151,641
$260,546
$190,273
$167,358
$230,286
Ratios to average net assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total expenses
0.51%
0.50%
0.50%
0.50%(f)
0.51%
0.50%
Net investment income (loss)
0.78%
0.32%
0.54%
0.81%(f)
0.88%
0.72%
Portfolio turnover rate (g)
14%
14%
23%
5%(h)
16%
23%
(a)
Effective November 12, 2019, the Board of Trustees approved a change in fiscal year end for the Fund from June 30 to December 31.
(b)
Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c)
Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period
because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(d)
Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(e)
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period
reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of
each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(f)
Annualized.
(g)
Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
(h)
Not annualized.
63

SPDR SERIES TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period
 
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF
 
Year Ended
12/31/22
Year Ended
12/31/21
Year Ended
12/31/20
Six-month Period
Ended
12/31/19(a)
Year
Ended
6/30/19
Year
Ended
6/30/18
Net asset value, beginning of
period
$28.15
$31.22
$28.74
$28.87
$27.88
$27.56
Income (loss) from investment
operations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income (loss) (b)
0.34
0.28
0.35
0.19
0.39
0.31
Net realized and unrealized gain
(loss) (c)
(5.87)
(3.10)
2.42
(0.13)
0.92
0.24
Total from investment operations
(5.53)
(2.82)
2.77
0.06
1.31
0.55
Contribution from Affiliate
0.00(d)
Other capital (b)
0.00(d)
0.01
0.01
0.00(d)
0.01
0.01
Distributions to shareholders
from:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income
(0.27)
(0.26)
(0.30)
(0.19)
(0.33)
(0.24)
Net asset value, end of period
$22.35
$28.15
$31.22
$28.74
$28.87
$27.88
Total return (e)
(19.66)%
(9.01)%
9.73%(f)
0.20%
4.78%
2.02%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)
$1,115,366
$951,578
$1,011,547
$1,028,855
$1,122,866
$1,519,631
Ratios to average net assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total expenses
0.36%
0.35%
0.35%
0.35%(g)
0.38%
0.50%
Net investment income (loss)
1.43%
0.95%
1.19%
1.31%(g)
1.42%
1.09%
Portfolio turnover rate (h)
14%
15%
16%
7%(i)
18%
29%
(a)
Effective November 12, 2019, the Board of Trustees approved a change in fiscal year end for the Fund from June 30 to December 31.
(b)
Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c)
Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period
because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(d)
Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(e)
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period
reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of
each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(f)
If an affiliate had not made a contribution during the year ended December 31, 2020, the total return would have remained 9.73%.
(g)
Annualized.
(h)
Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
(i)
Not annualized.
64

SPDR SERIES TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period
 
SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF
 
Year Ended
12/31/22
Year Ended
12/31/21
Year Ended
12/31/20
Six-month Period
Ended
12/31/19(a)
Year
Ended
6/30/19
Year
Ended
6/30/18
Net asset value, beginning of period
$30.38
$32.84
$30.88
$31.05
$31.38
$31.23
Income (loss) from investment
operations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income (loss) (b)
0.12
(0.03)
0.05
0.07
0.16
0.00(c)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
(d)
(3.47)
(2.26)
1.94
(0.17)
(0.10)
0.28
Total from investment operations
(3.35)
(2.29)
1.99
(0.10)
0.06
0.28
Contribution from Affiliate (Note 4)
0.00(c)
0.00(c)
Other capital (b)
(0.01)
0.01
0.01
0.00(c)
0.00(c)
0.01
Distributions to shareholders from:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income
(0.12)
(0.18)
(0.04)
(0.33)
(0.14)
Return of Capital
(0.07)
(0.06)
Total distributions
(0.12)
(0.18)
(0.04)
(0.07)
(0.39)
(0.14)
Net asset value, end of period
$26.90
$30.38
$32.84
$30.88
$31.05
$31.38
Total return (e)
(11.07)%(f)
(6.91)%
6.49%(g)
(0.36)%
0.21%
0.90%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)
$145,236
$170,134
$213,429
$299,496
$298,118
$332,582
Ratios to average net assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total expenses
0.36%
0.35%
0.35%
0.35%(h)
0.36%
0.35%
Net investment income (loss)
0.45%
(0.09)%
0.16%
0.43%(h)
0.51%
0.01%
Portfolio turnover rate (i)
56%
64%
67%
31%(j)
66%
63%
(a)
Effective November 12, 2019, the Board of Trustees approved a change in fiscal year end for the Fund from June 30 to December 31.
(b)
Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c)
Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(d)
Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period
because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(e)
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period
reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of
each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(f)
If an affiliate had not made a contribution during the year ended ended December 31, 2022, the total return would have remained (11.07)%
(g)
If an affiliate had not made a contribution during the year ended ended December 31, 2020, the total return would have remained 6.49%.
(h)
Annualized.
(i)
Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
(j)
Not annualized.
65

SPDR SERIES TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period
 
SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF
 
Year Ended
12/31/22
Year Ended
12/31/21
Year Ended
12/31/20
Six-month Period
Ended
12/31/19(a)
Year
Ended
6/30/19
Year
Ended
6/30/18
Net asset value, beginning of period
$53.95
$58.57
$55.28
$55.31
$54.63
$55.75
Income (loss) from investment
operations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income (loss) (b)
4.91
2.56
1.02
0.66
1.92
1.73
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
(c)
(12.97)
(4.71)
3.17
0.19
0.57
(1.11)
Total from investment operations
(8.06)
(2.15)
4.19
0.85
2.49
0.62
Contribution from Affiliate (Note 4)
0.00
0.00(d)
Other capital (b)
0.03
0.02
0.03
0.01
0.03
0.11
Distributions to shareholders from:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income
(3.53)
(2.49)
(0.93)
(0.87)
(1.18)
Net realized gains
(0.47)
Return of Capital
(1.06)
(0.02)
(1.84)
(0.20)
Total distributions
(4.59)
(2.49)
(0.93)
(0.89)
(1.84)
(1.85)
Net asset value, end of period
$41.33
$53.95
$58.57
$55.28
$55.31
$54.63
Total return (e)
(15.41)%(f)
(3.68)%
7.76%
1.58%
4.78%
1.21%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)
$520,775
$453,227
$380,717
$431,216
$475,714
$568,158
Ratios to average net assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total expenses
0.51%
0.50%
0.50%
0.50%(g)
0.50%
0.50%
Net investment income (loss)
10.68%
4.57%
1.90%
2.39%(g)
3.60%
3.02%
Portfolio turnover rate (h)
37%
20%
28%
8%(i)
37%
32%
(a)
Effective November 12, 2019, the Board of Trustees approved a change in fiscal year end for the Fund from June 30 to December 31.
(b)
Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c)
Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period
because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(d)
Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(e)
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period
reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of
each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(f)
If an Affiliate had not made a contribution during the year ended December 31 2022, the total return would have remained (15.41)%.
(g)
Annualized.
(h)
Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
(i)
Not annualized.
66


Where to Learn More About the Funds
This Prospectus does not contain all the information included in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC with respect to Fund Shares. An SAI and the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, each of which has been or will be filed with the SEC, provide more information about the Funds. The Prospectus and SAI may be supplemented from time to time. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund's performance during the Fund's last fiscal year, as applicable.The SAI isincorporated herein by reference (i.e., it is legally part of this Prospectus). These materials may be obtained without charge, upon request, by writing to the Distributor, State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC, One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, by visiting the Funds' website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs or by calling the following number:
Investor Information: 1-866-787-2257
The Registration Statement, including this Prospectus, the SAI, and the exhibits as well as any shareholder reports may be reviewed on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). You may also obtain copies of this and other information, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
Shareholder inquiries may be directed to the Funds in writing to State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC, One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, or by calling the Investor Information number listed above.
No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this Prospectus in connection with the offer of Fund Shares, and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Trust or the Funds. Neither the delivery of this Prospectus nor any sale of Fund Shares shall under any circumstance imply that the information contained herein is correct as of any date after the date of this Prospectus.
Dealers effecting transactions in Fund Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.
SPDRNYEPROThe Trust's Investment Company Act Number is 811-08839.


SPDR® SERIES TRUST (THE TRUST)
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
April 30, 2023
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. With respect to each of the Trust's series listed below, this SAI should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated April 30, 2023 (the Prospectus), as may be revised from time to time.
ETF
TICKER
SPDR BLOOMBERG EMERGING MARKETS LOCAL BOND ETF
EBND
SPDR BLOOMBERG INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE BOND ETF
IBND
SPDR BLOOMBERG INTERNATIONAL TREASURY BOND ETF
BWX
SPDR BLOOMBERG SHORT TERM INTERNATIONAL TREASURY BOND ETF
BWZ
SPDR FTSE INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENT INFLATION-PROTECTED BOND ETF
WIP
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange for each ETF: NYSE Arca, Inc.
Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. Copies of the Prospectus and the Funds' Annual Report to Shareholders dated December 31, 2022 may be obtained without charge by writing to State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC, the Trust's principal underwriter (referred to herein as Distributor or Principal Underwriter), One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, by visiting the Trust's website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs or by calling 1-866-787-2257. The Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, financial highlights and financial statements of the Funds included in the Funds' Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 are incorporated by reference into this SAI.
SPDRNYESAI
1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
3
17
26
27
28
36
43
45
46
48
54
55
56
62
63
63
63
A-1
2

General Description of the Trust
The Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), consisting of multiple investment series, including the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF and SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF (each, a Fund and, collectively, the Funds). The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on June 12, 1998. The offering of each Fund's shares (Shares) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). The investment objective of each Fund is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specified market index (each an Index and together the Indexes). SSGA Funds Management, Inc. serves as the investment adviser for each Fund (SSGA FM or the Adviser).
Each Fund offers and issues Shares at their net asset value (sometimes referred to herein as NAV) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a Creation Unit). Each Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for (i) a basket of securities designated by the Fund (Deposit Securities) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (Cash Component) or (ii) a cash payment equal in value to the Deposit Securities (Deposit Cash) together with the Cash Component. The primary consideration accepted by a Fund (i.e., Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash) is set forth under Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units later in this SAI. 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 and reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash (subject to applicable legal requirements). The Shares have been approved for listing and secondary trading on a national securities exchange (the Exchange). The Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the Shares' net asset values. The Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for either (i) portfolio securities and a specified cash payment or (ii) cash (subject to applicable legal requirements).
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). See Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units. The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. In addition to the fixed creation or redemption transaction fee, an additional transaction fee of up to three times the fixed creation or redemption transaction fee and/or an additional variable charge may apply.
Investment Policies
Each Fund may invest in the following types of investments, consistent with its investment strategies and objective. Please see the Funds' Prospectus for additional information regarding its principal investment strategies.
DIVERSIFICATION STATUS
The SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF and SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF are each classified as a non-diversified investment company, and the SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF is classified as a diversified investment company, under the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified investment company, as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agents or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's outstanding voting securities would be held by the investment company. A non-diversified classification means that a Fund 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. This means that a non-diversified Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified fund. The securities of a particular issuer may constitute a greater portion of an Index of a Fund and, therefore, the securities may constitute a greater portion of the Fund's portfolio. This may have an adverse effect on the Fund's performance or subject the Fund's Shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies.
3

Each Fund (whether diversified or non-diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act) 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 Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Internal Revenue Code), and to relieve the Fund of any liability for federal income tax to the extent that its earnings are distributed to shareholders. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Internal Revenue Code may severely limit the investment flexibility of a Fund and may make it less likely that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
ASSET-BACKED AND COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES
Asset-backed securities are securities backed by installment contracts, credit-card receivables or other assets. Commercial mortgage-backed securities are securities backed by commercial real estate properties. Both asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed securities represent interests in pools of assets in which payments of both interest and principal on the securities are made on a regular basis. The payments are, in effect, passed through to the holder of the securities (net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities). The average life of asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed securities varies with the maturities of the underlying instruments and, as a result of prepayments, can often be less than the original maturity of the assets underlying the securities. For this and other reasons, an asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed security's stated maturity may be shortened, and the security's total return may be difficult to predict precisely.
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; provided, however, a zero coupon bond pays no interest to its holder during its life. The value of a zero coupon bond to a Fund consists of the difference between such bond's face value at the time of maturity and the price for which it was acquired, which may be an amount significantly less than its face value (sometimes referred to as a deep discount price).
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. Fixed rate bonds generally are also subject to inflation risk, which is the risk that the value of the bond or income from the bond will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. This could mean that, as inflation increases, the real value of the assets of a Fund holding fixed rate bonds can decline, as can the value of the Fund's distributions. Other types of bonds bear income at an interest rate that is adjusted periodically. Because of their adjustable interest rates, the value of floating-rate or variable-rate bonds fluctuates much less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of fixed rate bonds. A Fund may treat some of these bonds as having a shorter maturity for purposes of calculating the weighted average maturity of its investment portfolio. 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).
The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest on the bond and changes in the market value of the bond. The market value of a corporate bond may be affected by the credit rating of the corporation, the corporation's performance and perceptions of the corporation in the market place. There is a risk that the issuers of the securities may not be able to meet their obligations on interest or principal payments at the time called for by such a security.
COMMERCIAL PAPER
Commercial paper consists of short-term, promissory notes issued by banks, corporations and other entities to finance short-term credit needs. These securities generally are discounted but sometimes may be interest bearing.
4

CONCENTRATION
Each Fund will concentrate its investments in securities of issuers in the same industry as may be necessary to approximate the composition of the Fund's underlying Index. The securities of issuers in particular industries may dominate the benchmark Index of a Fund and consequently a Fund's investment portfolio. This may adversely affect a Fund's performance or subject its Shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by less concentrated investment companies. The Trust's general policy is to exclude securities of the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities when measuring industry concentration.
In pursuing its objective, each Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the market value of the outstanding securities of the issuer, subject to restrictions imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. In particular, as a Fund's size grows and its assets increase, it will be more likely to hold more than 10% of the securities of a single issuer if the issuer has a relatively small public float as compared to other components in its benchmark Index.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES
Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stock or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stock. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stock, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their conversion value, which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stock and interest rates. When the underlying common stock declines in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stock rises in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stock. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS
Each Fund may invest in other exchange-traded funds (ETFs) (including ETFs managed by the Adviser). ETFs may be structured as investment companies that are registered under the 1940 Act, typically as open-end funds or unit investment trusts. These ETFs are generally based on specific domestic and foreign market securities indices. An index-based ETF seeks to provide investment results that match the performance of an index by holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a representative sample of the securities in the index. An actively-managed ETF invests in securities based on an adviser's investment strategy. An enhanced ETF seeks to provide investment results that match a positive or negative multiple of the performance of an underlying index. In seeking to provide such results, an ETF and, in particular, an enhanced ETF, may engage in short sales of securities included in the underlying index and may invest in derivatives instruments, such as equity index swaps, futures contracts, and options on securities, futures contracts, and stock indices. Alternatively, ETFs may be structured as grantor trusts or other forms of pooled investment vehicles that are not registered or regulated under the 1940 Act. These ETFs typically hold commodities, precious metals, currency or other non-securities investments. ETFs, like mutual funds, have expenses associated with their operation, such as advisory and custody fees. When a Fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing expenses associated with its own operations, including the brokerage costs associated with the purchase and sale of shares of the ETF, the Fund will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF's expenses. In addition, it may be more costly to own an ETF than to directly own the securities or other investments held by the ETF because of ETF expenses. The risks of owning shares of an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities or other investments held by the ETF, although lack of liquidity in the market for the shares of an ETF could result in the ETF's value being more volatile than the underlying securities or other investments.
5

FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS
Each Fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies). Although foreign exchange dealers generally do not charge a fee for such conversions, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the counterparty desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Forward contracts are customized transactions that generally require a specific amount of a currency to be delivered at a specific exchange rate on a specific date or range of dates in the future, although the Funds may also enter into non-deliverable currency forward contracts (NDFs) that contractually require the netting of the parties' liabilities. Forwards, including NDFs, can have substantial price volatility. While foreign currency transactions on a spot and forward basis are exempt from the definition of swap under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), NDFs are not, and, thus, are subject to the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Forward contracts are generally traded in an interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated currency exchange. In the event that the parties to a forward contract agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, the contract is no longer exempt from the definition of swap under the CEA and shall be treated as a swap. At the discretion of the Adviser, the Funds may enter into forward currency exchange contracts for hedging purposes to help reduce the risks and volatility caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, or to gain exposure to certain currencies in an effort to track the composition of the applicable Index. When used for hedging purposes, they tend to limit any potential gain that may be realized if the value of a Fund's foreign holdings increases because of currency fluctuations.
FUTURES CONTRACTS, OPTIONS AND SWAP AGREEMENTS
Each Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in derivatives, including exchange-traded futures on indices, exchange-traded futures on Treasuries or Eurodollars, U.S. exchange-traded or OTC put and call options contracts and exchange-traded or OTC swap transactions (including NDFs, interest rate swaps, total return swaps, excess return swaps, and credit default swaps).
Futures and Options on Futures: Futures contracts generally provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified commodity or security at a specified future time and at a specified price. Index futures contracts are settled daily with a payment by one party to the other of a cash amount based on the difference between the level of the index specified in the contract from one day to the next. A futures contract on an index is an agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index contract originally was written. Although the value of an index might be a function of the value of certain specified securities, physical delivery of these securities is not always made. A public market exists in futures contracts covering a number of indexes, as well as financial instruments, including, without limitation: U.S. Treasury bonds; U.S. Treasury notes; GNMA Certificates; three-month U.S. Treasury bills; 90-day commercial paper; bank certificates of deposit; Eurodollar certificates of deposit; the Australian Dollar; the Canadian Dollar; the British Pound; the Japanese Yen; the Swiss Franc; the Mexican Peso; and certain multinational currencies, such as the Euro. It is expected that other futures contracts will be developed and traded in the future. Futures contracts are standardized as to maturity date and underlying instrument and are traded on futures exchanges.
The Funds may purchase and write (sell) call and put options on futures. Options on futures give the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price upon expiration of, or at any time during the period of, the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true.
A Fund is required to make a good faith margin deposit in cash or U.S. government securities (or other eligible collateral) with a broker or custodian to initiate and maintain open positions in futures contracts. A margin deposit is intended to assure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying commodity or payment of the cash settlement amount) if it is not terminated prior to the specified delivery date. Brokers may establish deposit requirements which are higher than the exchange minimums. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin deposits which may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded.
6

After a futures contract position is opened, the value of the contract is marked to market daily. If the futures contract price changes to the extent that the margin on deposit does not satisfy price changes, additional payments will be required. Conversely, change in the contract value may reduce the required margin, resulting in a repayment of excess margin to the contract holder. Variation margin payments are made to and from the futures broker for as long as the contract remains open. In such case, a Fund would expect to earn interest income on its margin deposits. Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying commodity, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (involving the same exchange, underlying commodity, security or index and delivery month). If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. The transaction costs also must be included in these calculations.
Options: A Fund may purchase and sell put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities and may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange and issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options on particular securities may be more volatile than the underlying securities, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying securities themselves.
Short Sales Against the Box: The Funds may engage in short sales against the box. In a short sale against the box, a Fund agrees to sell at a future date a security that it either contemporaneously owns or has the right to acquire at no extra cost. If the price of the security has declined at the time the Fund is required to deliver the security, the Fund will benefit from the difference in the price. If the price of the security has increased, the Fund will be required to pay the difference.
Swap Transactions: Each Fund may enter into swap transactions, including interest rate swap, credit default swap, NDF, and total return swap transactions. Swap transactions 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 payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. Swap transactions will usually be done on a net basis, i.e., where the two parties make net payments with a Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, 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 cash or equivalents having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained by the Fund. Swaps may be used in conjunction with other instruments to offset interest rate, currency or other underlying risks. For example, interest rate swaps may be offset with caps, floors or collars. A cap is essentially a call option which places a limit on the amount of floating rate interest that must be paid on a certain principal amount. A floor is essentially a put option which places a limit on the minimum amount that would be paid on a certain principal amount. A collar is essentially a combination of a long cap and a short floor where the limits are set at different levels.
The use of swap transactions by a Fund entails certain risks, which may be different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the securities and other investments that are the referenced asset for the swap agreement. Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques, risk analyses, and tax planning different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index, but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all the possible market conditions. Because some swap transactions have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. Certain swaps have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.
Bilateral OTC transactions differ from exchange-traded or cleared derivatives transactions in several respects. Bilateral OTC transactions are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation. Without the availability of a clearing corporation, bilateral OTC transaction pricing is normally done by reference to information from market makers and/or available index data, which information is carefully monitored by the Adviser and verified in appropriate cases. As bilateral OTC transactions are entered into directly with a dealer, there is a risk of nonperformance by the dealer as a result of its insolvency or otherwise. Under regulations adopted by the CFTC and federal banking regulators (Margin Rules), a Fund is required to post collateral (known as variation margin) to cover the mark-to-market exposure in respect of its uncleared swaps. The Margin Rules also mandate that collateral in the form of initial margin be posted to cover
7

potential future exposure attributable to uncleared swap transactions. In the event a Fund is required to post collateral in the form of initial margin or variation margin in respect of its uncleared swap transactions, all such collateral will be posted with a third party custodian pursuant to a triparty custody agreement between the Fund, its dealer counterparty and an unaffiliated custodian.
The requirement to execute certain OTC derivatives contracts on exchanges or electronic trading platforms called swap execution facilities (SEFs) may offer certain advantages over traditional bilateral OTC trading, such as ease of execution, price transparency, increased liquidity and/or favorable pricing. However, SEF trading may make it more difficult and costly for a Fund to enter into highly tailored or customized transactions and may result in additional costs and risks. Market participants such as the Funds that execute derivatives contracts through a SEF, whether directly or through a broker intermediary, are required to submit to the jurisdiction of the SEF and comply with SEF and CFTC rules and regulations which impose, among other things disclosure and recordkeeping obligations. In addition, a Fund will generally incur SEF or broker intermediary fees when it trades on a SEF. A Fund may also be required to indemnify the SEF or broker intermediary for any losses or costs that may result from the Fund's transactions on the SEF.
Total Return Swaps: A Fund may enter into total return swap transactions for investment purposes. Total return swaps are transactions in which one party agrees to make periodic payments based on the change in market value of the underlying assets, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or security indexes during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate of the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swaps may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or market, including in cases in which there may be disadvantages associated with direct ownership of a particular security. In a typical total return equity swap, payments made by a Fund or the counterparty are based on the total return of a particular reference asset or assets (such as an equity security, a combination of such securities, or an index). That is, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, basket of stocks, or stock index in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, for example, the index receiver can gain exposure to stocks making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those stocks. Total return swaps involve not only the risk associated with the investment in the underlying securities, but also the risk of the counterparty not fulfilling its obligations under the agreement.
Credit Default Swaps: A Fund may enter into credit default swap transactions for investment purposes. A credit default swap transaction may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by the Fund. A Fund may be either the protection buyer or protection seller in the transaction. Credit default swaps may also be structured based on the debt of a basket of issuers, rather than a single issuer, and may be customized with respect to the default event that triggers purchase or other factors. As a protection seller, a Fund would generally receive an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap, which typically is between six months and three years, provided that there is no credit event. If a credit event occurs, generally the protection seller must pay the protection buyer the full face amount of the reference obligations that may have little or no value. If a Fund were a protection buyer and no credit event occurred during the term of the swap, the Fund would recover nothing if the swap were held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurred, the protection buyer may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of the reference obligation that may have little or no value. Where a Fund is the protection buyer, credit default swaps involve the risk that the seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the Fund in the event of a default. The purchase of credit default swaps involves costs, which will reduce a Fund's return.
Currency Swaps: A Fund may enter into currency swap transactions for investment purposes. Currency swaps are similar to interest rate swaps, except that they involve multiple currencies. A Fund may enter into a currency swap when it has exposure to one currency and desires exposure to a different currency. Typically, the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the contract and returned at the end of the contract. In addition to paying and receiving amounts at the beginning and end of the transaction, both sides will have to pay in full on a periodic basis based upon the currency they have borrowed. Change in foreign exchange rates and changes in interest rates, as described above, may negatively affect currency swaps.
Interest Rate Swaps: A Fund may enter into an interest rate swap in an effort to protect against declines in the value of fixed income securities held by the Fund. In such an instance, the Fund may agree to pay a fixed rate (multiplied by a notional amount) while a counterparty agrees to pay a floating rate (multiplied by the same notional amount). If interest rates rise, resulting in a diminution in the value of the Fund's portfolio, the Fund would receive payments under the swap that would offset, in whole or in part, such diminution in value.
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Options on Swaps: An option on a swap agreement, or a swaption, is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. In return, the purchaser pays a premium to the seller of the contract. The seller of the contract receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes on the underlying swap. A Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. A Fund may also enter into swaptions on either an asset-based or liability-based basis, depending on whether the Fund is hedging its assets or its liabilities. A Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. A Fund may enter into these transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its holdings, as a duration management technique, to protect against an increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or for any other purposes, such as for speculation to increase returns. Swaptions are generally subject to the same risks involved in a Fund's use of options.
Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When a Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.
Government Regulation: The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act) that was signed into law on July 21, 2010 created a new statutory framework that comprehensively regulated the over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets for the first time. Prior to the Dodd-Frank Act, the OTC derivatives markets were traditionally traded on a bilateral basis (so-called bilateral OTC transactions). Under the Dodd-Frank Act, certain OTC derivatives transactions are now required to be centrally cleared and traded on SEFs.
On October 28, 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 (the Derivatives Rule) under the 1940 Act which replaced prior SEC and staff guidance with an updated, comprehensive framework for registered funds' use of derivatives. The Derivatives Rule permits a Fund to enter into derivatives transactions and certain other transactions notwithstanding the restrictions on the issuance of senior securities under Section 18 of the 1940 Act. The Derivatives Rule requires the Funds to trade derivatives and certain other instruments that create future payment or delivery obligations subject to a value-at-risk (VaR) leverage limit, develop and implement a derivatives risk management program and new testing requirements, and comply with new requirements related to board and SEC reporting. These requirements apply unless a Fund qualifies as a limited derivatives user, as defined in the Derivatives Rule. Complying with the Derivatives Rule may increase the cost of a Fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors. Other new regulations could adversely affect the value, availability and performance of certain derivative instruments, may make them more costly, and may limit or restrict their use by the Funds.
Regulation Under the Commodity Exchange Act: Each Fund intends to use commodity interests, such as futures, swaps and options on futures in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the CEA. A Fund may use exchange-traded futures and options on futures, together with positions in cash and money market instruments, to simulate full investment in its underlying Index. Exchange-traded futures and options on futures contracts may not be currently available for an Index. Under such circumstances, the Adviser may seek to utilize other instruments that it believes to be correlated to the applicable Index components or a subset of the components. An exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator has been claimed with respect to each series of the Trust in accordance with Rule 4.5 such that registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA is not necessary.
Restrictions on Trading in Commodity Interests: Each Fund reserves the right to engage in transactions involving futures, options thereon and swaps to the extent allowed by the CFTC regulations in effect from time to time and in accordance with a Fund's policies.
Certain additional risk factors related to derivatives are discussed below:
Derivatives Risk: Under recently adopted rules by the CFTC, transactions in some types of interest rate swaps and index credit default swaps on North American and European indices are required to be cleared. In addition, the CFTC may promulgate additional regulations that require clearing of other classes of swaps. In a cleared derivatives transaction (which includes futures, options on futures, and cleared swaps transactions), a Fund's counterparty is a clearing house (such as CME, ICE Clear Credit or LCH.Clearnet), rather than a bank or broker. Since each Fund is not a member of a clearing house and only members of a clearing house can participate directly in the clearing house, a Fund holds cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members, who are futures commission merchants that are members of the clearing houses and who have the appropriate regulatory
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approvals to engage in cleared derivatives transactions. A Fund makes and receives payments owed under cleared derivatives transactions (including margin payments) through its accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house. In contrast to bilateral OTC transactions, clearing members generally can require termination of existing cleared derivatives transactions at any time and increases in margin above the margin that it required at the beginning of a transaction. Clearing houses also have broad rights to increase margin requirements for existing transactions and to terminate transactions in accordance with their rules. Any such increase or termination could interfere with the ability of a Fund to pursue its investment strategy. Also, a Fund is subject to execution risk if it enters into a derivatives transaction that is required to be cleared (or that the Advisor expects to be cleared), and no clearing member is willing or able to clear the transaction on the Fund's behalf. While the documentation in place between a Fund and its clearing members generally provides that the clearing members will accept for clearing all transactions submitted for clearing that are within credit limits specified by the clearing members in advance, the Fund could be subject to this execution risk if the Fund submits for clearing transactions that exceed such credit limits, if the clearing house does not accept the transactions for clearing, or if the clearing members do not comply with their agreement to clear such transactions. In that case, the transaction might have to be terminated, and the Fund could lose some or all of the benefit of any increase in the value of the transaction after the time of the transaction. In addition, new regulations could, among other things, restrict a Fund's ability to engage in, or increase the cost to the Fund of, derivatives transactions, for example, by making some types of derivatives no longer available to the Fund or increasing margin or capital requirements. If a Fund is not able to enter into a particular derivatives transaction, the Fund's investment performance and risk profile could be adversely affected as a result.
Counterparty Risk: Counterparty risk with respect to OTC derivatives may be affected by new regulations promulgated by the CFTC and SEC affecting the derivatives market. As described under Derivatives Risk above, all futures and options on futures and some swap transactions are required to be cleared, and a party to a cleared derivatives transaction is subject to the credit risk of the clearing house and the clearing member through which it holds its cleared derivatives position, rather than the credit risk of its original counterparty to the derivative transaction. Clearing members are required to segregate all funds received from customers with respect to cleared derivatives transactions from the clearing member's proprietary assets. However, all funds and other property received by a clearing broker from its customers are generally held by the clearing broker on a commingled basis in an omnibus account, and the clearing broker may also invest those funds in certain instruments permitted under the applicable regulations. Also, the clearing member transfers to the clearing house the amount of margin required by the clearing house for cleared derivatives transactions, which amounts are generally held in the relevant omnibus account at the clearing house for all customers of the clearing member.
For commodities futures positions, the clearing house may use all of the collateral held in the clearing member's omnibus account to meet a loss in that account, without regard to which customer in fact supplied that collateral. Accordingly, in addition to bearing the credit risk of its clearing member, each customer to a futures transaction also bears fellow customer risk from other customers of the clearing member. However, with respect to cleared swaps positions, recent regulations promulgated by the CFTC require that the clearing member notify the clearing house of the amount of initial margin provided by the clearing member to the clearing house that is attributable to each customer. Because margin in respect of cleared swaps must be earmarked for specific clearing member customers, the clearing house may not use the collateral of one customer to cover the obligations of another customer. However, if the clearing member does not provide accurate reporting, a Fund is subject to the risk that a clearing house will use the Fund's assets held in an omnibus account at the clearing house to satisfy payment obligations of a defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing house. In addition, clearing members may generally choose to provide to the clearing house the net amount of variation margin required for cleared swaps for all of its customers in the aggregate, rather than the gross amount for each customer.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
A Fund may take advantage of opportunities in the area of options and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, warrants, swaps and any other investments which are not presently contemplated for use by the Fund or which are not currently available but which may be developed, to the extent such opportunities are both consistent with the Fund's investment objective and legally permissible for the Fund. Before entering into such transactions or making any such investment, a Fund will provide appropriate disclosure.
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HIGH YIELD SECURITIES
Investment in high yield securities (commonly known as junk bonds) generally provides greater income and increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities, but they also typically entail greater price volatility and credit risk. These high yield securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of debt securities that are high yield may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality debt securities. In addition, high yield securities are often issued by smaller, less creditworthy companies or by highly leveraged (indebted) firms, but can also be issued by governments. Such issuers are generally less able than more financially stable issuers to make scheduled payments of interest and principal. The risks posed by securities issued under such circumstances are substantial.
Investing in high yield debt securities involves risks that are greater than the risks of investing in higher quality debt securities. These risks include: (i) changes in credit status, including weaker overall credit conditions of issuers and risks of default; (ii) industry, market and economic risk; and (iii) greater price variability and credit risks of certain high yield securities such as zero coupon and payment-in-kind securities. While these risks provide the opportunity for maximizing return over time, they may result in greater volatility of the value of a Fund than a fund that invests in higher-rated securities.
Furthermore, the value of high yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic, company or industry conditions than is the case for higher quality securities. The market values of certain of these lower-rated and unrated debt securities tend to reflect individual issuer developments to a greater extent than do higher-rated securities which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates, and tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are higher-rated securities. Adverse market, credit or economic conditions could make it difficult at certain times to sell certain high yield securities held by a Fund.
The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the price at which a Fund could sell a high yield security, and could adversely affect the daily net asset value per share of a Fund. When secondary markets for high yield securities are less liquid than the market for higher grade securities, it may be more difficult to value the securities because there is less reliable, objective data available.
The use of credit ratings as a principal method of selecting high yield securities can involve certain risks. For example, credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield securities. Also, credit rating agencies may fail to change credit ratings in a timely fashion to reflect events since the security was last rated.
ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS
Each Fund may invest in illiquid investments. A Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment means any investment that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. If illiquid investments exceed 15% of a Fund's net assets, certain remedial actions will be taken as required by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act and the Funds' policies and procedures.
INFLATION-PROTECTED OBLIGATIONS
Each Fund may invest in inflation-protected public obligations, commonly known as TIPS, of the U.S. Treasury, as well as TIPS of major governments and emerging market countries, excluding the United States. TIPS are a type of security issued by a government that are designed to provide inflation protection to investors. TIPS are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflation—a sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises or falls, both the principal value and the interest payments will increase or decrease. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of an investment. Because of this inflation adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds.
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INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Each Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including affiliated funds and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), a Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the acquired company) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than Treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law, regulation, and/or a Fund's investment restrictions, a Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies, including affiliated funds and/or money market funds, in excess of the limits discussed above.
If a Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund's shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund's proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund's own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund's own operations.
LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers in U.S. and non-U.S. markets in an amount not to exceed 40% of the value of its net assets. The borrowers provide collateral that is marked to market daily in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. A Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the securities loaned. A Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities. A Fund cannot vote proxies for securities on loan, but may recall loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the Fund's economic interest in the investment is to be voted upon. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities. Distributions received on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments (i.e., substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend income.
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. A 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, a 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 high quality short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or funds, which may include those managed by the Adviser. A Fund could lose money due to a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or any investments made with cash collateral. Certain non-cash collateral or investments made with cash collateral may have a greater risk of loss than other non-cash collateral or investments.
A Fund may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities lending agents approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the Board) who administer the lending program for the Funds in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent provides the following services to the Funds in connection with the Funds' securities lending activities: (i) locating borrowers among an approved list of prospective borrowers; (ii) causing the delivery of loaned securities from a Fund to borrowers; (iii) monitoring the value of loaned securities, the value of collateral received, and other lending parameters; (iv) seeking additional collateral, as necessary, from borrowers; (v) receiving and holding collateral from borrowers, and facilitating the investment and reinvestment of all or substantially all cash collateral in an investment vehicle designated by the Funds; (vi) returning collateral to borrowers; (vii) facilitating substitute dividend, interest, and other distribution payments to the Funds from borrowers; (viii) negotiating the terms of each loan of securities, including but not limited to the amount of any loan premium, and monitoring the terms of securities loan agreements with prospective borrowers for consistency with the requirements of the Funds' Securities Lending Authorization Agreement; (ix) selecting securities, including amounts (percentages), to be loaned; (x) recordkeeping and accounting servicing; and (xi) arranging for return of loaned securities to the Fund in accordance with the terms of the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement. State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street), an affiliate of the Trust, has been approved by the Board to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds and the Trust has entered into an agreement with State Street for such services. Among other matters, the Trust has agreed to indemnify State Street for certain liabilities. State Street has received an order of exemption from the SEC under Sections 17(a) and 12(d)(1) under the 1940 Act to serve as the lending agent for affiliated investment companies such as the Trust and to invest the cash collateral received from loan transactions to be invested in an affiliated cash collateral fund.
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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 especially so in certain international markets such as Taiwan), gap risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees a Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), risk of loss of collateral, credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. If a securities lending counterparty were to default, a Fund would be subject to the risk of a possible delay in receiving collateral or in recovering the loaned securities, or to a possible loss of rights in the collateral. In the event a borrower does not return a Fund's securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do 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. Although State Street has agreed to provide a Fund with indemnification in the event of a borrower default, a Fund is still exposed to the risk of losses in the event a borrower does not return a Fund's securities as agreed. For example, delays in recovery of lent securities may cause a Fund to lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price.
LEVERAGING
While the Funds do not anticipate doing so, a Fund may borrow money in an amount greater than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets. However, under normal circumstances, a Fund will not borrow money from a bank in an amount greater than 10% of the value of the Fund's total assets. Borrowing for investment purposes is one form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk, but also increases investment opportunity. Because substantially all of a Fund's assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of a Fund will increase more when such Fund's portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when the Fund's portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds.
OTHER SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS
Each Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, (including money market funds advised by the Adviser), cash and cash equivalents, 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); (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 foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase Prime-1 by Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) or A-1 by S&P Global Ratings (S&P), or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the 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 present minimal credit risk; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the 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 a 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. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. The SEC and other government agencies continue to review the regulation of money market funds. The SEC has adopted changes to the rules that govern money market funds, and compliance with many of these amendments was required in October 2016. Legislative developments may also affect money market funds. These changes and developments may affect the investment strategies, performance, yield, operating expenses and continued viability of a money market fund.
PRIVATE PLACEMENTS AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES
Each Fund may invest in securities that are purchased in private placements and, accordingly, are subject to restrictions on resale as a matter of contract or under federal securities laws. While such private placements may offer attractive opportunities for investment not otherwise available on the open market, the securities so purchased are often restricted securities, i.e., securities which cannot be sold to the public without registration under the Securities Act or the availability of an exemption from registration (such as Rules 144 or 144A), or which are not readily marketable because they are subject to other legal or contractual delays in or restrictions on resale. Generally speaking, restricted securities may be
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sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or in a privately negotiated transaction to a limited number of purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration, or in a public offering for which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act.
Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such investments, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, a Fund could find it more difficult to sell such securities when the Adviser believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held. Market quotations for such securities are generally less readily available than for publicly traded securities. The absence of a trading market can make it difficult to ascertain a market value for such securities for purposes of computing a Fund's net asset value, and the judgment of the Adviser may at times play a greater role in valuing these securities than in the case of publicly traded securities. Disposing of such securities, which may be illiquid investments, can involve time-consuming negotiation and legal expenses, and it may be difficult or impossible for a Fund to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. A Fund may have to bear the extra expense of registering such securities for resale and the risk of substantial delay in effecting such registration.
A Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act when selling restricted securities to the public, and in such event the Fund may be liable to purchasers of such securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer, or the prospectus forming a part of it, is materially inaccurate or misleading.
RATINGS
An investment grade rating means the security or issuer is rated investment grade by Moody's, S&P, Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch), Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited, or another credit rating agency designated as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization by the SEC, or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by the Adviser.
Subsequent to purchase by a Fund, a rated security may cease to be rated or its investment grade rating may be reduced below an investment grade rating. Bonds rated lower than Baa3 by Moody's or BBB- by S&P or Fitch are below investment grade quality and are obligations of issuers that are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay principal according to the terms of the obligation and, therefore, carry greater investment risk, including the possibility of issuer default and bankruptcy and increased market price volatility. Such securities (lower rated securities) are commonly referred to as junk bonds and are subject to a substantial degree of credit risk. Lower rated securities are often issued by smaller, less creditworthy companies or by highly leveraged (indebted) firms, which are generally less able than more financially stable firms to make scheduled payments of interest and principal. The risks posed by securities issued under such circumstances are substantial. Bonds rated below investment-grade tend to be less marketable than higher-quality bonds because the market for them is less broad. The market for unrated bonds is even narrower. See HIGH YIELD SECURITIES above for more information relating to the risks associated with investing in lower rated securities, or Appendix A for more information on the ratings of debt instruments.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
Each Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day—as defined below). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by a Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by a Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of a Fund's net assets will be invested in illiquid investments, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.
The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, a Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or
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reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by a Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
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. The securities purchased with the funds obtained from the agreement and securities collateralizing the agreement will have maturity dates no later than the repayment date. Generally the effect of such transactions is that a 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 a Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are only advantageous if a Fund has an opportunity to earn a greater rate of interest on the cash derived from these transactions 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 a Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Adviser believes it will be advantageous to the Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of a Fund's assets. A Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements if it either meets the relevant asset coverage requirements of Section 18 of the 1940 Act for senior securities representing indebtedness, or elects to treat such arrangements as derivatives transactions under the Derivatives Rule. Each Fund does not expect to engage, under normal circumstances, in reverse repurchase agreements with respect to more than 10% of its total assets.
SOVEREIGN DEBT OBLIGATIONS
Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies. Sovereign debt may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as loans or loan participations. Governmental entities responsible for repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and pay interest when due, and may require renegotiation or reschedule of debt payments. In addition, prospects for repayment of principal and payment of interest may depend on political as well as economic factors. Although some sovereign debt, such as Brady Bonds, is collateralized by U.S. Government securities, repayment of principal and payment of interest is not guaranteed by the U.S. Government.
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.
One type of U.S. Government obligation, U.S. Treasury obligations, are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years.
Other U.S. Government obligations are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government including, but not limited to, Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLB), Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac). Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. While the U.S. Government provides financial support to such U.S. Government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will always do so, since the U.S. Government is not so obligated by law.
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In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the terms of the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality. Under these Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (SPAs), the U.S. Treasury has pledged to provide a limited amount of capital per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. In May 2009, the U.S. Treasury increased its maximum commitment to each instrumentality under the SPAs from $100 billion to $200 billion per instrumentality. In December 2009, the U.S. Treasury amended the SPAs to provide Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with some additional flexibility to meet the requirement to reduce their mortgage portfolios. Also in December 2009, the U.S. Treasury further amended the SPAs to allow the cap on the U.S. Treasury's funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's net worth through the end of 2012. On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the SPAs to terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10% dividend annually on all amounts received under the funding commitment. Instead, they were required to transfer to the U.S. Treasury on a quarterly basis all profits earned during a quarter that exceeded a capital reserve amount of $3 billion. On September 30, 2019, the U.S. Treasury announced amendments to the SPAs permitting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to maintain capital reserves of $25 billion and $20 billion, respectively. It is believed that the amendment puts Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a better position to service their debt because the companies no longer have to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to make fixed dividend payments.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the subject of several continuing class action lawsuits and investigations by federal regulators over certain accounting, disclosure or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may adversely affect the guaranteeing entities. Importantly, the future of the entities is in serious question as the U.S. government reportedly is considering multiple options, ranging from nationalization, privatization, consolidation, or abolishment of the entities.
VARIABLE AND FLOATING RATE SECURITIES
Variable rate securities are instruments issued or guaranteed by entities such as (1) U.S. Government, or an agency or instrumentality thereof, (2) states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities or states and multi-state agencies or authorities, (3) corporations, (4) financial institutions, (5) insurance companies or (6) trusts that have a rate of interest subject to adjustment at regular intervals but less frequently than annually. A variable rate security provides for the automatic establishment of a new interest rate on set dates. Variable rate obligations whose interest is readjusted no less frequently than annually will be deemed to have a maturity equal to the period remaining until the next readjustment of the interest rate. A Fund may also purchase floating rate securities. A floating rate security provides for the automatic adjustment of its interest rate whenever a specified interest rate changes. Interest rates on these securities are ordinarily tied to, and are a percentage of, a widely recognized interest rate, such as the yield on 90-day U.S. Treasury bills or the prime rate of a specified bank. These rates may change as often as twice daily. Generally, changes in interest rates will have a smaller effect on the market value of variable and fixed rate floating rate securities than on the market value of comparable fixed rate fixed income obligations. Thus, investing in variable and fixed rate floating rate securities generally allows less opportunity for capital appreciation and depreciation than investing in comparable fixed rate fixed income securities.
VARIABLE RATE DEMAND OBLIGATIONS
Variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs) are short-term tax-exempt fixed income instruments whose yield is reset on a periodic basis. VRDO securities tend to be issued with long maturities of up to 30 or 40 years; however, they are considered short-term instruments because they include a put feature which coincides with the periodic yield reset. For example, a VRDO whose yield resets weekly will have a put feature that is exercisable upon seven days' notice. VRDOs are put back to a bank or other entity that serves as a liquidity provider, who then tries to resell the VRDOs or, if unable to resell, holds them in its own inventory. VRDOs are generally supported by either a Letter of Credit or a Stand-by Bond Purchase Agreement to provide credit enhancement.
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WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES
Each Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued basis. Delivery of and payment for these securities may take place as long as a month or more after the date of the purchase commitment. The value of these securities is subject to market fluctuation during this period, and no income accrues to a Fund until settlement takes place. When entering into a when-issued transaction, a Fund will rely on the other party to consummate the transaction; if the other party fails to do so, a Fund may be disadvantaged.
Securities purchased on a when-issued basis and held by a Fund are subject to changes in market value based upon actual or perceived changes in the level of interest rates. Generally, the value of such securities will fluctuate inversely to changes in interest rates — i.e., they will appreciate in value when interest rates decline and decrease in value when interest rates rise. Therefore, if a Fund purchases securities on a when-issued basis, there may be a greater possibility of fluctuation in the Fund's NAV.
Special Considerations and Risks
A discussion of the risks associated with an investment in each Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.
GENERAL
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 securities generally and other factors.
An investment in a Fund should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities markets may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of Shares). Securities are susceptible to general market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in 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 and banking crises. Securities of issuers traded on exchanges may be suspended on certain exchanges by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by government authorities. The likelihood of such suspensions may be higher for securities of issuers in emerging or less-developed market countries than in countries with more developed markets. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and instruments that reference the securities, such as participatory notes (or P-notes) or other derivative instruments, may be halted.
The principal trading market for some of the securities in an Index 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.
CHINA BOND RISK
Certain Funds may invest in renminbi (RMB) denominated fixed income securities of Chinese issuers (China bonds). To the extent a Fund's underlying Index includes China bonds, the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective is dependent on its continued access to such bonds. The Funds may invest in China bonds (i) through direct access to the China Interbank Bond Market (CIBM), (ii) through certain foreign institutional investors that have obtained a license from the Chinese regulators, and (iii) through Bond Connect, a program that provides foreign investors with access to China's onshore bond market.
CIBM Direct Access Program Risks: The CIBM is an OTC market established in 1997, and accounts for more than 95% of outstanding bond values of the total trading volume in the People's Republic of China (the PRC). On CIBM, domestic institutional investors and certain foreign institutional investors can trade, on a one-to-one quote-driven basis, sovereign bonds, government bonds, corporate bonds, bond repo, bond lending, bills issued by the People's Bank of China
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(PBOC) and other financial debt instruments. Pursuant to the Announcement (2016) No. 3 issued by the PBOC on February 24, 2016, eligible foreign institutional investors can conduct trading on the CIBM under a program established by the PBOC (CIBM Direct Access Program) subject to other rules and regulations as promulgated by the PRC authorities. There is no trading quota limitation.
CIBM is regulated and supervised by the PBOC. The PBOC is responsible for, among others, promulgating the applicable CIBM listing, trading and operating rules, and supervising the market operators of CIBM. Bonds and bond-related derivatives are traded in the CIBM primarily through (i) independent bilateral negotiation on a transaction by transaction basis or (ii) through the click-and-deal trading model, whereby a party offers a quote in the market that can then be accepted by a counterparty (thus, clicking the deal). A click-and-deal quote may also be automatically matched with a price limit order. In addition, recently an anonymous click trading model has been implemented for certain bonds and bond-related derivatives whereby anonymous quotes offered in the market are automatically matched with counterparties based on timing and price. Once a transaction is agreed upon, the parties will, in accordance with the terms of the transaction, promptly send instructions for the delivery of bonds and funds. Parties are required to have sufficient bonds and funds for delivery on the agreed upon delivery date. China Central Depository & Clearing Co., Ltd (CCDC) or Shanghai Clearing House (SHCH) will deliver bonds according to the instructions sent by the parties. Funds clearing banks will handle the transfer and settlement of the payments of the bonds on behalf of the parties. The China Foreign Exchange Trading System is the unified trading platform for CIBM.
A Fund's investments in China bonds through the CIBM Direct Access Program will be subject to a number of additional risks and restrictions that may affect the Fund's investments and returns. Certain of these risks are discussed below.
The CIBM Direct Access Program is relatively new. Laws, rules, regulations, policies, notices, circulars or guidelines relating to the CIBM Direct Access Program as published or applied by the PBOC and other PRC authorities are relatively untested and are subject to change from time to time. There can be no assurance that the CIBM Direct Access Program will not be restricted, suspended or abolished. If such event occurs, a Fund's ability to invest in the CIBM through the CIBM Direct Access Program will be adversely affected, and if the Fund is unable to adequately access the CIBM through other means, the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective will be adversely affected.
Under the prevailing PRC regulations, eligible foreign institutional investors who wish to invest directly in CIBM through the CIBM Direct Access Program may do so through an onshore settlement agent, who would be responsible for making the relevant filings and account opening with the relevant authorities. The Funds are therefore subject to the risk of default or errors on the part of such agent.
QFI Investment Risk: The Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) and Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) regimes have been combined, effective May 2020, with a unified set of rules applicable to all RQFIIs and QFIIs by the Chinese regulators (collectively referred to as Qualified Foreign Investor or QFI) Investment companies, such as the Funds, are not currently within the types of entities that are eligible for QFI license. Rather, each Fund may utilize the Adviser's QFI license granted under QFI regulations to invest in China bonds.
It is possible that the Adviser's QFI status could be suspended or revoked. Pursuant to PRC and QFI regulations, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) are vested with the power to impose regulatory sanctions if the Adviser, in its capacity as QFI, or the PRC custodian violates any provision of the QFI regulations. Any such violations could result in the revocation of the Adviser's QFI license or other regulatory sanctions and may adversely affect the ability of a Fund to invest in China bonds. The Adviser is also subject to regulation by certain Hong Kong regulatory authorities, including the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Regulatory matters arising from such regulation could also adversely affect the Adviser's QFI license and ability to provide advisory services, generally.
There can be no assurance that the Adviser will continue to maintain its QFI status. In the event the Adviser is unable to maintain its QFI status, it may be necessary for the Fund to limit or suspend creations of Creation Units. In such event it is possible that the trading price of the Fund's Shares on its Exchange will be at a significant premium to the NAV (which may also increase tracking error of the Fund). In extreme circumstances, a Fund may incur significant loss due to limited investment capabilities, or may not be able fully to implement or pursue its investment objectives or strategies, due to QFI investment restrictions, illiquidity of the PRC securities markets, and delay or disruption in execution of trades or in settlement of trades.
The regulations which regulate investments by QFIs in the PRC and the repatriation of capital from QFI investments are relatively new. The application and interpretation of such investment regulations are therefore relatively untested and there is no certainty as to how they will be applied as the PRC authorities and regulators have been given wide discretion in
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such investment regulations and there is no precedent or certainty as to how such discretion may be exercised now or in the future. Existing QFI regulations may change over time and new QFI regulations may be promulgated in the future and no assurance can be given that any such changes will not adversely affect a Fund or its ability to achieve its investment objective.
Bond Connect Risks: The Mutual Bond Market Access between Mainland China and Hong Kong (Bond Connect) program is a new initiative established by PBOC, China Foreign Exchange Trade System & National Interbank Funding Centre (CFETS), CCDC, SHCH, and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) and Central Moneymarkets Unit (CMU) of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) to facilitate investor's investments between the Mainland China and Hong Kong bond markets through connection between the Mainland China and Hong Kong financial institutions.
Under the prevailing PRC regulations, eligible foreign investors are allowed to invest in the bonds available on the CIBM through the northbound trading of Bond Connect (Northbound Trading Link). There is currently no investment quota for the Northbound Trading Link. The Northbound Trading Link refers to the trading platform that is located outside of Mainland China and is connected to CFETS for eligible foreign investors to submit their trade requests for bonds circulated in the CIBM through Bond Connect. HKEx and CFETS work together with offshore electronic bond trading platforms to provide electronic trading services and platforms to allow direct trading between eligible foreign investors and approved onshore dealers in Mainland China through CFETS. Under the Northbound Trading Link, eligible foreign investors are required to appoint the CFETS or other institutions recognized by the PBOC as registration agents to apply for registration with the PBOC.
Pursuant to the prevailing regulations in Mainland China, the CMU, the offshore custody agent recognized by the HKMA, opens omnibus nominee accounts with the onshore custody agent recognized by the PBOC (i.e., the CCDC and SHCH). All bonds traded by eligible foreign investors will be registered in the name of the CMU, which will hold such bonds as a nominee owner.
Bond Connect is relatively new. Laws, rules, regulations, policies, notices, circulars or guidelines relating to Bond Connect as published or applied by any of the Bond Connect Authorities (as defined below) are relatively untested and are subject to change. Bond Connect Authorities refers to the exchanges, trading systems, settlement systems, governmental, regulatory or tax bodies which provide services and/or regulate Bond Connect and activities relating to Bond Connect, including, without limitation, the PBOC, the HKMA, the HKEx, the CFETS, the CMU, the CCDC and the SHCH and any other regulator, agency or authority with jurisdiction, authority or responsibility in respect of Bond Connect. There can be no assurance that Bond Connect will not be restricted, suspended or abolished. If such event occurs, a Fund's ability to invest in the CIBM through Bond Connect may be adversely affected, and if the Fund is unable to adequately access the CIBM through other means, the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective may be adversely affected.
Under the prevailing Bond Connect regulations, eligible foreign investors who wish to participate in Bond Connect may do so through an offshore custody agent, registration agent or other third parties (as the case may be), who would be responsible for making the relevant filings and account opening with the relevant authorities. A Fund is therefore subject to the risk of default or errors on the part of such agents.
Trading through Bond Connect is performed through newly developed trading platforms and operational systems. There is no assurance that such systems will function properly (in particular, under extreme market conditions) or will continue to be adapted to changes and developments in the market. In the event that the relevant systems fail to function properly, trading through Bond Connect may be disrupted. A Fund's ability to trade through Bond Connect (and hence to pursue its investment strategy) may therefore be adversely affected. In addition, where a Fund invests in the CIBM through Bond Connect, it may be subject to risks of delays inherent in the order placing and/or settlement.
The CMU is the nominee holder of the bonds acquired by a Fund through Bond Connect. While Bond Connect Authorities have expressly stated that investors will enjoy the rights and interests of the bonds acquired through Bond Connect similar to investors in bond interests acquired through more traditional means in accordance with applicable laws, the exercise and the enforcement of beneficial ownership rights in such bonds in the Chinese courts has yet to be tested. As a result, for example, though the HKMA has stated otherwise in its Frequently Asked Questions relating to Bond Connect, it is possible that in the event that the nominee holder becomes insolvent, such bonds may be deemed to form part of the pool of assets of the nominee holder available for distribution to its creditors thereby subjugating the rights of a Fund.
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Chinese Credit Rating Risks: China bonds will generally be rated by Chinese ratings agencies (and not by U.S. nationally recognized statistical ratings organizations (NRSROs)). The rating criteria and methodology used by Chinese rating agencies may be different from those adopted by NRSROs and international credit rating agencies. Therefore, such rating systems may not provide an equivalent standard for comparison with securities rated by NRSROs and international credit rating agencies.
Market Risks: A Fund investing in the CIBM will be subject to liquidity and volatility risks. Market volatility and potential lack of liquidity due to possible low trading volume of certain bonds in the CIBM may result in prices of certain bonds traded in the CIBM fluctuating significantly. The bid and offer spreads of the prices of such bonds may be large, and a Fund may therefore incur significant trading and realization costs and may even suffer losses when selling such investments. To the extent that a Fund transacts in the CIBM, the Fund may also be exposed to risks associated with settlement procedures and default of counterparties. The counterparty which has entered into a transaction with a Fund may default in its obligation to settle the transaction by failure to deliver relevant securities or to make payment.
General PRC-Related Risks
Economic, Political and Social Risks of the PRC: The economy of China, which has been in a state of transition from a planned economy to a more market-oriented economy, differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, its state of development, its growth rate, control of foreign exchange, protection of intellectual property rights and allocation of resources.
Although the majority of productive assets in China are still owned by the PRC government at various levels, in recent years, the PRC government has implemented economic reform measures emphasizing utilization of market forces in the development of the economy of China and a high level of management autonomy. The economy of China has experienced significant growth in the past several decades, but growth has been uneven both geographically and among various sectors of the economy, and no assurance can be given that such growth will continue. Economic growth has also been accompanied by periods of high inflation. The PRC government has implemented various measures from time to time to control inflation and restrain the rate of economic growth.
There can, however, be no assurance that the PRC government will continue to pursue such economic policies or, if it does, that those policies will continue to be successful. Any such adjustment and modification of those economic policies may have an adverse impact on the securities markets in the PRC as well as the portfolio securities of a Fund. Further, the PRC government may from time to time adopt corrective measures to control the growth of the PRC economy, which may also have an adverse impact on the capital growth and performance of a Fund. Political changes, social instability and adverse diplomatic developments in the PRC could result in the imposition of additional government restrictions, including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxes, limits on repatriation, or nationalization of some or all of the property held by the underlying issuers of a Fund's portfolio securities.
PRC Laws and Regulations Risk: The regulatory and legal framework for capital markets and companies in the PRC may not be as well developed as those of developed countries. PRC laws and regulations affecting securities markets are relatively new and evolving, and because of the limited volume of published cases and judicial interpretation and their non-binding nature, interpretation and enforcement of these regulations involve significant uncertainties. In addition, as the PRC legal system develops, no assurance can be given that changes in such laws and regulations or new laws, regulations or practices relating to transactions in Chinese securities will be promulgated, or that their interpretation or enforcement will not have a material adverse effect on a Fund's portfolio securities.
In addition, the effect of future developments in the PRC legal system is unpredictable, such as changes to the existing regulatory environment and government scrutiny in certain areas, uncertain interpretation and implementation of existing laws or enforcement thereof, or the preemption of local regulations by national laws. For instance, China has tightened regulatory requirements with respect to privacy, data protection and information security, and has promulgated new regulations and policy to regulate certain industries in the past year, which may in turn impact the business operation of the underlying issuers of a Fund's portfolio securities. The rapid evolving legal system of China may have a material adverse effect on a Fund's portfolio securities.
PRC Tax Risk: Uncertainties in PRC tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments in China bonds could result in unexpected tax liabilities for a Fund. A Fund's investments in China bonds may cause the Fund to become subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by the PRC. The Ministry of Finance of the PRC and the State Administration of Taxation of the PRC issued Caishui No. 108 on November 7, 2018, which states that bond interests derived from investment in the China bond market (including through CIBM, a QFI license or Bond Connect) by foreign investors will be temporarily exempt from withholding income tax and value added tax. According to the Announcement on
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Continuation of Corporate Income Tax and Value-added Tax Policies for Overseas Institutions Investing in the Domestic Bond Market (Announcement [2021] No. 34), which was jointly made by the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation on November 22, 2021, the temporary exemption applies to the withholding tax and value-added tax on bond interest derived from investment in the China bond market by foreign institutional investors and will continue until December 31, 2025. If, in the future, China begins applying tax rules regarding the taxation of investment in China bonds by foreign investors, and/or begins collecting withholding and other taxes on interest derived by such investment, a Fund's return might be adversely affected.
Political Tension Risk: Recently there have been heightened tensions in international economic relations and rising political tensions. In particular, political tensions between the United States and China have escalated due to, among other things, trade disputes, the COVID-19 outbreak, sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of Treasury on certain officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the PRC central government, as well as retaliatory actions of the PRC government. Rising political tensions could reduce levels of trade, investments and other economic activities between the two major economies, and any escalation thereof may have a negative impact on the general, economic, political, and social conditions in China and, in turn, adversely impact a Fund's portfolio securities.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST RISK
An investment in a Fund may be subject to a number of actual or potential conflicts of interest. For example, the Adviser or its affiliates may provide services to a Fund, such as securities lending agency services, custodial, administrative, bookkeeping, and accounting services, transfer agency and shareholder servicing, securities brokerage services, and other services for which the Fund would compensate the Adviser and/or such affiliates. A Fund may invest in other pooled investment vehicles sponsored, managed, or otherwise affiliated with the Adviser. There is no assurance that the rates at which a Fund pays fees or expenses to the Adviser or its affiliates, or the terms on which it enters into transactions with the Adviser or its affiliates, will be the most favorable available in the market generally or as favorable as the rates the Adviser makes available to other clients. Because of its financial interest, the Adviser may have an incentive to enter into transactions or arrangements on behalf of a Fund with itself or its affiliates in circumstances where it might not have done so in the absence of that interest.
CONTINUOUS OFFERING
The method by which Creation Units of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of Shares are issued and sold by the Trust on an ongoing basis, at any point a distribution, as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. 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 which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not underwriters but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus-delivery obligation with respect to Shares of a Fund are reminded that under Securities Act Rule 153, a prospectus-delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that a Fund's Prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.
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SSGA or its affiliates (the Selling Shareholder) may purchase Creation Units through a broker-dealer to seed (in whole or in part) Funds as they are launched, or may purchase shares from broker-dealers or other investors that have previously provided seed for Funds when they were launched or otherwise in secondary market transactions, and because the Selling Shareholder may be deemed an affiliate of such Funds, the Shares are being registered to permit the resale of these shares from time to time after purchase. The Funds will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale by the Selling Shareholders of these Shares.
The Selling Shareholder intends to sell all or a portion of the Shares owned by it and offered hereby from time to time directly or through one or more broker-dealers, and may also hedge such positions. The Shares may be sold on any national securities exchange on which the Shares may be listed or quoted at the time of sale, in the over-the-counter market or in transactions other than on these exchanges or systems at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected in transactions, which may involve cross or block transactions.
The Selling Shareholder may also loan or pledge Shares to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such Shares, to the extent permitted by applicable law. The Selling Shareholder may also enter into options or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of Shares, which Shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell.
The Selling Shareholder and any broker-dealer or agents participating in the distribution of Shares may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions paid to any such broker-dealer or agent and any profit on the resale of the Shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. The Selling Shareholder who may be deemed an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act will be subject to the applicable prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.
COUNTERPARTY RISK
Counterparty risk with respect to derivatives has been and may continue to be affected by new rules and regulations affecting the derivatives market. Some derivatives transactions are required to be centrally cleared, and a party to a cleared derivatives transaction is subject to the credit risk of the clearing house and the clearing member through which it holds its cleared position, rather than the credit risk of its original counterparty to the derivatives transaction. Credit risk of market participants with respect to derivatives that are centrally cleared is concentrated in a few clearing houses, and it is not clear how an insolvency proceeding of a clearing house would be conducted, what effect the insolvency proceeding would have on any recovery by a Fund, and what impact an insolvency of a clearing house would have on the financial system more generally.
FUTURES AND OPTIONS TRANSACTIONS
There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract or option at any specific time. Thus, it may not be possible to close a futures or options position. 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 make delivery of the instruments underlying futures contracts it has sold.
Each Fund will minimize the risk that it will be unable to close out a futures or options contract by only entering into futures and options for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.
The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The Funds do not plan to use futures and options contracts, when available, in this manner. 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. A Fund, however, may utilize futures and options contracts in a manner designed to limit its risk exposure to that which is comparable to what it would have incurred through direct investment in securities.
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Utilization of futures transactions by a Fund involves the risk of imperfect or even negative correlation to its benchmark Index if the index underlying the futures contracts differs from the benchmark Index or if the futures contracts do not track the benchmark Index as expected. 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.
Certain financial futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily price fluctuation limit or daily limit establishes the maximum amount that 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, generally no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.
RISKS OF SWAP AGREEMENTS
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, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor.
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. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index, but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions. These transactions generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal.
The absence of a regulated execution facility or contract market and lack of liquidity for swap transactions has led, in some instances, to difficulties in trading and valuation, especially in the event of market disruptions. Under recently adopted rules and regulations, transactions in some types of swaps are required to be centrally cleared. In a cleared derivatives transaction, a Fund's counterparty to the transaction is a central derivatives clearing organization, or clearing house, rather than a bank or broker. Because the Funds are not members of a clearing house, and only members of a clearing house can participate directly in the clearing house, each Fund holds cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives transactions, a Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from a clearing house through its accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house. Centrally cleared derivative arrangements may be less favorable to a Fund than bilateral (non-cleared) arrangements. For example, a Fund may be required to provide greater amounts of margin for cleared derivatives transactions than for bilateral derivatives transactions. Also, in contrast to bilateral derivatives transactions, in some cases following a period of notice to a Fund, a clearing member generally can require termination of existing cleared derivatives transactions at any time or an increase in margin requirements above the margin that the clearing member required at the beginning of a transaction. Clearing houses also have broad rights to increase margin requirements for existing transactions or to terminate transactions at any time in accordance with their rules. A Fund is subject to risk if it enters into a derivatives transaction that is required to be cleared (or which SSGA FM expects to be cleared), and no clearing member is willing or able to clear the transaction on the Fund's behalf. In that case, the transaction might have to be terminated, and the Fund could lose some or all of the benefit of the transaction, including loss of an increase in the value of the transaction and loss of hedging protection. In addition, the documentation governing the relationship between a Fund and clearing members is drafted by the clearing members and generally is less favorable to the Fund than typical bilateral derivatives documentation.
These clearing rules and other new rules and regulations could, among other things, restrict a Fund's ability to engage in, or increase the cost to the Fund of, derivatives transactions, for example, by making some types of derivatives no longer available to the Fund, increasing margin or capital requirements, or otherwise limiting liquidity or increasing transaction costs. These regulations, as applicable to swaps, are relatively new and evolving, so their potential impact on a Fund and the financial system are not yet known.
23

Because they are two party contracts that may be subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and termination and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid and subject to a Fund's limitation on investments in illiquid investments. To the extent that a swap is not liquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. Like most other investments, swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a Fund's interest.
If a Fund uses a swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, the Fund will be exposed to the risk that the swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment. This could cause substantial losses for the Fund. While hedging strategies involving swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other Fund investments. Many swaps are complex and often valued subjectively.
EUROPE – RECENT EVENTS
A number of countries in Europe, including Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy, and Portugal, have substantial government debt levels. The concern over these debt levels has led to volatility in the European financial markets, which has adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect every country in Europe. For some countries, the ability to repay sovereign debt is in question, and default is possible, which could affect their ability to borrow in the future. Several countries have agreed to multi-year bailout loans from the European Central Bank, the IMF, and other institutions. A default or debt restructuring by any European country can adversely impact holders of that country's debt and can affect exposures to other European Union (EU) countries and their financial companies as well. These financial difficulties may continue, worsen or spread within or outside Europe. 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.
Uncertainties regarding the viability of the EU have impacted and may continue to impact markets in the United States and around the world. On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as Brexit) and entered an 11-month transition period. The transition period concluded on December 31, 2020, and the United Kingdom left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement. The agreement governs the new relationship between the United Kingdom and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. The full scope and nature of the consequences of the exit are not at this time known and are unlikely to be known for a significant period of time. It is also unknown whether the United Kingdom's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Any additional exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, may have a significant impact on the United Kingdom, Europe, and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth for such economies that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of a Fund's investments.
LIBOR RISK
Instruments or contracts in which the Funds invest may pay interest at floating or adjusting rates based on LIBOR or may be subject to interest caps or floors tied to LIBOR. LIBOR is used extensively in the U.S. and globally as a benchmark or reference rate for various commercial and financial contracts, including corporate and municipal bonds, bank loans, asset-backed and mortgage-related securities, interest rate swaps and other derivatives.
On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates LIBOR, announced that after 2021, it would cease its active encouragement of banks to provide quotations needed to sustain the LIBOR rate. On March 5, 2021, the administrator of LIBOR announced a delay in the phase out of the majority of the USD LIBOR publications until June 30, 2023, with the remainder of USD LIBOR publications having ceased on December 31, 2021. The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, has identified the Secured Overnight Financial Rate (SOFR) as the preferred alternative rate to LIBOR. SOFR is a relatively new index calculated by short-term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities.
While some instruments or contracts may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments or contracts may have such fallback provisions. Abandonment of or modifications to LIBOR could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability and the extent to which that may impact a Fund may vary depending on various factors, which include, but are not limited to: (i)
24

existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (ii) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and adopt new successor reference rates and/or fallbacks for both legacy and new instruments or contracts. To address the potential risks and uncertainty associated with instruments or contracts containing no fallback provisions, in March 2022, the Biden administration enacted legislation that provides a uniform national approach for replacing USD LIBOR. In instances where a contract or instrument does not contain an effective fallback provision, the USD LIBOR rate will be replaced by a rate based on SOFR that is selected by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
The transition to a successor rate may result in (i) increased volatility or illiquidity in markets for instruments or contracts that currently rely on LIBOR, (ii) a reduction in the value of certain instruments or contracts held by a Fund, (iii) reduced effectiveness of related Fund transactions, such as hedging, (iv) additional tax, accounting and regulatory risks, or (v) costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. Any pricing adjustments to a Fund's investments resulting from a substitute reference rate may also adversely affect a Fund's performance and/or NAV. Additionally, if LIBOR ultimately ceases to exist, a Fund may need to renegotiate the credit agreements extending beyond the LIBOR phase out date with a Fund's obligors that utilize LIBOR as a factor in determining the interest rate and certain of a Fund's existing credit facilities to replace LIBOR with a new rate. Any pricing adjustments to a Fund's investments resulting from a substitute reference rate may also adversely affect a Fund's performance and/or NAV. There is no assurance that the composition or characteristics of any such alternative reference rate will be similar to or produce the same value or economic equivalence as LIBOR or that instruments or contracts using an alternative rate will have the same volume or liquidity.
MARKET TURBULENCE RESULTING FROM COVID-19
An outbreak of a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (known as COVID-19) first detected in China in December 2019 has spread globally. In an organized attempt to contain and mitigate the effects of the spread of COVID-19, governments and businesses world-wide took and may continue to take aggressive measures, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines of large populations. COVID-19 has resulted in and may continue to result in the disruption of and delays in the delivery of healthcare services and processes, the cancellation of organized events and educational institutions, the disruption of production and supply chains, a decline in consumer demand for certain goods and services, and general concern and uncertainty, all of which have contributed to increased volatility in global markets. The effects of COVID-19 will likely affect certain sectors and industries more dramatically than others, which may adversely affect the value of a Fund's investments in those sectors or industries. COVID-19, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could adversely affect the economies of many nations, the global economy, individual companies and capital markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the impact of infectious diseases in developing or emerging market countries may be greater due to limited health care resources. Political, economic and social stresses caused by COVID-19 also may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries. The duration of COVID-19 and its effects cannot be determined at this time, but the effects could be present for an extended period of time.
RUSSIA SANCTIONS RISK
Sanctions threatened or imposed by a number of jurisdictions, including the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, and other intergovernmental actions that have been or may be undertaken in the future, against Russia, Russian entities or Russian individuals, may result in the devaluation of Russian currency, a downgrade in the country's credit rating, an immediate freeze of Russian assets, a decline in the value and liquidity of Russian securities, property or interests, and/or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy or a Fund. The scope and scale of sanctions in place at a particular time may be expanded or otherwise modified in a way that have negative effects on a Fund. Sanctions, or the threat of new or modified sanctions, could impair the ability of a Fund to buy, sell, hold, receive, deliver or otherwise transact in certain affected securities or other investment instruments. Sanctions could also result in Russia taking counter measures or other actions in response, which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian securities. These sanctions, and the resulting disruption of the Russian economy, may cause volatility in other regional and global markets and may negatively impact the performance of various sectors and industries, as well as companies in other countries, which could have a negative effect on the performance of a Fund, even if a Fund does not have direct exposure to securities of Russian issuers. As a collective result of the imposition of sanctions, Russian government countermeasures and the impact that they have had on the trading markets for Russian securities, certain Funds have used, and may in the future use, fair valuation procedures approved by the Fund's Board to value certain Russian securities, which could result in such securities being deemed to have a zero value.
25

A reduction in liquidity of certain Fund holdings as a result of sanctions and related actions may cause a Fund to experience increased premiums or discounts to its NAV and/or wider bid-ask spreads. Additionally, if it becomes impracticable or unlawful for a Fund to hold securities subject to, or otherwise affected by, sanctions, or if deemed appropriate by the Fund's investment adviser, the Fund may prohibit in-kind deposits of the affected securities in connection with creation transactions and instead require a cash deposit, which may also increase the Fund's transaction costs.
TAX RISKS
As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares of a 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 a Fund.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.
Investment Restrictions
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to each Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of a Fund's outstanding voting securities. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund means the vote, at an annual or a special meeting of the security holders of the Trust, of the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, each Fund may not:
1.
Concentrate its investments in securities of issuers in the same industry, except as may be necessary to approximate the composition of the Fund's underlying Index;(1)
2.
Make loans to another person except as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund;
3.
Issue senior securities or borrow money except as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund;
4.
Invest directly in real estate unless the real estate is acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This restriction shall not preclude the Fund from investing in companies that deal in real estate or in instruments that are backed or secured by real estate;
5.
Act as an underwriter of another issuer's securities, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with the Fund's purchase and sale of portfolio securities; or
6.
Invest in commodities except as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.
In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, each Fund observes the following restrictions, which may be changed by the Board without a shareholder vote. Each Fund will not:
1.
Invest in the securities of a company for the purpose of exercising management or control, provided that the Trust may vote the investment securities owned by the Fund in accordance with its views; or
2.
With respect to each Fund, under normal circumstances, invest less than 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise its relevant Index. Securities that have economic characteristics substantially identical to the economic characteristics of the securities that comprise the Index are included within this 80% investment policy.
(1)
The SEC Staff considers concentration to involve more than 25% of a fund's assets to be invested in an industry or group of industries.
26

3.
With respect to the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF, under normal circumstances, invest less than 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes, in debt securities. Prior to any change in a Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days written notice.
4.
With respect to the SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF, invest, under normal circumstances, less than 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes, in corporate bonds. Prior to any change in this 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days written notice.
5.
With respect to the SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF and SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF, under normal circumstances, invest less than 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes, in government bonds. Prior to any change in the Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days written notice.
The Funds define the foregoing terms in accordance with the definition of such terms per the applicable Index. If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously. With respect to the limitation on borrowing, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause a Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of borrowing back within the limitations within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays).
The 1940 Act currently permits each Fund to loan up to 33 1/3% of its total assets. With respect to borrowing, the 1940 Act presently allows each Fund to: (1) borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets, (2) borrow money for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the time of the loan, and (3) enter into reverse repurchase agreements. However, under normal circumstances any borrowings by a Fund will not exceed 10% of the Fund's total assets. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, with appropriate asset coverage. With respect to investments in commodities, the 1940 Act presently permits the Funds to invest in commodities in accordance with investment policies contained in its prospectus and SAI. Any such investment shall also comply with the CEA and the rules and regulations thereunder. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have the fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The Funds will not purchase or sell real estate, except that a Fund may invest in companies that deal in real estate (including REITs) or in instruments that are backed or secured by real estate.
Exchange Listing and Trading
A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the Prospectus under PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION and ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.
The Shares of each Fund are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange, subject to notice of issuance. Shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to some degree from their net asset value. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of a Fund will continue to be met.
The Exchange may consider the suspension of trading in, and may initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares of a Fund under any of the following circumstances: (i) if the Exchange becomes aware that the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act; (ii) if the Fund no longer complies with the applicable listing requirements set forth in the Exchange's rules; (iii) if, following the initial twelve-month period after commencement of trading on the Exchange of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the Fund; or (iv) if such other event shall occur or condition exists which, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares from listing and trading upon termination of a Fund.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the Share price of a Fund 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 or an investor's equity interest in the Fund.
As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers' commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
27

The base and trading currencies of each Fund is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which a Fund's net asset value per Share is calculated and the trading currency is the currency in which Shares of a Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange.
Management of the Trust
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled MANAGEMENT.
BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES
The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Funds described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trustees. The Board has approved contracts, as described in this SAI, under which certain companies provide essential management services to the Trust.
Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, Distributor, Administrator, and Sub-Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust's service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Funds. The Funds and their service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust's business and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Funds' service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Trustees' role in risk oversight begins before the inception of a Fund, at which time the Fund's Adviser presents the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the Fund, as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Fund's Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, their investment philosophies, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructures. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Adviser and other service providers, such as the Fund's independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which a Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Funds by the Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, the Board meets with the Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser's adherence to each Fund's investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about each Fund's investments.
The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the Funds' service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Regular reports are made to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of each Fund's financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund's internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management's implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are
28

recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust's internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust's financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust's financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect a Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve a Fund's goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Funds' investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through a Fund's Adviser and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Funds' and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
There are eight members of the Board of Trustees, six of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (Independent Trustees). Carl Verboncoeur, an Independent Trustee, serves as Chairman of the Board. The Board has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees constitute a super-majority (75%) of the Board, the fact that the chairperson of each Committee of the Board is an Independent Trustee, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from fund management.
The Board of Trustees has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and Trustee Committee. The Audit Committee and Trustee Committee are each chaired by an Independent Trustee and composed of all of the Independent Trustees.
Set forth below are the names, year of birth, position with the Trust, length of term of office, and the principal occupations during the last five years and other directorships held of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee or Officer of the Trust.
TRUSTEES
Name, Address
and Year of Birth
Position(s)
With
Funds
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past
Five Years
Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee†
Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
CARL G. VERBONCOEUR
c/o SPDR Series Trust
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1952
Independent
Trustee,
Chairman,
Trustee
Committee
Chair
Term:
Unlimited
Served:
since April
2010
Self-employed
consultant since 2009.
122
The Motley Fool Funds
Trust (Trustee).
DWIGHT D. CHURCHILL
c/o SPDR Series Trust
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1953
Independent
Trustee, Audit
Committee
Chair
Term:
Unlimited
Served:
since April
2010
Self-employed
consultant since 2010;
CEO and President,
CFA Institute (June 2014
- January 2015).
122
Affiliated Managers
Group, Inc. (Chairman,
Director and Audit
Committee Chair).
CLARE S. RICHER
c/o SPDR Series Trust
One Iron Street
Independent
Trustee
Term:
Unlimited
Served:
Retired. Chief Financial
Officer, Putnam
Investments LLC
122
Principal Financial
Group (Director and
Financial Committee
29

Name, Address
and Year of Birth
Position(s)
With
Funds
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past
Five Years
Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee†
Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years
Boston, MA 02210
1958
 
since July
2018
(December 2008 - May
2017).
 
Chair); Bain Capital
Specialty Finance
(Director); University of
Notre Dame (Trustee);
Putnam Acquisition
Financing Inc. (Director);
Putnam Acquisition
Financing LLC
(Director); Putnam GP
Inc. (Director); Putnam
Investor Services, Inc.
(Director); Putnam
Investments Limited
(Director).
SANDRA G. SPONEM
c/o SPDR Series Trust
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1958
Independent
Trustee
Term:
Unlimited
Served:
since July
2018
Retired. Chief Financial
Officer, M.A. Mortenson
Companies, Inc.
(construction and real
estate company)
(February 2007 - April
2017).
122
Rydex Series Funds,
Rydex Dynamic Funds,
Rydex Variable Trust,
Guggenheim Funds
Trust, Guggenheim
Variable Funds Trust,
Guggenheim Strategy
Funds Trust,
Transparent Value Trust,
Fiduciary/ Claymore
Energy Infrastructure
Fund, Guggenheim
Taxable Municipal Bond
& Investment Grade
Debt Trust, Guggenheim
Strategic Opportunities
Fund, Guggenheim
Enhanced Equity
Income Fund,
Guggenheim Credit
Allocation Fund,
Guggenheim Energy &
Income Fund,
Guggenheim Active
Allocation Fund (Trustee
and Audit Committee
Chair).
CAROLYN M. CLANCY
c/o SPDR Series Trust
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1960
Independent
Trustee
Term
Unlimited
Served:
since
October
2022
Retired. Executive Vice
President, Head of
Strategy, Analytics and
Market Readiness,
Fidelity Investments
(April 2020 – June
2021); Executive Vice
President, Head of
Broker Dealer Business,
Fidelity Investments
(July 2017 – March
2020).
122
Assumption University
(Trustee); Big Sister
Association of Greater
Boston (Director).
KRISTI L. ROWSELL
c/o SPDR Series Trust
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1966
Independent
Trustee
Term
Unlimited
Served:
since
October
2022
Partner and President,
Harris Associates (2010
– 2021).
122
Oakmark Funds
(Trustee); Board of
Governors, Investment
Company Institute
(Member); Habitat for
Humanity Chicago
(Director).
30

Name, Address
and Year of Birth
Position(s)
With
Funds
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past
Five Years
Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee†
Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
JAMES E. ROSS*
c/o SPDR Series Trust
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1965
Interested
Trustee
Term:
Unlimited
Served:
since April
2010
President, Winnisquam
Capital LLC (December
2022 – present);
Non-Executive
Chairman, Fusion
Acquisition Corp II
(February 2020 –
present); Non-Executive
Chairman, Fusion
Acquisition Corp. (June
2020 – September
2021); Retired Chairman
and Director, SSGA
Funds Management, Inc.
(2005 – March 2020);
Retired Executive Vice
President, State Street
Global Advisors (2012 –
March 2020); Retired
Chief Executive Officer
and Manager, State
Street Global Advisors
Funds Distributors, LLC
(May 2017 – March
2020); Director, State
Street Global Markets,
LLC (2013 – April 2017);
President, SSGA Funds
Management, Inc. (2005
– 2012); Principal, State
Street Global Advisors
(2000 – 2005).
133
Investment Managers
Series Trust (December
2022 – present); The
Select Sector SPDR
Trust (November 2005 –
present); SSGA SPDR
ETFs Europe I plc
(Director) (November
2016 – March 2020);
SSGA SPDR ETFs
Europe II plc (Director)
(November 2016 –
March 2020); State
Street Navigator
Securities Lending Trust
(July 2016 – March
2020); SSGA Funds
(January 2014 – March
2020); State Street
Institutional Investment
Trust (February 2007 –
March 2020); State
Street Master Funds
(February 2007 – March
2020); Elfun Funds (July
2016 – December
2018).
GUNJAN CHAUHAN**
c/o SPDR Series Trust
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1982
Interested
Trustee
Term
Unlimited
Served:
since
October
2022
Senior Managing
Director, State Street
Global Advisors (April
2018 – Present);
Managing Director, State
Street Global Advisors
(June 2015– March
2018).
122
State Street ICAV
(Director).
For the purpose of determining the number of portfolios overseen by the Trustees, Fund Complex comprises registered investment companies for which SSGA Funds Management, Inc. serves as investment adviser, which includes series of the the SPDR Series Trust, SSGA Active Trust and SPDR Index Shares Funds.
*
Mr. Ross is an Interested Trustee because of his ownership interest in an affiliate of the Adviser. Mr. Ross previously served as an Interested Trustee from November 2005 to December 2009.
**
Ms. Chauhan is an Interested Trustee because of her position with an affiliate of the Adviser.
OFFICERS
Name, Address
and Year of Birth
Position(s)
With Funds
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years
ELLEN M. NEEDHAM
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1967
President
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
October 2012
Chairman, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (March 2020
- present); President and Director, SSGA Funds
Management, Inc. (2001 - present)*; Senior Managing
Director, State Street Global Advisors (1992 - present)*;
Manager, State Street Global Advisors Funds
Distributors, LLC (May 2017 - present).
31

Name, Address
and Year of Birth
Position(s)
With Funds
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years
BRUCE S. ROSENBERG
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1961
Treasurer
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
February 2016
Managing Director, State Street Global Advisors and
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (July 2015 - present);
Director, Credit Suisse (April 2008 - July 2015).
ANN M. CARPENTER
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1966
Vice President;
Deputy Treasurer
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
August 2012
(with respect to
Vice President);
Unlimited
Served: since
February 2016
(with respect to
Deputy
Treasurer)
Chief Operating Officer, SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
(April 2005 - present)*; Managing Director, State Street
Global Advisors (April 2005 - present).*
MICHAEL P. RILEY
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1969
Vice President
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
February 2005
Managing Director, State Street Global Advisors (2005 -
present).*
SEAN O'MALLEY
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1969
Chief Legal Officer
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
August 2019
Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel,
State Street Global Advisors (November 2013 - present).
DAVID URMAN
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1985
Secretary
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
August 2019
Vice President and Senior Counsel, State Street Global
Advisors (April 2019 - present); Vice President and
Counsel, State Street Global Advisors (August 2015 -
April 2019); Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP (November
2012 - August 2015).
DAVID BARR
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1974
Assistant Secretary
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
November 2020
Vice President and Senior Counsel, State Street Global
Advisors (October 2019 - present); Vice President and
Counsel, Eaton Vance Corp. (October 2010 - October
2019).
CHAD C. HALLETT
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1969
Deputy Treasurer
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
February 2016
Vice President, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA
Funds Management, Inc. (November 2014 - present).
DARLENE ANDERSON-VASQUEZ
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1968
Deputy Treasurer
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
November 2016
Managing Director, State Street Global Advisors and
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (May 2016 - present);
Senior Vice President, John Hancock Investments
(September 2007 - May 2016).
ARTHUR A. JENSEN
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
1600 Summer Street
Stamford, CT 06905
1966
Deputy Treasurer
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
August 2017
Vice President, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA
Funds Management, Inc. (July 2016 - present); Mutual
Funds Controller, GE Asset Management Incorporated
(April 2011 - July 2016).
DAVID LANCASTER
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1971
Assistant Treasurer
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
November 2020
Vice President, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA
Funds Management, Inc. (July 2017 - present); Assistant
Vice President, State Street Bank and Trust Company
(November 2011 - July 2017).*
RYAN HILL
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1982
Assistant Treasurer
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
May 2022
Vice President, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA
Funds Management Inc. (May 2017 – present);
Assistant Vice President, State Street Bank and Trust
Co. (May 2014 – May 2017).
32

Name, Address
and Year of Birth
Position(s)
With Funds
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years
JOHN BETTENCOURT
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1976
Assistant Treasurer
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
May 2022
Vice President, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA
Funds Management Inc. (March 2020 – present);
Assistant Vice President, State Street Global Advisors
(June 2007 – March 2020).
BRIAN HARRIS
SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, MA 02210
1973
Chief Compliance
Officer; Anti-Money
Laundering Officer;
Code of Ethics
Compliance Officer
Term: Unlimited
Served: since
November 2013
Managing Director, State Street Global Advisors and
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (June 2013 - present).*
*
Served in various capacities and/or with various affiliated entities during the noted time period.
INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE QUALIFICATIONS
The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of his or her ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided to him or her by management, to identify and request other information he or she may deem relevant to the performance of his or her duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise his or her business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of each Fund's shareholders. The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Verboncoeur should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained serving as the Chief Executive Officer of a large financial services and investment management company, his knowledge of the financial services industry and his experience serving on the boards of other investment companies. Mr. Verboncoeur was elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in April 2010.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Churchill should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained serving as the Head of the Fixed Income Division of one of the nation's leading mutual fund companies and provider of financial services and his knowledge of the financial services industry. Mr. Churchill was elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in April 2010.
The Board has concluded that Ms. Richer should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained serving as the Chief Financial Officer of a large financial services and investment management company, her knowledge of the financial services industry and her experience serving on the board of a major educational institution. Ms. Richer was appointed to serve as Trustee of the Trust in July 2018 and elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in October 2022.
The Board has concluded that Ms. Sponem should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained serving as the Chief Financial Officer of a large financial services company, her knowledge of the financial services industry and her experience serving on the boards of other investment companies. Ms. Sponem was appointed to serve as Trustee of the Trust in July 2018 and elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in October 2022.
The Board has concluded that Ms. Clancy should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained serving as an Executive Vice President of a large financial services company, her knowledge of the financial services industry and her experience serving on the boards of a major educational institution and a charitable foundation. Ms. Clancy was elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in October 2022.
The Board has concluded that Ms. Rowsell should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained serving as the President and Chief Financial Officer of a large financial services company, her knowledge of the financial services industry and her experience serving on the boards of a financial services company, a leading association representing regulated investment funds and a charitable foundation. Ms. Clancy was elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in October 2022.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Ross should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained in his various roles with the Adviser, his knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as Trustee of the Trust since 2005 (Mr. Ross did not serve as Trustee from December 2009 until April 2010).
33

The Board has concluded that Ms. Chauhan should serve as Trustee because of the experience she has gained in her various roles with an affiliate of the Adviser and her knowledge of the financial services industry. Ms. Chauhan was elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in October 2022.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board's overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Funds.
REMUNERATION OF THE TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
No officer, director or employee of the Adviser, its parent or subsidiaries receives any compensation from the Trust for serving as an officer or Trustee of the Trust. The Trust, SSGA Active Trust and SPDR Index Shares Funds (together with the Trust, the Trusts) pay, in the aggregate, each Trustee (other than Ms. Chauhan) an annual fee of $300,000 plus $10,000 per in-person meeting attended and $2,500 for each telephonic or video conference meeting attended.  The Chairman of the Board receives an additional annual fee of $115,000 (prior to January 1, 2023, $75,000) and the Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an additional annual fee of $40,000 (prior to January 1, 2023, $30,000). The Trusts also reimburse each Trustee (other than Ms. Chauhan) for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by him/her in connection with attending such meetings and in connection with attending industry seminars and meetings. Trustee fees are allocated between the Trusts and each of their respective series in such a manner as deemed equitable, taking into consideration the relative net assets of the series.
The table below shows the compensation that the Trustees received during the Funds' fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
Name of
Trustee
Aggregate
Compensation
from the Trust(1)
Pension or
Retirement
Benefits
Accrued
as Part
of Trust
Expenses
Estimated
Annual
Benefits
Upon
Retirement
Total
Compensation
from the
Trust and
Fund Complex
Paid to
Trustees(1)
Independent Trustees:
Carl G. Verboncoeur
$369,940
  N/A
  N/A
$447,500
Dwight D. Churchill
$332,742
  N/A
  N/A
$402,500
Clare S. Richer
$303,761
  N/A
  N/A
$367,500
Sandra G. Sponem
$307,943
  N/A
  N/A
$372,500
Carolyn M. Clancy(2)
$58,547
  N/A
  N/A
$70,000
Kristi L. Rowsell(3)
$58,547
  N/A
  N/A
$70,000
Interested Trustees:
James E. Ross
$307,943
  N/A
  N/A
$372,500
Gunjan Chauhan(4)
  N/A
  N/A
  N/A
  N/A
(1)
The Fund Complex includes SPDR Series Trust, SSGA Active Trust and SPDR Index Shares Funds.
(2)
Trustee was elected to the Board as of October 20, 2022. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, Ms. Clancy received $60,433 from the Fund Complex ($50,453 from the Trust) for consulting services provided to the Fund Complex.
(3)
Trustee was elected to the Board as of October 20, 2022. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, Ms. Rowsell received $96,683 from the Fund Complex ($79,779 from the Trust) for consulting services provided to the Fund Complex.
(4)
Trustee was elected to the Board as of October 20, 2022. Not compensated by the Trust due to Ms. Chauhan's position with an affiliate of the Adviser.
STANDING COMMITTEES
Audit Committee: The Board has an Audit Committee consisting of Messrs. Verboncoeur and Churchill and Mses. Clancy, Richer, Rowsell and Sponem, each of which is an Independent Trustee. Mr. Churchill serves as Chairman. The Audit Committee meets with the Trust's independent auditors to review and approve the scope and results of their professional
34

services; to review the procedures for evaluating the adequacy of the Trust's accounting controls; to consider the range of audit fees; and to make recommendations to the Board regarding the engagement of the Trust's independent auditors. The Audit Committee met four (4) times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
Trustee Committee: The Board has established a Trustee Committee consisting of Messrs. Verboncoeur and Churchill and Mses. Clancy, Richer, Rowsell and Sponem, each of which is an Independent Trustee. Mr. Verboncoeur serves as Chairman. The responsibilities of the Trustee Committee are to: 1) nominate Independent Trustees; 2) review on a periodic basis the governance structures and procedures of the Funds; 3) review proposed resolutions and conflicts of interest that may arise in the business of the Funds and may have an impact on the investors of the Funds; 4) select any independent counsel of the independent trustees as well as make determinations as to that counsel's independence; 5) review matters that are referred to the Committee by the Chief Legal Officer or other counsel to the Trust; and 6) provide general oversight of the Funds on behalf of the investors of the Funds. The Trustee Committee does not have specific procedures in place with respect to the consideration of nominees recommended by security holders, but may consider such nominees in the event that one is recommended. The Trustee Committee met four (4) times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES
As of December 31, 2022, neither the Independent Trustees nor their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities in the Adviser, Principal Underwriter or any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Adviser or Principal Underwriter.
The following table shows, as of December 31, 2022, the amount of equity securities beneficially owned by the Trustees in the Trust.
Name of Trustee
Fund
Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Trust
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in All
Funds Overseen
by Trustee in Family of
Investment Companies
Independent Trustees:
 
 
Carl G. Verboncoeur
SPDR S&P Dividend ETF
$10,001 - $50,000
$10,001 - $50,000
 
SPDR S&P Kensho New Economies Composite ETF
$10,001 - $50,000
 
 
SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Value ETF
$10,001 - $50,000
 
Dwight D. Churchill
SPDR S&P 500® ESG ETF
Over $100,000
Over $100,000
 
SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg High Yield Municipal Bond ETF
Over $100,000
 
 
SPDR Portfolio Short Term Corporate Bond ETF
Over $100,000
 
 
SPDR Portfolio Intermediate Term Treasury ETF
Over $100,000
 
Clare S. Richer
SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF
Over $100,000
Over $100,000
 
SPDR S&P Kensho New Economies Composite ETF
$50,001 - $100,000
 
Sandra G. Sponem
SPDR S&P Kensho New Economies Composite ETF
Over $100,000
Over $100,000
Carolyn M. Clancy
SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF
Over $100,000
Over $100,000
 
SPDR S&P Dividend ETF
$10,001 - $50,000
 
Kristi L. Rowsell
SPDR Bloomberg 1-10 Year TIPS ETF
$50,001 - $100,000
$50,001 - $100,000
Interested Trustees:
 
 
James E. Ross
SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF
$10,001 - $50,000
Over $100,000
 
SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg High Yield Municipal Bond ETF
$50,001 - $100,000
 
 
SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF
$10,001 - $50,000
 
 
SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF
Over $100,000
 
 
SPDR S&P 400 Mid Cap Growth ETF
$50,001 - $100,000
 
 
SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF
$10,001 - $50,000
 
 
SPDR S&P Biotech ETF
$1 - $10,000
 
 
SPDR S&P Dividend ETF
$50,001 - $100,000
 
Gunjan Chauhan
None
None
None
CODES OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser (which includes applicable reporting personnel of the Distributor) each have adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act, which is designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be
35

acquired by the Funds (which may also be held by persons subject to the Codes of Ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel, subject to that Code of Ethics, to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds.
There can be no assurance that the Codes of Ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each Code of Ethics, filed as exhibits to this registration statement, may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by each Fund is an important element of the overall investment process. As such, the Board has delegated the responsibility to vote such proxies to the Adviser for all Funds. Each of the Trust's and the Adviser's proxy voting policy is attached at the end of this SAI. Information regarding how a Fund voted proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available: (1) without charge by calling 1-866-787-2257; (2) on the Funds' website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs; and (3) on the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS POLICY
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 a Fund is 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 Shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC). The basket represents one Creation Unit of a Fund. The Trust, the Adviser or State Street will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust, except information may be made available prior to its public availability: (i) to a party for a legitimate business purpose related to the day-to-day operations of the Funds, including (a) a service provider, (b) the stock exchanges upon which an ETF is listed, (c) the NSCC, (d) the Depository Trust Company, and (e) financial data/research companies such as Morningstar, Bloomberg L.P., and Reuters, or (ii) to any other party for a legitimate business or regulatory purpose, upon waiver or exception, with the consent of an applicable Trust officer.
Investment Advisory and Other Services
THE INVESTMENT ADVISER
SSGA FM acts as investment adviser to the Trust and, subject to the oversight of the Board, is responsible for the investment management of each Fund. As of December 31, 2022, the Adviser managed approximately $804.40 billion in assets. The Adviser's principal address is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. The Adviser, a Massachusetts corporation, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Global Advisors, Inc., which itself is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation, a publicly held financial holding company. State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), consisting of the Adviser and other investment advisory affiliates of State Street Corporation, is the investment management arm of State Street Corporation.
The Adviser serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (Investment Advisory Agreement) between the Trust and the Adviser. 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 (1) the Board or (2) vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the 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 Trust 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 (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund's outstanding voting securities. 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).
Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board and in conformity with the stated investment policies of each Fund, manages the investment of each Fund's assets. The Adviser is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and providing continuous supervision of the investment portfolio of each Fund.
36

Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is not liable for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the continuation of the Investment Advisory Agreement regarding the Funds is available in the Trust's Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended June 30, 2022.
For the services provided to the Funds under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays the Adviser monthly fees based on a percentage of each Fund's average daily net assets as set forth in each Fund's Prospectus. The Adviser pays all expenses of each Fund other than the management fee, brokerage, taxes, interest, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustee's counsel fees), acquired fund fees and expenses, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.
For the past three fiscal years ended December 31, the Funds paid the following amounts to the Adviser:
Fund
2022
2021
2020
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
$5,432,080
$3,736,606
$2,712,383
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
$592,501
$1,059,438
$948,280
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF
$3,043,048
$3,502,012
$3,195,109
SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF
$559,681
$740,230
$872,023
SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF
$2,425,513
$2,114,662
$1,727,088
From time to time, the Adviser may waive all or a portion of its fee. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse expenses in an amount equal to any acquired fund fees and expenses (excluding holdings in acquired funds for cash management purposes, if any) for each Fund until April 30, 2024. This contractual fee waiver and/or reimbursement does not provide for the recoupment by the Adviser of any amounts previously waived or reimbursed. The Adviser may continue each waiver and/or reimbursement from year to year, but there is no guarantee that the Adviser will do so and each waiver and/or reimbursement may be cancelled or modified at any time after April 30, 2024. This waiver and/or reimbursement may not be terminated prior to April 30, 2024 except with the approval of the Board.
Participating Affiliates: The Adviser has entered into personnel-sharing arrangements with each of SSGA LTD and SSGA Singapore, each an affiliate of the Adviser. SSGA LTD is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Global Advisors, Inc. (SSGA, Inc.) and SSGA Singapore is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of SSGA, Inc. SSGA, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation. Pursuant to the personnel-sharing arrangements, certain employees of SSGA LTD and SSGA Singapore, as participating affiliates, serve as associated persons of the Adviser, and, in this capacity, are subject to the oversight of the Adviser and its Chief Compliance Officer.
These associated persons may, on behalf of the Adviser, provide discretionary investment management services (including portfolio management and trading services), research and related services to the applicable Fund(s) in accordance with the investment objectives, policies and limitations set forth in the prospectus and SAI. SSGA LTD provides such services to the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and the SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF. SSGA Singapore provides such services to the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF. Unlike the Adviser, neither SSGA LTD nor SSGA Singapore is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC. Each personnel-sharing arrangement is based on no-action letters of the staff of the SEC that permit SEC-registered investment advisers to rely on and use the resources of advisory affiliates, subject to certain conditions. Prior to March 31, 2023, SSGA LTD was a registered investment adviser with the SEC, and provided investment sub-advisory services to the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF. As of December 31, 2022, SSGA LTD managed approximately $362.5 billion in assets. SSGA LTD's principal business address is 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HJ, United Kingdom. As of December 31, 2022, SSGA Singapore managed approximately $3.68 billion in assets. SSGA Singapore's principal business address is 168 Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912.
37

Prior to March 31, 2023, in accordance with a sub-advisory agreement between the Adviser and SSGA LTD, the Adviser paid SSGA LTD an annual investment sub-advisory fee equal to 40% of the advisory fees paid by the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF to the Adviser after deducting the payments to fund service providers and fund expenses. For the past three fiscal years ended December 31, the Adviser paid the following amounts to SSGA LTD for its services:
Fund
2022
2021
2020
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
$2,172,771
$1,495,920
$1,084,910
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
$236,913
$424,313
$377,802
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The Adviser manages the Funds using a team of investment professionals. The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of each Fund are:
Portfolio Management Team
Fund
Abhishek Kumar1, Robert Golcher1, Catherine Smith1,
Kheng Siang Ng2 and Imran Khan2
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
Richard Darby-Dowman1, Paul Brown1 and Peter Spano1
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
James Kramer, Joanna Madden and Cynthia Moy
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF,
SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond
ETF, SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-
Protected Bond ETF
1 Portfolio manager is part of SSGA LTD and provides portfolio management services to the Fund through a personnel-sharing arrangement between the Adviser and SSGA LTD.
2 Portfolio manager is part of SSGA Singapore and provides portfolio management services to the Fund through a personnel-sharing arrangement between the Adviser and SSGA Singapore.
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF and SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF: The following table lists the number and types of accounts managed by each of the key professionals involved in the day-to-day portfolio management for the SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF and SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF and assets under management in those accounts. The total number of accounts and assets have been allocated to each respective manager. Therefore, some accounts and assets have been counted twice.
Other Accounts Managed as of December 31, 2022
Portfolio Manager
Registered
Investment
Company
Accounts
Assets
Managed
(billions)*
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicle
Accounts
Assets
Managed
(billions)*
Other
Accounts
Assets
Managed
(billions)*
Total
Assets
Managed
(billions)
James Kramer
32
$81.44
140
$170.36
176
$109.83
$361.63
Joanna Madden
32
$81.44
140
$170.36
176
$109.83
$361.63
Cynthia Moy
32
$81.44
140
$170.36
176
$109.83
$361.63
*
There are no performance-based fees associated with these accounts.
The portfolio managers listed above did not beneficially own any interests of any Fund as of December 31, 2022.
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF: The following table lists the number and types of other accounts managed by each of the key professionals primarily involved in the day-to-day portfolio management for the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF and assets under management in those accounts. The total number of accounts and assets have been allocated to each respective manager. Therefore, some accounts and assets have been counted twice.
38

Other Accounts Managed as of December 31, 2022
Portfolio Manager
Registered
Investment
Company
Accounts
Assets
Managed
(billions)*
Other
Pooled
Investment
Vehicle
Accounts
Assets
Managed
(billions)*
Other
Accounts
Assets
Managed
(billions)*
Total
Assets
Managed
(billions)
Paul Brown
3
$2.96
4
$1.59
14
$21.54
$26.09
Richard Darby-Dowman
8
$9.41
2
$0.21
5
$0.48
$10.10
Robert Golcher
3
$2.69
2
$3.43
7
$2.38
$8.50
Imran Khan
0
$0.00
2
$3.35
3
$0.33
$3.68
Abhishek Kumar
0
$0.00
0
$0.00
2
$3.03
$3.03
Kheng Siang Ng
0
$0.00
2
$3.35
3
$0.33
$3.68
Catherine Smith
1
$2.15
3
$0.55
4
$12.67
$15.37
Peter Spano
0
$0.00
2
$5.61
13
$5.83
$11.44
*
There are no performance-based fees associated with these accounts.
The portfolio managers listed above did not beneficially own any interests of any Fund as of December 31, 2022.
Conflicts of Interest. A portfolio manager that has responsibility for managing more than one account may be subject to potential conflicts of interest because he or she is responsible for other accounts in addition to the Funds. Those conflicts could include preferential treatment of one account over others in terms of: (a) the portfolio manager's execution of different investment strategies for various accounts; or (b) the allocation of resources or of investment opportunities.
Portfolio managers may manage numerous accounts for multiple clients. These accounts may include registered investment companies, other types of pooled accounts (e.g., collective investment funds), and separate accounts (i.e., accounts managed on behalf of individuals or public or private institutions). Portfolio managers make investment decisions for each account based on the investment objectives and policies and other relevant investment considerations applicable to that portfolio. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of a portfolio manager's responsibility for multiple accounts with similar investment guidelines. Under these circumstances, a potential investment may be suitable for more than one of the portfolio manager's accounts, but the quantity of the investment available for purchase is less than the aggregate amount the accounts would ideally devote to the opportunity. Similar conflicts may arise when multiple accounts seek to dispose of the same investment. The portfolio managers may also manage accounts whose objectives and policies differ from that of the Funds. These differences may be such that under certain circumstances, trading activity appropriate for one account managed by the portfolio manager may have adverse consequences for another account managed by the portfolio manager. For example, an account may sell a significant position in a security, which could cause the market price of that security to decrease, while a Fund maintained its position in that security.
A potential conflict may arise when the portfolio managers are responsible for accounts that have different advisory fees—the difference in fees could create an incentive for the portfolio manager to favor one account over another, for example, in terms of access to investment opportunities. This conflict may be heightened if an account is subject to a performance-based fee, as applicable. Another potential conflict may arise when the portfolio manager has an investment in one or more accounts that participate in transactions with other accounts. His or her investment(s) may create an incentive for the portfolio manager to favor one account over another. The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to address these potential material conflicts. For instance, portfolio managers are normally responsible for all accounts within a certain investment discipline and do not, absent special circumstances, differentiate among the various accounts when allocating resources. Additionally, the Adviser and its advisory affiliates have processes and procedures for allocating investment opportunities among portfolios that are designed to provide a fair and equitable allocation. With respect to conflicts arising from personal investments, all employees, including portfolio managers, must comply with personal trading controls established by each of the Adviser's and Trust's Code of Ethics.
SSGA's culture is complemented and reinforced by a total rewards strategy that is based on a pay for performance philosophy which seeks to offer a competitive pay mix of base salary, benefits, cash incentives and deferred compensation.
Salary is based on a number of factors, including external benchmarking data and market trends, and performance both at the business and individual level. SSGA's Global Human Resources department regularly participates in compensation surveys in order to provide SSGA with market-based compensation information that helps support individual pay decisions.
39

Additionally, subject to State Street and SSGA business results, an incentive pool is allocated to SSGA to reward its employees. The size of the incentive pool for most business units is based on the firm's overall profitability and other factors, including performance against risk-related goals. For most SSGA investment teams, SSGA recognizes and rewards performance by linking annual incentive decisions for investment teams to the firm's or business unit's profitability and business unit investment performance over a multi-year period.
Incentive pool funding for most active investment teams is driven in part by the post-tax investment performance of fund(s) managed by the team versus the return levels of the benchmark index(es) of the fund(s) on a one-, three- and, in some cases, five-year basis. For most active investment teams, a material portion of incentive compensation for senior staff is deferred over a four-year period into the SSGA Long-Term Incentive (SSGA LTI) program. For these teams, The SSGA LTI program indexes the performance of these deferred awards against the post-tax investment performance of fund(s) managed by the team. This is intended to align our investment team's compensation with client interests, both through annual incentive compensation awards and through the long-term value of deferred awards in the SSGA LTI program.
For the index equity investment team, incentive pool funding is driven in part by the post-tax 1 and 3-year tracking error of the funds managed by the team against the benchmark indexes of the funds.
The discretionary allocation of the incentive pool to the business units within SSGA is influenced by market-based compensation data, as well as the overall performance of each business unit. Individual compensation decisions are made by the employee's manager, in conjunction with the senior management of the employee's business unit. These decisions are based on the overall performance of the employee and, as mentioned above, on the performance of the firm and business unit. Depending on the job level, a portion of the annual incentive may be awarded in deferred compensation, which may include cash and/or Deferred Stock Awards (State Street stock), which typically vest over a four-year period. This helps to retain staff and further aligns SSGA employees' interests with SSGA clients' and shareholders' long-term interests.
SSGA recognizes and rewards outstanding performance by:
Promoting employee ownership to connect employees directly to the company's success.
Using rewards to reinforce mission, vision, values and business strategy.
Seeking to recognize and preserve the firm's unique culture and team orientation.
Providing all employees the opportunity to share in the success of SSGA.
THE ADMINISTRATOR, SUB-ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT
Administrator: SSGA FM serves as the administrator to each series of the Trust, pursuant to an Administration Agreement dated June 1, 2015 (the SSGA Administration Agreement). Pursuant to the SSGA Administration Agreement, SSGA FM is obligated to continuously provide business management services to the Trust and its series and will generally, subject to the general oversight of the Trustees and except as otherwise provided in the SSGA Administration Agreement, manage all of the business and affairs of the Trust.
Sub-Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent: State Street serves as the sub-administrator to each series of the Trust, pursuant to a Sub-Administration Agreement dated June 1, 2015 (the Sub-Administration Agreement). Under the Sub-Administration Agreement, State Street is obligated to provide certain sub-administrative services to the Trust and its series. State Street is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation, a publicly held financial holding company, and is affiliated with the Adviser. State Street's mailing address is State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.
State Street also serves as Custodian for the Trust's series pursuant to a custodian agreement (Custodian Agreement). As Custodian, State Street holds Fund assets, calculates the net asset value of the Shares and calculates net income and realized capital gains or losses. State Street and the Trust will comply with the self-custodian provisions of Rule 17f-2 under the 1940 Act.
State Street also serves as Transfer Agent for each series of the Trust pursuant to a transfer agency agreement (Transfer Agency Agreement).
Compensation: As compensation for its services provided under the SSGA Administration Agreement, SSGA FM shall receive fees for the services, calculated based on the average aggregate net assets of the Trust and SPDR Index Shares Funds (SIS), which are accrued daily and paid monthly out of its management fee.
40

As compensation for its services under the Sub-Administration Agreement, Custodian Agreement and Transfer Agency Agreement, State Street shall receive a fee for the services, calculated based on the average aggregate net assets of the Trust and SIS, which are accrued daily and paid monthly by the Adviser from its management fee. For each series of the Trust and SIS, an annual minimum fee applies. In addition, State Street shall receive global safekeeping and transaction fees, which are calculated on a per-country basis, in-kind creation (purchase) and redemption transaction fees (as described below) and revenue on certain cash balances. State Street may be reimbursed for its out-of-pocket expenses. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to State Street under the Custodian Agreement and the Transfer Agency Agreement.
Additional Sub-Administration Services: Also under the Sub-Administration Agreement, State Street receives an annual per Fund fee for certain services required in the preparation (including preparing a schedule of quarterly portfolio investments) and filing of Form N-PORT and Form N-CEN with the SEC (N-PORT Related Services). Additionally, State Street receives an annual per Fund fee for services regarding certain liquidity analytics (Liquidity Risk Measurement Services) under the Sub-Administration Agreement. N-PORT Related Services and Liquidity Risk Measurement Services fees are paid by the Adviser from its management fee.
SECURITIES LENDING ACTIVITIES
The Trust's Board has approved each Fund's participation in a securities lending program. Under the securities lending program, each Fund has retained State Street to serve as the securities lending agent.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the income earned by each Fund as well as the fees and/or compensation paid by each Fund (in dollars) pursuant to the Master Amended and Restated Securities Lending Authorization Agreement among SPDR Series Trust, SPDR Index Shares Funds and SSGA Active Trust, each on behalf of its respective series, and State Street (the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement) were as follows:
 
Gross
income
earned by
the Fund
from
securities
lending
activities
Fees and/or compensation paid by the Fund for securities lending activities and
related services
Aggregate
fees
and/or
compensation
paid by
the Fund
for
securities
lending
activities
and related
services
Net income
from
securities
lending
activities
 
Fees
paid
to State
Street
from a
revenue
split
Fees
paid for
any cash
collateral
management
service
(including
fees
deducted
from a
pooled cash
collateral
reinvestment
vehicle)
that are not
included in a
revenue split
Admini-
strative
fees not
included
in a
revenue
split
Indemnifi-
cation
fees
not
included in
a revenue
split
Rebate
(paid to
borrower)
Other
fees
not
included
in a
revenue
split
SPDR Bloomberg
Emerging
Markets Local
Bond ETF
$909,805
$13,377
$12,571
$0
$0
$770,158
$0
$796,106
$113,699
SPDR Bloomberg
International
Corporate Bond
ETF
$111,241
$1,959
$1,983
$0
$0
$92,425
$0
$96,367
$14,874
SPDR Bloomberg
International
Treasury Bond
ETF
$1,809
$30
$25
$0
$0
$1,485
$0
$1,540
$269
SPDR Bloomberg
Short Term
International
Treasury Bond
ETF
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
41

 
Gross
income
earned by
the Fund
from
securities
lending
activities
Fees and/or compensation paid by the Fund for securities lending activities and
related services
Aggregate
fees
and/or
compensation
paid by
the Fund
for
securities
lending
activities
and related
services
Net income
from
securities
lending
activities
 
Fees
paid
to State
Street
from a
revenue
split
Fees
paid for
any cash
collateral
management
service
(including
fees
deducted
from a
pooled cash
collateral
reinvestment
vehicle)
that are not
included in a
revenue split
Admini-
strative
fees not
included
in a
revenue
split
Indemnifi-
cation
fees
not
included in
a revenue
split
Rebate
(paid to
borrower)
Other
fees
not
included
in a
revenue
split
SPDR FTSE
International
Government
Inflation-
Protected Bond
ETF
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, State Street, acting as agent of the Funds, provided the following services to the Funds in connection with the Funds' securities lending activities: (i) locating borrowers among an approved list of prospective borrowers; (ii) causing the delivery of loaned securities from a Fund to borrowers; (iii) monitoring the value of loaned securities, the value of collateral received, and other lending parameters; (iv) seeking additional collateral, as necessary, from borrowers; (v) receiving and holding collateral from borrowers, and facilitating the investment and reinvestment of all or substantially all cash collateral in an investment vehicle designated by the Funds; (vi) returning collateral to borrowers; (vii) facilitating substitute dividend, interest, and other distribution payments to the Funds from borrowers; (viii) negotiating the terms of each loan of securities, including but not limited to the amount of any loan premium, and monitoring the terms of securities loan agreements with prospective borrowers for consistency with the requirements of the Funds' Securities Lending Authorization Agreement; (ix) selecting securities, including amounts (percentages), to be loaned; (x) recordkeeping and accounting services; and (xi) arranging for return of loaned securities to a Fund in accordance with the terms of the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC is the principal underwriter and Distributor of Shares. Its principal address is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Investor information can be obtained by calling 1-866-787-2257. The Distributor has entered into a distribution agreement (Distribution Agreement) with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes Shares of each Fund. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. Shares will be continuously offered for sale by the Trust through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Prospectus and below under PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor will deliver the Prospectus 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 Exchange Act) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Trust or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Trust. An affiliate of the Distributor may assist Authorized Participants (as defined below) in assembling shares to purchase Creation Units or upon redemption, for which it may receive commissions or other fees from such Authorized Participants. An affiliate of the Distributor also receives compensation from State Street for providing on-line creation and redemption functionality to Authorized Participants through its Fund Connect application.
The Adviser or Distributor, or an affiliate of the Adviser or Distributor, may directly or indirectly make cash payments to certain broker-dealers for participating in activities that are designed to make registered representatives and other professionals more knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the SPDR funds, or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems.
42

In addition, as of the date of this SAI, the Adviser and/or Distributor had arrangements whereby they may make payments, other than for the educational programs and marketing activities described above, to Pershing LLC (Pershing), RBC Capital Markets, LLC (RBC), LPL Financial, LLC (LPL), and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, LLC. These amounts, which may be significant, are paid by the Adviser and/or Distributor from their own resources and not from Fund assets. Pursuant to these arrangements, Pershing, RBC and LPL have agreed to offer certain SPDR funds to their customers and not to charge certain of their customers any commissions when those customers purchase or sell shares of certain SPDR funds. Payments to a broker-dealer or intermediary may create potential conflicts of interest between the broker dealer or intermediary and its clients.
In addition, the Adviser or Distributor, or an affiliate of the Adviser or Distributor, as well as an index provider that is not affiliated with the Adviser or Distributor, may reimburse expenses or make payments from their own assets to other persons in consideration of services, provision of data, or other activities that they believe may benefit the SPDR business or facilitate investment in SPDR funds.
The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, as to a Fund: (i) by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, on at least 60 days' written notice to the Distributor. The Distribution Agreement is also terminable upon 60 days' notice by the Distributor and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
The continuation of the Distribution Agreement and any other related agreements is subject to annual approval of the Board, including by a majority of the Independent Trustees, as described above.
The allocation among the Trust's series of fees and expenses payable under the Distribution Agreement will be made pro rata in accordance with the daily net assets of the respective series.
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (Soliciting Dealers) who will solicit purchases of Creation Unit aggregations of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Participating Parties (as defined in the Book Entry Only System section below) and/or DTC Participants (as defined below).
Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Distributor, and may indemnify Soliciting Dealers and Authorized Participants (as described below) entering into agreements with the Distributor, for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement or other agreement, as applicable.
Brokerage Transactions
All portfolio transactions are placed on behalf of the Funds by the Adviser. Purchases and sales of securities on a securities exchange are affected through brokers who charge a commission for their services. Ordinarily commissions are not charged on over-the-counter orders (e.g., fixed income securities) because the Funds pay a spread which is included in the cost of the security and represents the difference between the dealer's quoted price at which it is willing to sell the security and the dealer's quoted price at which it is willing to buy the security. When a Fund executes an over-the-counter order with an electronic communications network or an alternative trading system, a commission is charged by such electronic communications networks and alternative trading systems as they execute such orders on an agency basis. Securities may be purchased from underwriters at prices that include underwriting fees.
In placing a portfolio transaction, the Adviser seeks to achieve best execution. The Adviser's duty to seek best execution requires the Adviser to take reasonable steps to obtain for the client as favorable an overall result as possible for Fund portfolio transactions under the circumstances, taking into account various factors that are relevant to the particular transaction.
The Adviser refers to and selects from the list of approved trading counterparties maintained by the Adviser's Credit Risk Management team. In selecting a trading counterparty for a particular trade, the Adviser seeks to weigh relevant factors including, but not limited to the following:
Prompt and reliable execution;
The competitiveness of commission rates and spreads, if applicable;
The financial strength, stability and/or reputation of the trading counterparty;
43

The willingness and ability of the executing trading counterparty to execute transactions (and commit capital) of size in liquid and illiquid markets without disrupting the market for the security;
Local laws, regulations or restrictions;
The ability of the trading counterparty to maintain confidentiality;
The availability and capability of execution venues, including electronic communications networks for trading and execution management systems made available to Adviser;
Market share;
Liquidity;
Price;
Execution related costs;
History of execution of orders;
Likelihood of execution and settlement;
Order size and nature;
Clearance and settlement capabilities, especially in high volatility market environments;
Availability of lendable securities;
Sophistication of the trading counterparty's trading capabilities and infrastructure/facilities;
The operational efficiency with which transactions are processed and cleared, taking into account the order size and complexity;
Speed and responsiveness to the Adviser;
Access to secondary markets;
Counterparty exposure; and
Depending upon the circumstances, the Adviser may take other relevant factors into account if the Adviser believes that these are important in taking all sufficient steps to obtain the best possible result for execution of the order.
In selecting a trading counterparty, the price of the transaction and costs related to the execution of the transaction typically merit a high relative importance, depending on the circumstances. The Adviser does not necessarily select a trading counterparty based upon price and costs but may take other relevant factors into account if it believes that these are important in taking reasonable steps to obtain the best possible result for a Fund under the circumstances. Consequently, the Adviser may cause a client to pay a trading counterparty more than another trading counterparty might have charged for the same transaction in recognition of the value and quality of the brokerage services provided. The following matters may influence the relative importance that the Adviser places upon the relevant factors:
(i)
The nature and characteristics of the order or transaction. For example, size of order, market impact of order, limits, or other instructions relating to the order;
(ii)
The characteristics of the financial instrument(s) or other assets which are the subject of that order. For example, whether the order pertains to an equity, fixed income, derivative or convertible instrument;
(iii)
The characteristics of the execution venues to which that order can be directed, if relevant. For example, availability and capabilities of electronic trading systems;
(iv)
Whether the transaction is a ‘delivery versus payment' or ‘over-the-counter' transaction. The creditworthiness of the trading counterparty, the amount of existing exposure to a trading counterparty and trading counterparty settlement capabilities may be given a higher relative importance in the case of ‘over-the-counter' transactions; and/or
(v)
Any other circumstances that the Adviser believes are relevant at the time.
The process by which trading counterparties are selected to effect transactions is designed to exclude consideration of the sales efforts conducted by broker-dealers in relation to the Funds.
The Adviser does not currently use the Funds' assets in connection with third-party soft dollar arrangements. While the Adviser does not currently use soft or commission dollars paid by the Funds for the purchase of third-party research, the Adviser reserves the right to do so in the future.
44

The table below shows the aggregate dollar amount of brokerage commissions paid by SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF for the past three fiscal years ended December 31. None of the brokerage commissions paid were paid to affiliated brokers and the SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF and SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF did not pay any brokerage commissions. Brokerage commissions paid by a Fund may be substantially different from year to year for multiple reasons, including market volatility, the demand for a particular Fund, or increases or decreases in trading volume.
Fund
2022
2021
2020
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
$4,777
Securities of Regular Broker-Dealers: Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its regular brokers and dealers (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. Regular brokers or dealers of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust's portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust's shares.
As of December 31, 2022, the Funds did not have any holdings in securities of Regular Broker-Dealers.
Portfolio Turnover: Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. The Funds may experience higher portfolio turnover when migrating to a different benchmark index. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses or transaction costs. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions and transaction costs is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions and transaction costs paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
Book Entry Only System
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.
The Depository Trust Company (DTC) acts as securities depositary for the Shares. Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in the limited circumstance provided below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (the 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 New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) 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 (the 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 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.
Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected 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, either directly or through a third party service, 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, either directly or through a third party service, 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
45

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 and/or third party service 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. 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 a 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 aspects 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 determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to Shares 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 either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities
Although the Funds do not have information concerning their beneficial ownership held in the names of DTC Participants, as of April 7, 2023, the names, addresses and percentage ownership of each DTC Participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Funds were as follows:
Fund
Name and Address
% Ownership
SPDR BLOOMBERG EMERGING MARKETS LOCAL BOND ETF
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
64.46%
 
Pershing LLC
One Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399
9.28%
SPDR BLOOMBERG INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE BOND ETF
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
27.17%
 
TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc.
4211 South 102nd Street
Omaha, NE 68127
10.65%
 
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
1 Bryant Park
New York, NY 10036
9.92%
 
National Financial Services Corporation
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281
9.53%
SPDR BLOOMBERG INTERNATIONAL TREASURY BOND ETF
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
25.56%
46

Fund
Name and Address
% Ownership
 
State Street Bank & Trust Company
1776 Heritage Drive
North Quincy, MA 02171
11.95%
 
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
1 Bryant Park
New York, NY 10036
9.81%
 
The Bank of New York Mellon
One Wall Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10286
7.22%
 
TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc.
4211 South 102nd Street
Omaha, NE 68127
6.82%
 
National Financial Services Corporation
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281
6.59%
SPDR BLOOMBERG SHORT TERM INTERNATIONAL TREASURY
BOND ETF
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
41.85%
 
National Financial Services Corporation
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281
13.43%
 
TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc.
4211 South 102nd Street
Omaha, NE 68127
9.04%
 
Pershing LLC
One Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399
7.64%
 
The Bank of New York Mellon
One Wall Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10286
6.58%
SPDR FTSE INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENT INFLATION-
PROTECTED BOND ETF
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
16.25%
 
State Street Bank & Trust Company
1776 Heritage Drive
North Quincy, MA 02171
14.96%
 
The Bank of New York Mellon
One Wall Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10286
9.81%
 
TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc.
4211 South 102nd Street
Omaha, NE 68127
8.06%
 
National Financial Services Corporation
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281
7.20%
 
Citibank, N.A.
3800 Citigroup Center Tampa
Tampa, FL 33610
6.08%
47

Fund
Name and Address
% Ownership
 
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
1 Harborside Financial Center, Plaza II
Jersey City, NJ 07311
5.51%
An Authorized Participant (as defined below) may hold of record more than 25% of the outstanding Shares of a Fund. From time to time, Authorized Participants may be a beneficial and/or legal owner of a Fund, may be affiliated with an index provider, may be deemed to have control of the applicable Fund and/or may be able to affect the outcome of matters presented for a vote of the shareholders of the Fund. Authorized Participants may execute an irrevocable proxy granting the Distributor or another affiliate of State Street (the Agent) power to vote or abstain from voting such Authorized Participant's beneficially or legally owned Shares of a Fund. In such cases, the Agent shall mirror vote (or abstain from voting) such Shares in the same proportion as all other beneficial owners of the Fund.
As of April 7, 2023, to the knowledge of the Trust, the following persons held of record or beneficially through one or more accounts 25% or more of the outstanding shares of the Funds.
Fund
Name and Address
% Ownership
SPDR BLOOMBERG EMERGING MARKETS LOCAL BOND ETF
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
64.46%
SPDR BLOOMBERG INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE BOND ETF
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
27.17%
SPDR BLOOMBERG INTERNATIONAL TREASURY BOND ETF
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
25.56%
SPDR BLOOMBERG SHORT TERM INTERNATIONAL TREASURY BOND ETF
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
41.85%
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as a group, own less than 1% of the Trust's voting securities as of the date of this SAI.
Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units
Each Fund issues and redeems its Shares on a continuous basis, at net asset value, only in a large specified number of Shares called a Creation Unit. The value of each Fund is determined once each business day as described under Determination of Net Asset Value. The Creation Unit size for a Fund may change. Authorized Participants (as defined below) will be notified of such change. The principal consideration for creations and redemptions for each Fund is in-kind, although this may be revised at any time without notice.
PURCHASE (CREATION)
The Trust issues and sells Shares of each Fund only: in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Principal Underwriter, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day (as defined below), in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (Participant Agreement). A Business Day with respect to a Fund is, generally, any day on which the NYSE is open for business, although the Funds will also not be open for orders on Veterans Day and Columbus Day.
FUND DEPOSIT
The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of a Fund generally consists of either (i) the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component, computed as described below. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, a Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
48

Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the Fund Deposit, which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of a Fund. The Cash Component, which may include a Dividend Equivalent Payment, is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. The Dividend Equivalent Payment enables a Fund to make a complete distribution of dividends on the day preceding the next dividend payment date, and is an amount equal, on a per Creation Unit basis, to the dividends on all the portfolio securities of the Fund (Dividend Securities) with ex-dividend dates within the accumulation period for such distribution (the Accumulation Period), net of expenses and liabilities for such period, as if all of the Dividend Securities had been held by the Fund for the entire Accumulation Period. The Accumulation Period begins on the ex-dividend date for each Fund and ends on the day preceding the next ex-dividend date. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Custodian, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current standard Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for a Fund. Such standard Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for a Fund Deposit for each Fund may be changed from time to time with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. Information regarding the Fund Deposit necessary for the purchase of a Creation Unit is made available to Authorized Participants and other market participants seeking to transact in Creation Unit aggregations.
The Trust intends to require the substitution of an amount of cash (i.e., a cash in lieu amount) to replace any Deposit Security that is a TBA transaction. The amount of cash contributed will be equivalent to the price of the TBA transaction listed as a Deposit Security. As noted above, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery, (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities or the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the 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 the securities laws, or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, non-standard orders). The Trust also reserves the right to: (i) permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash; and (ii) include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of portfolio changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the 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 certain corporate actions.
PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS
To be eligible to place orders with the Principal Underwriter, as facilitated via the Transfer Agent, to purchase a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be (i) a Participating Party, i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the Clearing Process), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see Book Entry Only System), and (except with respect to the SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF and SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF) must have the ability to clear through the Federal Reserve System. In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an Authorized Participant) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Principal Underwriter and the Transfer Agent, and that has been accepted by the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation
49

Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below) and any other applicable fees, taxes and additional variable charge.
All orders to purchase Shares directly from a Fund, including non-standard orders, must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or the applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the Order Placement Date.
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from a Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange or the bond markets close earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which a Fund's investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order by the cut-off time. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash and U.S. government securities), or through DTC (for corporate securities and municipal securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of a Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of a Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The Settlement Date for a Fund is generally the second Business Day (T+2) after the Order Placement Date. The Settlement Date for the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF is the third Business Day (T+3) after the Order Placement Date.
All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. Delivery of Creation Units will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor for the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF.
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions), with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00
50

p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in proper form if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
ISSUANCE OF A CREATION UNIT
Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, the Principal Underwriter and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units.
In instances where the Trust accepts Deposit Securities for the purchase of a Creation Unit, the Creation Unit may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the Additional Cash Deposit), which shall be maintained in a general non-interest bearing collateral account. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Trust may use such Additional Cash Deposit to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for all costs, expenses, dividends, income and taxes associated with missing Deposit Securities, including the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Principal Underwriter plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee as set forth below under Creation Transaction Fees will be charged in all cases and an additional variable charge may also be applied. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS
The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted in respect of a Fund at its discretion, including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form or the Deposit Securities delivered do not consist of the securities that the Custodian specified; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Authorized Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Principal Underwriter, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Trust or its agents shall communicate to the Authorized Participant its rejection of an order. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Principal Underwriter are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Principal Underwriter shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units. Given the importance of the ongoing issuance of Creation Units to maintaining a market price that is at or close to the underlying net asset value of a Fund, the Trust does not intend to suspend acceptance of orders for Creation Units.
51

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.
REDEMPTION
Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by a Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF A FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market 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.
With respect to each Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of securities designated by the Fund that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (Redemption Securities). Redemption Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities. The identity and number of shares of the Redemption Securities or the Cash Redemption Amount (defined below) may be changed from time to time with a view to the investment objective of a Fund.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or a combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of a Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Redemption Securities plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Fund Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Redemption Securities (the Cash Redemption Amount), less a fixed redemption transaction fee and any applicable additional variable charge as set forth below. In the event that the Redemption Securities have a value greater than the net asset value of the Fund Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust's discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Redemption Securities.
PROCEDURES FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS
After the Trust has deemed an order for redemption received, the Trust will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to the Authorized Participant by the Settlement Date. With respect to in-kind redemptions of a Fund, the calculation of the value of the Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered upon redemption will be made by the Custodian according to the procedures set forth under Determination of Net Asset Value, computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Trust. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Principal Underwriter by a DTC Participant by the specified time on the Order Placement Date, and the requisite number of Shares of a Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior to 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, then the value of the Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered will be determined by the Custodian on such Order Placement Date. If the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are not delivered by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, the Fund will not release the underlying securities for delivery unless collateral is posted in such percentage amount of missing Shares as set forth in the Participant Agreement (marked to market daily).
With respect to in-kind redemptions of a Fund, in connection with taking delivery of shares of Redemption Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, an Authorized Participant must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Redemption Securities are customarily traded (or such other arrangements as allowed by the Trust or its agents), to which account such Redemption Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two Business Days, or in the case of the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF within three Business Days, of the trade date.
52

Due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, however, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two or three Business Days, as applicable, after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If the Authorized Participant has not made appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Redemption Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the Authorized Participant will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that a Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either 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 charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust's brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Redemption Securities). A Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Redemption Securities but does not differ in net asset value.
An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to the Trust that, as of the close of the Business Day on which the redemption request was submitted, it (or its client) will own (within the meaning of Rule 200 of Regulation SHO) or has arranged to borrow for delivery to the Trust on or prior to the Settlement Date of the redemption request, the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Fund to be redeemed as a Creation Unit. In either case, the Authorized Participant is deemed to acknowledge that: (i) it (or its client) has full legal authority and legal right to tender for redemption the requisite number of Shares of the applicable Fund and to receive the entire proceeds of the redemption; and (ii) if such Shares submitted for redemption have been loaned or pledged to another party or are the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or any other arrangement affecting legal or beneficial ownership of such Shares being tendered, there are no restrictions precluding the tender and delivery of such Shares (including borrowed shares, if any) for redemption, free and clear of liens, on the redemption Settlement Date. 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.
Redemptions of Shares for Redemption Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable 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 Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Redemption Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Redemption Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Redemption Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a qualified institutional buyer, (QIB) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Redemption Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Redemption Securities.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to a Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
REQUIRED EARLY ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS FOR CERTAIN INTERNATIONAL FUNDS
Notwithstanding the foregoing, as described in the Participant Agreement and/or the applicable order form, certain Funds may require orders to be placed prior to the trade date, as described in the Participant Agreement or the applicable order form, in order to receive the trade date's net asset value. The cut-off time to receive the trade date's net asset value will not precede the calculation of the net asset value of a Fund's shares on the prior Business Day. Orders to purchase
53

Shares of such Funds that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) that the equity markets in the relevant foreign market are closed may not be accepted. Authorized Participants may be notified that the cut-off time for an order may be earlier on a particular Business Day, as described in the Participant Agreement and the applicable order form.
CREATION AND REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEES
A transaction fee, as set forth in the table below, is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase or redemption of Creation Units, as applicable. Authorized Participants will be required to pay a fixed creation transaction fee and/or a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, on a given day regardless of the number of Creation Units created or redeemed on that day. A Fund may adjust the transaction fee from time to time. An additional charge or a variable charge (discussed below) will be applied to certain creation and redemption transactions, including non-standard orders and whole or partial cash purchases or redemptions. With respect to creation orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust and with respect to redemption orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring the Redemption Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may also be charged a fee for such services.
Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees:
Fund
Transaction
Fee*, **
Maximum
Transaction
Fee*, **
SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF
$1,500
$6,000
SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF
$1,500
$6,000
SPDR Bloomberg International Treasury Bond ETF
$1,500
$6,000
SPDR Bloomberg Short Term International Treasury Bond ETF
$1,500
$6,000
SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF
$1,500
$6,000
*
From time to time, a Fund may waive all or a portion of its applicable transaction fee(s). An additional charge of up to three (3) times the standard transaction fee may be charged to the extent a transaction is outside of the clearing process.
**
In addition to the transaction fees listed above, the Funds may charge an additional variable fee for creations and redemptions in cash to offset brokerage and impact expenses associated with the cash transaction. The variable transaction fee will be calculated based on historical transaction cost data and the Adviser's view of current market conditions; however, the actual variable fee charged for a given transaction may be lower or higher than the trading expenses incurred by a Fund with respect to that transaction.
Determination of Net Asset Value
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the sections in the Prospectus entitled PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION and ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.
NAV per Share for each Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of each Fund is calculated by State Street and determined once daily as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that such exchange is open. Creation/redemption order cut-off times may be earlier on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (or applicable exchange or market on which a Fund's investments are traded) announces an early closing time. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at market rates on the date of valuation (generally as of 4:00 p.m. London time) as quoted by one or more sources.
In calculating a Fund's net asset value per Share, the Fund's investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer). Each Fund relies on a third-party service provider for assistance with the daily calculation of the Fund's NAV. The third-party service provider, in turn, relies on other parties for certain pricing data and other inputs used in the calculation of the Fund's NAV. Therefore, each Fund is subject to certain operational risks associated with reliance on its service provider and that service provider's sources of pricing and other data. NAV calculation may be adversely affected by operational risks arising from factors such as errors or failures in systems and technology. Such errors or failures may result in inaccurately calculated NAVs, delays in the calculation of NAVs and/or
54

the inability to calculate NAV over extended time periods. A Fund may be unable to recover any losses associated with such failures. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund's published net asset value per share. Each Fund may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service. Fixed-income assets are generally valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments in a particular market or exchange, and generally 4:00 p.m. EST for U.S. fixed-income assets. Fixed-income assets are generally valued at the mean of the bid and ask prices for bank loans and inflation protected securities, and at the bid price for all other fixed-income assets.
Pursuant to Board approved valuation procedures, the Board has designated the Adviser as the valuation designee for each Fund. These procedures address, among other things, (i) determining (a) when market quotations are not readily available or reliable and (b) the methodologies to be used for determining the fair value of investments, and (ii) the use and oversight of third-party pricing services for fair valuation. The Adviser is responsible for periodically reviewing the procedures, and the selected methodologies used, for their continuing appropriateness and accuracy, and making any changes or adjustments to the procedures and methodologies as appropriate.
In the event that current market valuations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, the Trust's procedures require the Adviser to determine a security's fair value. In determining a fair value, the Adviser may consider, among other things, (i) price comparisons among multiple sources, (ii) a review of corporate actions and news events, and (iii) a review of relevant financial indicators (e.g., movement in interest rates, market indices, and prices from a Fund's Index provider). In these cases, a Fund's net asset value may reflect certain portfolio securities' fair values rather than their market prices. The fair value of a portfolio instrument is generally the price which a Fund might reasonably expect to receive upon its current sale in an orderly market between market participants. Ascertaining fair value requires a determination of the amount that an arm's-length buyer, under the circumstances, would currently pay for the portfolio instrument. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the 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 net asset value and the prices used by the Index. This may result in a difference between a Fund's performance and the performance of the Index.
Dividends and Distributions
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in each Prospectus entitled DISTRIBUTIONS.
GENERAL POLICIES
Dividends from net investment income, if any, are generally declared and paid monthly by each Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Trust may make distributions on a more frequent basis for a Fund to improve index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, 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 Trust.
Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve a Fund's eligibility for treatment as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes at the Fund level.
DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT
Broker dealers, at their own discretion, may offer a dividend reinvestment service under which Shares are purchased in the secondary market at current market prices. Investors should consult their broker dealer for further information regarding any dividend reinvestment service offered by such broker dealer.
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Taxes
The following is a summary of certain federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and their shareholders that supplements the discussions in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Funds or their shareholders, and the discussion here and in each Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
The following general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences is based on the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
The following information should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION.
TAXATION OF THE FUNDS
Each Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. A Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein and in the Prospectus. Losses in one series of the Trust do not offset gains in any other series of the Trust and the requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying for treatment as a RIC are determined at the Fund level rather than at the Trust level. Each Fund has elected or will elect and intends to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, each Fund should not be subject to federal income tax on its net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that it timely distributes such income and capital gains to its shareholders. In order to qualify for treatment as a RIC, a Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its taxable net investment income (generally including the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the Distribution Requirement) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of a Fund's gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income 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 (the Qualifying Income Requirement); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of a Fund's taxable year, its assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the market value of its 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, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers that it controls and that are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the Diversification Requirement).
If a Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. In order to be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, a Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to a Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the applicable corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by noncorporate shareholders. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If a Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built-in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of a Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.
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As discussed more fully below, each Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and its capital gains for each taxable year.
If a Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. A Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their liabilities and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits. If a Fund failed to satisfy the Distribution Requirement for any taxable year, it would be taxed as a regular corporation, with consequences generally similar to those described in the preceding paragraph.
Given the concentration of certain of the Indexes in a relatively small number of securities, it may not be possible for certain Funds to fully implement sampling methodologies while satisfying the Diversification Requirement. A Fund's efforts to satisfy the Diversification Requirement may affect the Fund's execution of its investment strategy and may cause the Fund's return to deviate from that of the applicable Index, and the Fund's efforts to track the applicable Index may cause it inadvertently to fail to satisfy the Diversification Requirement.
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 an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year's distribution. 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.
A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any qualified late year loss as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such qualified late year loss as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A qualified late year loss generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as post-October losses) and certain other late-year losses.
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (net capital losses) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC's net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, a Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Funds may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses.
TAXATION OF SHAREHOLDERS—DISTRIBUTIONS
Each Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). Each Fund will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income and the amount of distributions of net capital gain. Since the Funds primarily hold investments that do not pay dividends, it is not expected that a substantial portion (if any) of the dividends paid by a Fund will qualify for either the dividends-received deduction for corporations or the favorable income tax rates available to individuals on qualified dividend income.
Distributions from a Fund's net short-term capital gains will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions from a Fund's net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Long-term capital gains are generally taxed to noncorporate shareholders at reduced rates.
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by a Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.
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If a Fund's distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made in the taxable year may be treated 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 the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder's basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder's Shares.
Under Section 163(j) of the Code, a taxpayer's business interest expense is generally deductible to the extent of its business interest income plus certain other amounts. If a Fund earns business interest income, it may report a portion of its dividends as Section 163(j) interest dividends, which its shareholders may be able to treat as business interest income for purposes of Section 163(j) of the Code. The Fund's Section 163(j) interest dividend for a tax year will be limited to the excess of its business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. In general, a Fund's shareholders may treat a distribution reported as a Section 163(j) interest dividend as interest income only to the extent the distribution exceeds the sum of the portions of the distribution reported as other types of tax-favored income. To be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) interest dividend as interest income, a shareholder may need to meet certain holding period requirements in respect of Fund Shares and must not have hedged its position in Fund Shares in certain ways. Distributions that are reinvested in additional Shares of a Fund through the means of a dividend reinvestment service, if offered by your broker-dealer, will nevertheless be taxable dividends to the same extent as if such dividends had been received in cash.
A 3.8% Medicare contribution tax generally applies to all or a portion of the net investment income of a shareholder who is an individual and not a nonresident alien for federal income tax purposes and who has adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) that exceeds a threshold amount ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a surviving spouse for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, interest, dividends and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares) are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder's net investment income.
Distributions of ordinary income and capital gains may also be subject to foreign, state and local taxes depending on a shareholder's circumstances.
TAXATION OF SHAREHOLDERS—SALE OF SHARES
In general, a sale of Shares results in capital gain or loss, and for individual shareholders, is taxable at a federal rate dependent upon the length of time the Shares were held. A sale of Shares held for a period of one year or less at the time of such sale will, for tax purposes, generally result in short-term capital gains or losses, and a sale of those held for more than one year will generally result in long-term capital gains or losses. Long-term capital gains are generally taxed to noncorporate shareholders at reduced rates.
Gain or loss on the sale of Shares is measured by the difference between the amount received and the adjusted tax basis of the Shares. Shareholders should keep records of investments made (including Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and distributions) so they can compute the tax basis of their Shares.
A loss realized on a sale of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (whether through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a sixty-one (61) day period beginning thirty (30) days before and ending thirty (30) days after the date that the Shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis of the Shares acquired must be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss upon the sale of Shares held for six (6) months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains).
COST BASIS REPORTING
The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Internal Revenue Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
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TAXATION OF FUND INVESTMENTS
Dividends and interest received by a Fund on foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If a Fund meets certain requirements, which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the close of its respective taxable year consist of certain foreign securities (generally including foreign government securities), then the Fund should be eligible to file an election with the IRS that may enable its shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction, with respect to certain foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to this election, a Fund would treat the applicable foreign taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each such shareholder would be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit the shareholder may be entitled to use against such shareholder's federal income tax. If a Fund makes this election, the Fund will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Fund's income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions. No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability. If a Fund does not make this election, the Fund will be entitled to claim a deduction for certain foreign taxes incurred by the Fund. In certain instances, the Fund might not elect to apply otherwise allowable U.S. federal income tax deductions for those foreign taxes, whether or not credits or deductions for those foreign taxes could be passed through to its shareholders pursuant to the election described above. If the Fund does not elect to apply these deductions, taxable distributions you receive from the Fund may be larger than they would have been if the Fund had taken deductions for such taxes. Under certain circumstances, if a Fund receives a refund of foreign taxes paid in respect of a prior year, the value of Shares could be affected or any foreign tax credits or deductions passed through to shareholders in respect of the Fund's foreign taxes for the current year could be reduced.
Certain of the Funds' investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by a Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions to its shareholders in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Funds intend to monitor their transactions, intend to make appropriate tax elections, and intend to make appropriate entries in their books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Funds' qualification for treatment as RICs.
Each Fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from futures and options contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. A Fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts, options contracts and swaps to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the Fund. It is anticipated that certain net gain realized from the closing out of futures or options contracts will be considered gain from the sale of securities and therefore will be qualifying income for purposes of the Qualifying Income Requirement.
Investments by a Fund in zero coupon or other discount securities will result in income to the Fund equal to a portion of the excess face value of the securities over their issue price (the original issue discount or OID) each year that the securities are held, even though the Fund may receive no cash interest payments or may receive cash interest payments that are less than the income recognized for tax purposes. In other circumstances, whether pursuant to the terms of a security or as a result of other factors outside the control of the Fund, a Fund may recognize income without receiving a commensurate amount of cash. Such income is included in determining the amount of income that a Fund must distribute to maintain its eligibility for treatment as a RIC and to avoid the payment of federal income tax, including the nondeductible 4% excise tax described above.
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Any market discount recognized on a market discount bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value, or below adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by a Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, gain on the Fund's disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount. Where the income required to be recognized as a result of the OID and/or market discount rules is not matched by a corresponding cash receipt by a Fund, the Fund may be required to borrow money or dispose of securities to enable the Fund to make distributions to its shareholders in order to qualify for treatment as a RIC and eliminate taxes at the Fund level.
Special rules apply if a Fund holds inflation-indexed bonds, such as Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). Generally, all stated interest on inflation-indexed bonds is taken into income by a Fund under its regular method of accounting for interest income. The amount of any positive inflation adjustment for a taxable year, which results from an increase in the inflation-adjusted principal amount of the bond, is treated as OID. The amount of a Fund's OID in a taxable year with respect to a bond will increase a Fund's taxable income for such year without a corresponding receipt of cash, until the bond matures. As a result, the Fund may need to use other sources of cash to satisfy its distribution requirements for the applicable year. The amount of any negative inflation adjustments, which result from a decrease in the inflation-adjusted principal amount of the bond, first reduces the amount of interest (including stated interest, OID, and market discount, if any) otherwise includable in the Fund's taxable income with respect to the bond for the taxable year; any remaining negative adjustments will be either treated as ordinary loss or, in certain circumstances, carried forward to reduce the amount of interest income taken into account with respect to the bond in future taxable years.
TAX-EXEMPT SHAREHOLDERS
Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (UBTI). Under current law, a Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in a Fund where, for example, (i) the Fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) or (ii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisors. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors regarding these issues.
Certain tax-exempt educational institutions will be subject to a 1.4% tax on net investment income. For these purposes, certain dividends and capital gain distributions, and certain gains from the disposition of Shares (among other categories of income), are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder's net investment income.
FOREIGN SHAREHOLDERS
Dividends, other than capital gains dividends, short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends (described below), paid by a Fund to shareholders who are nonresident aliens or foreign entities will be subject to a 30% United States withholding tax unless a reduced rate of withholding or a withholding exemption is provided under applicable treaty law to the extent derived from investment income and short-term capital gain or unless such income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on through a permanent establishment in the United States. Nonresident shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning the applicability of the United States withholding tax and the proper withholding form(s) to be submitted to a Fund. A non-U.S. shareholder who fails to provide an appropriate IRS Form W-8 may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate.
Dividends reported by a Fund as (i) interest-related dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund's qualified net interest income, or (ii) short-term capital gain dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund's qualified short-term gain, are generally exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Qualified net interest income is a Fund's net income derived from U.S.-source interest and original issue discount, subject to certain exceptions and limitations. Qualified short-term gain generally means the excess of a Fund's net short-term capital gain for the taxable year over its net long-term capital loss, if any. In the case of Shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if a Fund reports the payment as an interest-related dividend or as a short-term capital gain dividend. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.
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Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold Shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to Fund distributions payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING
A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as backup withholding) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the U.S.
CREATION UNITS
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing wash sales, or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the securities exchanged therefor as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Similarly, any gain or loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the Shares comprising the Creation Units as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year, and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year, and otherwise, will generally be short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six (6) months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
A Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund would have a basis in any deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. A Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If a Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
If a Fund redeems Creation Units in cash, it may bear additional costs and recognize more capital gains than it would if it redeems Creation Units in kind.
Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
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CERTAIN POTENTIAL TAX REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Under promulgated Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of a Fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. A shareholder who fails to make the required disclosure to the IRS may be subject to adverse tax consequences, including significant penalties. 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 advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
The foregoing discussion is a summary only and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Purchasers of Shares should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investing in such Shares, including under state, local and other tax laws. Finally, the foregoing discussion is based on applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, regulations, judicial authority and administrative interpretations in effect on the date hereof. Changes in applicable authority could materially affect the conclusions discussed above, and such changes often occur.
STATE TAX MATTERS
The discussion of state and local tax treatment is based on the assumptions that the Funds will qualify for treatment under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code as RICs and that each Fund will distribute all interest and dividends it receives to its shareholders. The tax discussion summarizes general state and local tax laws which are currently in effect and which are subject to change by legislative, judicial or administrative action; any such changes may be retroactive with respect to the applicable Fund's transactions. Investors should consult a tax advisor for more detailed information about state and local taxes to which they may be subject.
Many states grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment requirements that must be met by the Fund. Investment in Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) or Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) securities, banker's acceptances, commercial paper, and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities do not generally qualify for such tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporate shareholders.
Capital Stock and Other Securities
Each Fund issues Shares of beneficial interest, par value $.01 per Share. The Board may designate additional funds.
Each Share issued by the Trust has a pro rata interest in the assets of the corresponding series of the Trust. 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 each Fund, and in the net distributable assets of each Fund on liquidation.
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all series of the Trust (Funds) vote together as a single class except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other Funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. Under Massachusetts 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 of the Trust (regardless of the fund) have noncumulative voting rights for the election of Trustees. Under Massachusetts law, Trustees of the Trust may be removed by vote of the shareholders.
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a business trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for obligations of the Trust. However, the Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust, requires that Trust obligations include such disclaimer, and provides for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses out of the Trust's property for any shareholder held personally liable for
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the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Trust itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Given the above limitations on shareholder personal liability, and the nature of each Fund's assets and operations, the risk to shareholders of personal liability is believed to be remote.
Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Trust, c/o the Distributor, State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC at One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
Counsel and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, located at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004, serves as counsel to the Trust. Ernst & Young LLP, located at  200 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Trust. Ernst & Young LLP performs annual audits of the Funds' financial statements and provides other audit, tax and related services.
Local Market Holiday Schedules
The Trust generally intends to effect deliveries of portfolio securities on a basis of T plus two Business Days (i.e., days on which the NYSE is open), or in the case of the SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR FTSE International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF on a basis of T plus three Business Days, in the relevant foreign market of a Fund. The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind redemptions within two or three Business Days, as applicable, of receipt of a redemption request is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the request to the date of delivery of the securities, there are no days that are local market holidays on the relevant Business Days. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the local market that are not holidays observed in the United States, the redemption settlement cycle may be extended by the number of such intervening local holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within two or three Business Days, as applicable.
The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with local market holiday schedules, may require a delivery process longer than the standard settlement period. In certain circumstances during the calendar year, the settlement period may be greater than seven calendar days.
Financial Statements
The financial statements and financial highlights of the Funds that were operating during the year ended December 31, 2022, along with the Report of Ernst & Young LLP, the Funds' Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, included in the Funds' Annual Report to Shareholders on Form N-CSR under the 1940 Act, are incorporated by reference into this Statement of Additional Information.
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APPENDIX A
Standard & Poor's, a division of S&P Global (S&P), Long-Term Issue Ratings:
AAA
An obligation rated ‘AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's
capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA
An obligation rated ‘AA' differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The
obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
A
An obligation rated ‘A' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in
circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However,
the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
BBB
An obligation rated ‘BBB' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic
conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor's capacity to meet
its financial commitments on the obligation.
BB, B, CCC, CC, and C
Obligations rated ‘BB', ‘B', ‘CCC', ‘CC', and ‘C' are regarded as having significant speculative
characteristics. ‘BB' indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C' the highest. While such
obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed
by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.
BB
An obligation rated ‘BB' is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues.
However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or
economic conditions that could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial
commitments on the obligation.
B
An obligation rated ‘B' is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB', but the
obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse
business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness
to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
CCC
An obligation rated ‘CCC' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon
favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial
commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic
conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the
obligation.
CC
An obligation rated ‘CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC' rating is used
when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual
certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C
An obligation rated ‘C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is
expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations
that are rated higher.
D
An obligation rated ‘D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital
instruments, the ‘D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on
the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five
business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace
period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy
petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for
example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to ‘D' if it is
subject to a distressed debt restructuring.
*
Ratings from ‘AA' to ‘CCC' may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.
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Moody's Investors Service, Inc.'s (Moody's) Long-Term Obligation Ratings:
Aaa
Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa
Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A
Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa
Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may
possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba
Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B
Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa
Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca
Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery
of principal and interest.
C
Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or
interest.
Note: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a (hyb) indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.*
Note: For more information on long-term ratings assigned to obligations in default, please see the definition Long-Term Credit Ratings for Defaulted or Impaired Securities in the Other Definitions section of Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions publication.
*
By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
Fitch Ratings Ltd.'s (Fitch) Corporate Finance Obligations – Long-Term Ratings:
AAA: Highest Credit Quality. ‘AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very High Credit Quality. ‘AA' ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High Credit Quality. ‘A' ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good Credit Quality. ‘BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative. ‘BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.
B: Highly Speculative. ‘B' ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.
CCC: Substantial Credit Risk. ‘CCC' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.
CC: Very High Levels of Credit Risk. ‘CC' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.
C: Exceptionally High Levels of Credit Risk. ‘C' indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.
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Appendix B
SPDR® Series Trust 
SPDR® Index Shares Funds 
SSGA Active Trust
(each, a Trust, and, collectively, the Trusts)
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
The Boards of Trustees of the Trusts have adopted the following policy and procedures with respect to voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Trusts' investment portfolios.
1.
Proxy Voting Policy
The policy of each Trust is to delegate the responsibility for voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Trusts to SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (the Adviser), investment adviser to each series of the Trusts (the Funds), subject to the Trustees' continuing oversight.
2.
Fiduciary Duty
The right to vote proxies with respect to portfolio securities held by each Trust is an asset of the Trusts. The Adviser acts as a fiduciary of the Trusts and must vote proxies in a manner consistent with the best interest of the Trusts and the Funds' shareholders.
3.
Proxy Voting Procedures
A.
At least annually, the Adviser shall present to the Board of Trustees (the Board) its policies, procedures and other guidelines for voting proxies (Policy) (See attached Schedule A) and the Policy of any Sub-adviser (defined below) to which proxy voting authority has been delegated (see Section 9 below). In addition, the Adviser shall notify the Board of material changes to its Policy or the Policy of any Sub-adviser promptly and no later than the next regular meeting of the Board after such amendment is implemented.
B.
At least annually, the Adviser shall present to the Board its policy for managing the conflicts of interests that may arise through the Adviser's proxy voting activities. In addition, the Adviser shall report any Policy overrides involving portfolio securities held by the Trusts to the Trustees at the next regular meeting of the Board after such override(s) occur.
C.
At least annually, the Adviser shall inform the Trustees that a record is available for each proxy voted with respect to portfolio securities of each Trust during the year. Also see Section 5 below.
4.
Revocation of Authority to Vote
The delegation by the Trustees of the authority to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities of the Trusts may be revoked by the Trustees, in whole or in part, at any time.
5.
Annual Filing of Proxy Voting Record
The Adviser shall provide the required data for each proxy voted with respect to portfolio securities of a Trust to that respective Trust or its designated service provider in a timely manner and in a format acceptable to be filed in the Trust's annual proxy voting report on Form N-PX for the twelve-month period ended June 30. Form N-PX is required to be filed not later than August 31 of each year.
6.
Retention and Oversight of Proxy Advisory Firms
A.
In considering whether to retain or continue retaining a particular proxy advisory firm, the Adviser will ascertain whether the proxy advisory firm has the capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues, act as proxy voting agent as requested, and implement the Policy. In this regard, the Adviser will consider, at least annually, among other things, the adequacy and quality of the proxy advisory firm's staffing and personnel and the robustness of its policies and procedures regarding its ability to identify and address any conflicts of interest. The Adviser shall, at least annually, report to the Board regarding the results of this review.
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B.
The Adviser will request quarterly and annual reporting from any proxy advisory firm retained by the Adviser, and hold ad hoc meetings with such proxy advisory firm, in order to determine whether there has been any business changes that might impact the proxy advisory firm's capacity or competency to provide proxy voting advice or services or changes to the proxy advisory firm's conflicts policies or procedures. The Adviser will also take reasonable steps to investigate any material factual error, notified to the Adviser by the proxy advisory firm or identified by the Adviser, made by the proxy advisory firm in providing proxy voting services.
7.
Periodic Sampling
The Adviser will periodically sample proxy votes to review whether they complied with the Policy. The Adviser shall, at least annually, report to the Board regarding the frequency and results of the sampling performed.
8.
Disclosures
A.
A Trust shall include in its registration statement:
1.
A description of this policy and of the policies and procedures used by the Adviser to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities; and
2.
A statement disclosing that information regarding how the Trust voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling the Trust's toll-free telephone number; or through a specified Internet address; or both; and on the Securities and Exchange Commission's (the SEC) website.
B.
A Trust shall include in its annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders:
1.
A statement disclosing that a description of the policies and procedures used by or on behalf of the Trust to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities of the Funds is available without charge, upon request, by calling the Trust's toll-free telephone number; through a specified Internet address, if applicable; and on the SEC's website; and
2.
A statement disclosing that information regarding how the Trust voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling the Trust's toll-free telephone number; or through a specified Internet address; or both; and on the SEC's website.
9.
Sub-Advisers
For certain Funds, the Adviser retains investment management firms (Sub-advisers) to provide day-to-day investment management services to the Funds pursuant to sub-advisory agreements. It is the policy of the Trust that the Adviser may delegate proxy voting authority with respect to a Fund to a Sub-adviser. Pursuant to such delegation, a Sub-adviser is authorized to vote proxies on behalf of the applicable Fund or Funds for which it serves as sub-adviser, in accordance with the Sub-adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures.
10.
Review of Policy
The Trustees shall review this policy to determine its continued sufficiency as necessary from time to time.
Adopted (SPDR Series Trust/SPDR Index Shares Funds):
May 31, 2006
Updated:
August 1, 2007
Amended:
May 29, 2009
Amended:
November 19, 2010
Adopted (SSGA Active Trust)/Amended:
May 25, 2011
Amended:
February 25, 2016
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APPENDIX C - ADVISER’S PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES

 

 

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Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles

State Street Global Advisors, one of the industry’s largest institutional asset managers, is the investment management arm of State Street Corporation, a leading provider of financial services to institutional investors. As an investment manager, State Street Global Advisors has discretionary proxy voting authority over most of its client accounts, and State Street Global Advisors votes these proxies in the manner that we believe will most likely protect and promote the long-term economic value of client investments, as described in this document.i

 

 

 

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These Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles (the “Principles”) are also applicable to SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, and other advisory affiliates of State Street Corporation. Additionally, State Street Global Advisors maintains Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for select markets, including: Australia, continental Europe, Japan, New Zealand, North America (Canada and the US), the UK and Ireland, and emerging markets. International markets not covered by our market-specific guidelines are reviewed and voted in a manner that is consistent with the Principles; however, State Street Global Advisors also endeavors to show sensitivity to local market practices when voting in these various markets.

 

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State Street Global Advisors’ Authority and Duties to Vote Client and Fund Securities     Where State Street Global Advisors’ clients have asked it to vote their shares on their behalf or where a commingled fund fiduciary has delegated the responsibility to vote the fund’s securities to State Street Global Advisors, State Street Global Advisors votes those client and fund-owned securities in a unified manner, consistent with the Principles described in this document. Exceptions to this unified voting policy are: (1) where State Street Global Advisors has made proxy voting choices (i.e., the proxy voting program) available to investors within a commingled fund, in which case a pro rata portion of shares held by the fund attributable to investors who choose to participate in the proxy voting program would be voted consistent with the third-party proxy voting policies selected by the investors, and (2) in the limited circumstances where a pooled investment vehicle managed by State Street Global Advisors utilizes a third party proxy voting guideline as set forth in that fund’s organizational and/or offering documents. With respect to such funds utilizing third-party proxy voting guidelines, the terms of the applicable third-party proxy voting guidelines shall apply in place of the Principles described herein and the proxy votes implemented with respect to such a fund may differ from and be contrary to those votes implemented for other portfolios managed by State Street Global Advisors pursuant to its proprietary proxy voting guidelines.
   
The Principles-State Street Global Advisors’ Approach to Proxy Voting and Issuer Engagement     At State Street Global Advisors, we take our fiduciary duties as an asset manager very seriously. We have a dedicated team of corporate governance professionals who help us carry out our duties as a responsible investor. These duties include engaging with companies, developing and enhancing in-house corporate governance guidelines, analyzing corporate governance issues on a case-by-case basis at the company level, and exercising voting rights. The underlying goal is to maximize shareholder value.
    The Principles may take different perspectives on common governance issues that vary from one market to another. Similarly, engagement activity may take different forms in order to best achieve long-term engagement goals. Rather than divesting from portfolio companies, our approach is to engage with such companies. We believe that proxy voting and engagement with portfolio companies is often the most direct and productive way for shareholders to exercise their ownership rights. This comprehensive toolkit is an integral part of the overall investment process.
    We believe engagement and voting activity have a direct relationship. As a result, the integration of our engagement activities, while leveraging the exercise of voting rights, provides a meaningful shareholder tool that we believe protects and enhances the long- term economic value of the holdings in our clients’ accounts. We maximize voting power and engagement by maintaining a centralized proxy voting and active ownership process covering all holdings, regardless of strategy. Despite the vast array of investment strategies and objectives across State Street Global Advisors, the fiduciary responsibilities of share ownership and voting for which State Street Global Advisors has voting discretion are carried out with a single voice and objective.

 

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    The Principles support governance structures that we believe add to, or maximize, shareholder value for the companies held in our clients’ portfolios. We conduct issuer-specific engagements with companies to discuss our principles, including sustainability-related risks and opportunities. In addition, we encourage issuers to find ways to increase the amount of direct communication board members have with shareholders. Direct communication with executive board members and independent non-executive directors is critical to helping companies understand shareholder concerns.
    In conducting our engagements, we also evaluate the various factors that influence the corporate governance framework of a country, including the macroeconomic conditions and broader political system, the quality of regulatory oversight, the enforcement of property and shareholder rights, and the independence of the judiciary. We understand that regulatory requirements and investor expectations relating to governance practices and engagement activities differ from country to country. As a result, we engage with issuers, regulators, or a combination of the two depending upon the market. We are also a member of various investor associations that seek to address broader corporate governance-related policy at the country level.
    The State Street Global Advisors Asset Stewardship Team may consult with members of various investment teams to engage with companies on corporate governance issues and to address any specific concerns. This facilitates our comprehensive approach to information gathering as it relates to items that are to be voted upon at upcoming shareholder meetings. We also conduct issuer-specific engagements with companies, covering various corporate governance and sustainability-related topics outside of proxy season.
    The Asset Stewardship Team employs a blend of quantitative and qualitative research, analysis and data in order to support screens that identify issuers where active engagement may be necessary to protect and promote shareholder value. Issuer engagement may also be event-driven, focusing on issuer-specific corporate governance or sustainability concerns, or broader industry-related trends. We also consider the size of our total position in the issuer in question and/or the potential negative governance, performance profile, and circumstance at hand. As a result, we believe issuer engagement can take many forms and be triggered by numerous circumstances. The following approaches represent how we define engagement methods:
   
Active     We use screening tools designed to capture a mix of company-specific data, including governance and sustainability profiles, to inform our voting and engagement activity.

 

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    We will actively seek direct dialogue with the board and management of companies that we have identified through our screening processes. Such engagements may lead to further monitoring to ensure that the company improves its governance or sustainability practices. In these cases, the engagement process represents the most meaningful opportunity for us to protect long-term shareholder value from excessive risk due to poor governance and sustainability practices.
   
Reactive     Reactive engagement is initiated by issuers. We routinely discuss specific voting issues and items with the issuer community. Reactive engagement is an opportunity to address not only voting items, but also a wide range of governance and sustainability issues.
    We have established an engagement protocol that further describes our approach to issuer engagement.
   
Measurement     Our stewardship activities are designed to have an impact on company-specific and market-level disclosure and oversight practices that we believe protect and promote shareholder value.
    Company-specific successes Assessing the effectiveness of our company-specific engagement process can be challenging to measure. To limit subjectivity in measuring our success, we actively seek issuer feedback and monitor the actions taken by issuers post-engagement in order to identify tangible changes. This enables us to establish indicators to gauge how issuers respond to our concerns and to what degree these responses satisfy our requests. It is also important to note that successful engagement activity can be measured over multiple years depending on the facts and circumstances involved. These engagements not only inform our voting decisions but also allow us to monitor improvement over time and to contribute to our evolving perspectives on priority areas. We also track the impact of our proxy votes by reviewing changing trends in market practices on specific corporate-governance or sustainability-related issues that we address through voting action. We report engagement and voting actions to clients on an annual basis.
    Market-level successes We track the broader adoption of our stewardship priorities — Effective Board Oversight, Climate Risk Management, Human Capital Management, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - which we consider core to creating long-term value, by assessing the number of market participants that have embraced positions consistent with our thought leadership and advocacy.

 

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Proxy Voting Procedure    
 
Oversight    
 
    The Asset Stewardship Team is responsible for developing and implementing State Street Global Advisors’ Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles, Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Environmental and Social Factors, regional proxy voting and engagement guidelines, and guidance published thereunder by State Street Global Advisors from time to time, available at ssga.com/about-us/asset-stewardship.html (collectively, the “Voting Policy”), the implementation of third-party proxy voting guidelines where applicable, case-by-case voting items, issuer engagement activities, and research and analysis of governance-related issues. The Asset Stewardship Team’s activities are overseen by our internal governance body, State Street Global Advisors’ ESG Committee (the “ESG Committee”). The ESG Committee is responsible for reviewing State Street Global Advisors’ stewardship strategy, engagement priorities, and proxy voting guidelines, and for monitoring the delivery of voting objectives.
 
Proxy Voting Process    
 
    In order to facilitate our proxy voting process, we retain Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”), a firm with expertise in proxy voting and corporate governance. We utilize ISS to: (1) act as our proxy voting agent (providing State Street Global Advisors with vote execution and administration services), (2) assist in applying the Voting Policy, (3) provide research and analysis relating to general corporate governance issues and specific proxy items, and (4) provide proxy voting guidelines in limited circumstances.
    All voting decisions and engagement activities are undertaken in accordance with our in-house Voting Policy, ensuring that the interests of our clients remain the sole consideration when discharging our stewardship responsibilities. Exceptions to this policy is the use of an independent third party to vote on State Street stock and other State Street Global Advisors affiliated entities, to mitigate a conflict of interest of voting on our parent company or affiliated entities, and other situations where we retain an independent fiduciary to make a voting decision where we believe we may be conflicted from voting (for example, due to an outside business interest). In such cases, delegated third parties exercise vote decisions based upon State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines.
    We aim to vote at all shareholder meetings where our clients have given us the authority to vote their shares and where it is feasible to do so. However, when we deem appropriate, we could refrain from voting at meetings in cases where:
   

•  Power of attorney documentation is required.

 

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•  Voting will have a material impact on our ability to trade the security.

   

•  Voting is not permissible due to sanctions affecting a company or individual.

   

•  Issuer-specific special documentation is required or various market or issuer certifications are required.

   

•  Unless a client directs otherwise, State Street Global Advisors will not vote proxies in so-called “share blocking” markets (markets where proxy voters have their securities blocked from trading during the period of the annual meeting).

    Additionally, we are unable to vote proxies when certain custodians, used by our clients, do not offer proxy voting in a jurisdiction or when they charge a meeting-specific fee in excess of the typical custody service agreement.
    In rare circumstances where nuances within specific resolutions fall outside of the scope of existing voting guidelines, requiring case-by-case analysis, such resolutions are escalated to the head of Asset Stewardship and reported to the ESG Committee. Additionally, in certain cases, where a material conflict of interest is identified, the matter may be referred to the ESG Committee for review.
   
Conflict of Interest     See our standalone Conflicts Mitigation Guidelines.
 
Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles    
   
Directors and Boards     The election of directors is one of the most important fiduciary duties we perform on behalf of our clients. We believe that well-governed companies can protect and pursue shareholder interests better and withstand the challenges of an uncertain economic environment. As such, we seek to vote director elections in a way that we believe will maximize long-term value.
    Principally, a board acts on behalf of shareholders by protecting their interests and preserving their rights. This concept establishes the standard by which board and director performance is measured. In order to achieve this fundamental principle, the role of the board is to carry out its responsibilities in the best long-term interest of the company and its shareholders. An independent and effective board sets the strategy and provides guidance on strategic matters, oversees management, selects the CEO and other senior executives, creates a succession plan for the board and management, provides risk oversight, and assesses the performance of the CEO and management. In contrast, management implements the business and capital allocation strategies and runs the company’s day-to-day operations. As part of our engagement process, we routinely discuss the importance of these responsibilities with the boards of issuers.

 

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    We believe the quality of a board is a measure of director independence, director succession planning, board diversity, evaluations and refreshment, and company governance practices. In voting to elect nominees, we consider many factors. We believe independent directors are crucial to good corporate governance; they help management
    establish sound corporate governance policies and practices. A sufficiently independent board will effectively monitor management, maintain appropriate governance practices, and perform oversight functions necessary to protect shareholder interests. We also believe the right mix of skills, independence, diversity, and qualifications among directors provides boards with the knowledge and direct experience to manage risks and operating structures that are often complex and industry-specific.
   
Accounting and Audit- Related Issues     We believe audit committees are critical and necessary as part of the board’s risk oversight role. The audit committee is responsible for setting out an internal audit function that provides robust audit and internal control systems designed to effectively manage potential and emerging risks to the company’s operations and strategy. We believe audit committees should have independent directors as members, and we will hold the members of the audit committee responsible for overseeing the management of the audit function.
    We believe the disclosure and availability of reliable financial statements in a timely manner is imperative for the investment process. As a result, board oversight of the internal controls and the independence of the audit process are essential if investors are to rely upon financial statements. It is important for the audit committee to appoint external auditors who are independent from management as we expect auditors to provide assurance of a company’s financial condition.
   
Capital Structure, Reorganization and Mergers     The ability to raise capital is critical for companies to carry out strategy, to grow, and to achieve returns above their cost of capital. The approval of capital raising activities is fundamental to a shareholder’s ability to monitor the amounts of proceeds and to ensure capital is deployed efficiently. Altering the capital structure of a company is a critical decision for boards. When making such a decision, we believe the company should disclose a comprehensive business rationale that is consistent with corporate strategy and not overly dilutive to its shareholders.
    Mergers or reorganization of the structure of a company often involve proposals relating to reincorporation, restructurings, liquidations, and other major changes to the corporation.
    Proposals that are in the best interests of shareholders, demonstrated by enhancing share value or improving the effectiveness of the company’s operations, will be supported. In evaluating mergers and acquisitions, we consider the impact of the corporate governance provisions to shareholders. In all cases, we use our discretion in order to maximize shareholder value.

 

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    Occasionally, companies add anti-takeover provisions that reduce the chances of a potential acquirer to make an offer, or to reduce the likelihood of a successful offer. We do not support proposals that reduce shareholders’ rights, entrench management, or reduce the likelihood of shareholders’ right to vote on reasonable offers.
   
Compensation     We consider it the board’s responsibility to identify the appropriate level of executive compensation. Despite the differences among the types of plans and the awards possible, there is a simple underlying philosophy that guides our analysis of executive compensation: we believe that there should be a direct relationship between executive compensation and company performance over the long term.
    Shareholders should have the opportunity to assess whether pay structures and levels are aligned with business performance. When assessing remuneration reports, we consider factors such as adequate disclosure of various remuneration elements, absolute and relative pay levels, peer selection and benchmarking, the mix of long-term and short-term incentives, alignment of pay structures with shareholder interests, as well as with corporate strategy and performance. We may oppose remuneration reports where pay seems misaligned with shareholders’ interests. We may also consider executive compensation practices when re-electing members of the remuneration committee.
    We recognize that compensation policies and practices are unique from market to market; often there are significant differences between the level of disclosures, the amount and forms of compensation paid, and the ability of shareholders to approve executive compensation practices. As a result, our ability to assess the appropriateness of executive compensation is often dependent on market practices and laws.
   
Environmental and Social Issues     As a fiduciary, State Street Global Advisors takes a comprehensive approach to engaging with our portfolio companies about material environmental and social issues. Our Asset Stewardship program prioritization process allows us to proactively identify companies for engagement and voting in order to mitigate sustainability risks in our portfolio. Through engagement, we aim to build long-term relationships with the issuers in which we invest on behalf of our clients and to address a broad range of topics relating to the promotion of long-term shareholder value creation. When voting, we fundamentally consider whether the adoption of a shareholder proposal addressing a material environmental or social topic would promote long-term shareholder value in the context of the company’s existing practices and disclosures as well as existing market practice.
    For more information on our approach to environmental and social topics, please see our Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Environmental and Social Factors, available at ssga.com/about-us/asset-stewardship.html.

 

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General/Routine     Although we do not seek involvement in the day-to-day operations of an organization, we recognize the need for conscientious oversight and input into management decisions that may affect a company’s value. We support proposals that encourage economically advantageous corporate practices and governance, while leaving decisions that are deemed to be routine or constitute ordinary business to management and the board of directors.
   
Fixed Income Stewardship     The two elements of our fixed income stewardship program are:
    Proxy Voting:
    While matters that arise for a vote at bondholder meetings vary by jurisdiction, examples of common proxy voting resolutions at bondholder meetings include:
   

•  Approving amendments to debt covenants and/or terms of issuance

   

•  Authorizing procedural matters, such as filing of required documents/other formalities

   

•  Approving debt restructuring plans

   

•  Abstaining from challenging the bankruptcy trustees

   

•  Authorizing repurchase of issued debt security

   

•  Approving the placement of unissued debt securities under the control of directors

   

•  Approving spin-off/absorption proposals

    Given the nature of the items that arise for vote at bondholder meetings, we take a case-by-case approach to voting bondholder resolutions. Where necessary, we will engage with issuers on voting matters prior to arriving at voting decisions. All voting decisions will be made in the best interest of our clients.
    Issuer Engagement:
    We recognize that debt holders have limited leverage with companies on a day-to-day basis. Our guidelines for engagement with fixed income issuers broadly follow the engagement guidelines for our equity holdings, as described above.
   
Securities on Loan     As a responsible investor and fiduciary, we recognize the importance of balancing the benefits of voting shares and the incremental lending revenue for the pooled funds that participate in State Street Global Advisors’ securities lending program (the “Funds”). Our objective is to recall securities on loan and restrict future lending until after the record date for the respective vote in instances where we believe that a particular vote could have a material impact on the Funds’ long-term financial performance and the benefit of voting shares will outweigh the forgone lending income.

 

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    Accordingly, we have set systematic recall and lending restriction criteria for shareholder meetings involving situations with the highest potential financial implications (such as proxy contests and strategic transactions including mergers and acquisitions, going dark transactions, change of corporate form, bankruptcy and liquidation).
    Generally, these criteria for recall and restriction for lending only apply to certain large cap indices in developed markets.
    State Street Global Advisors monitors the forgone lending revenue associated with each recall to determine if the impact on the Funds’ long-term financial performance and the benefit of voting shares will outweigh the forgone lending income.
    Although our objective is to systematically recall securities based on the aforementioned criteria, we must receive notice of the vote in sufficient time to recall the shares on or before the record date. In cases in which we do not receive timely notice, we may be unable to recall the shares on or before the record date.
   
Reporting     We provide transparency for our stewardship activities through our regular client reports and relevant information reported online. We publish an annual stewardship report that provides details of our stewardship approach, engagement and voting policies, and activities during the year. The annual report is complemented by quarterly stewardship activity reports as well as the regular publication of thought leadership on governance and sustainability on our website. Our voting record information is available on Vote View, an interactive platform that provides relevant company details, proposal types, resolution descriptions, and records of our votes cast.
   
About State Street Global Advisors     For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $3.48 trillion under our care.
    * Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of December 31, 2021.
    This figure is presented as of December 31, 2022 and includes approximately $58.60 billion USD of assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

 

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ssga.com

Marketing communications

State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

Abu Dhabi: State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM branch is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This document is intended for Professional Clients or Market Counterparties only as defined by the FSRA and no other person should act upon it. State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM Branch, Al Khatem Tower, Suite 42801, Level 28, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, P.O Box 76404, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. T: +971 2 245 9000. Australia: State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited (ABN 42 003 914 225) is the holder of an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL Number 238276). Registered office: Level 14, 420 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. T: +612 9240-7600. F: +612 9240-7611. Belgium: State Street Global Advisors Belgium, Chaussée de La Hulpe 185, 1170 Brussels, Belgium. T: +32 2 663 2036. State Street Global Advisors Belgium is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose

registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Canada: State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., 1981 McGill College Avenue, Suite 500, Montreal, Qc, H3A 3A8, T: +514 282 2400 and 30 Adelaide Street East Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G6. T: +647 775 5900. France: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, France Branch (“State Street Global Advisors France”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors France is registered in France with company number RCS Nanterre 899 183 289, and its office is located at Coeur Défense — Tour A — La Défense 4, 33e étage, 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92 931 Paris La Défense Cedex, France. T: +33 1 44 45 40 00. F: +33 1 44 45 41 92. Germany: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich, Germany (“State Street Global Advisors Germany”). T: +49 (0)89 55878 400. State Street Global Advisors Germany is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s

Quay, Dublin 2. Hong Kong: State Street Global Advisors Asia Limited, 68/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. T: +852 2103-0288. F: +852 2103-0200. Ireland: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered office address 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Registered Number: 49934. T: +353 (0)1 776 3000. F: +353 (0)1 776 3300. Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 — REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155. Japan: State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 25F 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6325 Japan. T: +81-3-4530-7380. Financial Instruments Business Operator, Kanto Local Financial Bureau (Kinsho #345), Membership: Japan Investment Advisers Association, The Investment

Trust Association, Japan, Japan Securities Dealers’ Association. Netherlands: State Street Global Advisors Netherlands, Apollo Building 7th floor, Herikerbergweg 29, 1101 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands. T: +31 20 7181 000. State Street Global Advisors Netherlands is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Singapore: State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited, 168, Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 (Company Reg. No: 200002719D, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore). T: +65 6826-7555. F: +65 6826-7501. Switzerland: State Street Global Advisors AG, Beethovenstr. 19, CH-8027 Zurich. Registered with the Register of Commerce Zurich CHE-105.078.458. T: +41 (0)44 245 70 00. F: +41 (0)44 245 70 16. United Kingdom: State Street Global Advisors Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. T: 020 3395 6000. F: 020 3395 6350. United States: State Street Global Advisors, 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210-1641. T: +1 617 786 3000.

 

 

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The views expressed in this material are the views of SSGA Asset Stewardship Team through the period ended March 23, 2023 and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This document contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no

representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your tax and financial advisor.

The returns on a portfolio of securities which exclude companies that do not meet the portfolio’s specified ESG criteria may trail the returns on a portfolio of securities which include such companies. A portfolio’s ESG criteria may result in the portfolio investing in industry sectors or securities which underperform the market as a whole.

 

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate EU regulator who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The trademarks and service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Third party data providers make no warranties or representations of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and have no liability for damages of any kind relating to the use of such data.

Responsible-Factor (R Factor) scoring is designed by State Street to reflect certain ESG characteristics and does not represent

investment performance. Results generated out of the scoring model is based on sustainability and corporate governance dimensions of a scored entity.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation. This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

© 2023 State Street Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

ID1482717-3479888.7.1.GBL.RTL 0323

Exp. Date: 03/31/2024

 

 

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March 2023

Australia and New Zealand

Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines

State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelinesi for Australia and New Zealand outline our approach to voting and engaging with companies listed on stock exchanges in Australia and New Zealand. These Guidelines complement and should be read in conjunction with State Street Global Advisors’ Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles, which outline our overall approach to voting and engaging with companies, and State Street Global Advisors’ Conflicts Mitigation Guidelines, which provide information about managing the conflicts of interests that may arise through State Street Global Advisors’ proxy voting and engagement activities.

 

 

 

  i

These Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) are also applicable to SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, and other advisory affiliates of State Street Corporation. Additionally, State Street Global Advisors maintains Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for select markets, including: Australia, continental Europe, Japan, New Zealand, North America (Canada and the US), the UK and Ireland, and emerging markets. International markets not covered by our market-specific guidelines are reviewed and voted in a manner that is consistent with the Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles; however, State Street Global Advisors also endeavors to show sensitivity to local market practices when voting in these various markets.

 

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    State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Australia and New Zealand address our market-specific approaches to topics including directors and boards, accounting and audit-related issues, capital structure, reorganization and mergers, remuneration, and other governance-related issues.
    When voting and engaging with companies in global markets, we consider market-specific nuances in the manner that we believe will most likely protect and promote the long-term economic value of client investments. We expect companies to observe the relevant laws and regulations of their respective markets as well as country-specific best practice guidelines and corporate governance codes. We may hold companies in some markets to our global standards when we feel that a country’s regulatory requirements do not address some of the key philosophical principles that we believe are fundamental to our global voting principles.
    In our analysis and research into corporate governance issues in Australia and New Zealand, we expect all companies at a minimum to comply with the ASX Corporate Governance Principles or the NZX Corporate Governance Code, based on their locations. Consistent with the ‘comply or explain’ expectations established by the Principles and the Code, we encourage companies to proactively disclose their level of compliance with the Principles or the Code. In instances of non-compliance, and when companies cannot explain the nuances of their governance structure effectively, either publicly or through engagement, we may vote against the independent board leader.
   
State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Philosophy     In our view, corporate governance and sustainability issues are an integral part of the investment process. The Asset Stewardship Team consists of investment professionals with expertise in corporate governance, remuneration, accounting, and environmental and social issues. We have established robust corporate governance principles and practices that are backed with extensive analytical expertise in order to understand the complexities of the corporate governance landscape. We engage with companies to provide insight on the principles and practices that drive our voting decisions. We also conduct proactive engagement to address significant shareholder concerns and issues in a manner consistent with maximizing shareholder value.
    The team works alongside members of State Street Global Advisors’ Active Fundamental and Asia-Pacific (“APAC”) investment teams, collaborating on issuer engagements and providing input on company-specific fundamentals.

 

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Directors and Boards     Principally, a board acts on behalf of shareholders by protecting their interests and preserving their rights. In order to carry out their primary responsibilities, directors have to undertake activities that range from setting strategy and providing guidance on strategic matters, overseeing executive management, to selecting the CEO and other senior executives, creating a succession plan for the board and management, and providing effective risk oversight, including of risks related to sustainability issues. Further, we believe good corporate governance necessitates the existence of effective internal controls and risk management systems, which should be governed by the board.
    State Street Global Advisors believes that a well-constituted board of directors with a good balance of skills, expertise, and independence provides the foundations for a well-governed company. We view board quality as a measure of director independence, director succession planning, board diversity, evaluations and refreshment, and company governance practices. We vote for the (re-)election of directors on a case-by-case basis after considering various factors including board quality, general market practice, and availability of information on director skills and expertise.
    In our analysis of boards, we consider whether board members have adequate skills to provide effective oversight of corporate strategy, operations, and risks, including environmental and social issues. Boards should also have a regular evaluation process in place to assess the effectiveness of the board and the skills of board members to address issues, such as emerging risks, changes to corporate strategy, and diversification of operations and geographic footprint.
    We may also consider board performance and directors who appear to be remiss in the performance of their oversight responsibilities when analyzing their suitability for reappointment (e.g. fraud, criminal wrongdoing and breach of fiduciary responsibilities).
   
Board Independence     In principle, we believe independent directors are crucial to robust corporate governance and help management establish sound corporate governance policies and practices. We believe a sufficiently independent board will most effectively monitor management and perform oversight functions necessary to protect shareholder interests.
    We expect boards of ASX 300 and New Zealand listed companies to be comprised of at least a majority of independent directors. At all other Australian listed companies, we expect boards to be comprised of at least one-third independent directors.

 

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    Our broad criteria for director independence in Australia and New Zealand include factors such as:
   

•  Participation in related-party transactions and other business relations with the company

   

•  Employment history with company

   

•  Relations with controlling shareholders

   

•  Family ties with any of the company’s advisers, directors, or senior employees

   
Separation Chair/CEO     While we are generally supportive of having the roles of chairman and CEO separated in the Australian and New Zealand markets, we assess the division of responsibilities between chairman and CEO on a case-by-case basis, giving consideration to factors such as company-specific circumstances, overall level of independence on the board and general corporate governance standards in the company. Similarly, we will monitor for circumstances in which a combined chairman/CEO is appointed or where a former CEO becomes chairman.
   
Director Time Commitments     When voting on the election or re-election of a director, we also consider the number of outside board directorships that a non-executive and an executive may undertake. Thus, State Street Global Advisors may take voting action against a director who exceeds the number of board mandates listed below:
   

•  Named Executive Officers (NEOs) of a public company who sit on more than two public company boards

   

•  Non-executive board chairs or lead independent directors who sit on more than three public company boards

   

•  Director nominees who sit on more than four public company boards

    For non-executive board chairs/lead independent directors and director nominees who hold excessive commitments, as defined above, we may consider waiving our policy and vote in support of a director if a company discloses its director commitment policy in a publicly available manner (e.g., corporate governance guidelines, proxy statement, company website). This policy or associated disclosure must include:
   

•  A numerical limit on public company board seats a director can serve on

   

— This limit cannot exceed our policy by more than one seat

   

•  Consideration of public company board leadership positions (e.g., Committee Chair)

 

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•  Affirmation that all directors are currently compliant with the company policy

   

•  Description of an annual policy review process undertaken by the Nominating Committee to evaluate outside director time commitments

    If a director is imminently leaving a board and this departure is disclosed in a written, time-bound and publicly-available manner, we may consider waiving our withhold vote when evaluating the director for excessive time commitments.
    Service on a mutual fund board, the board of a UK investment trust or a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) board is not considered when evaluating directors for excessive commitments. However, we do expect these roles to be considered by nominating committees when evaluating director time commitments.
   
Director Attendance at Board Meetings     We also consider attendance at board meetings and may withhold votes from directors who attend less than 75 percent of board meetings without appropriate explanation or providing reason for their failure to meet the attendance threshold. In addition, we monitor other factors that may influence the independence of a non-executive director, such as performance-related pay, cross-directorships, significant shareholdings, and tenure. We support the annual election of directors and encourage Australian and New Zealand companies to adopt this practice.
   
Board Committees     We believe companies should have committees for audit, remuneration, and nomination oversight. The audit committee is responsible for monitoring the integrity of the financial statements of the company, appointing external auditors, monitoring their qualifications and independence, and their effectiveness and resource levels. ASX Corporate Governance Principles requires listed companies to have an audit committee of at least three members all of whom are non-executive directors and a majority of whom are independent directors. It also requires that the committee be chaired by an independent director who is not the chair of the board. We hold Australian and New Zealand companies to our global standards for developed financial markets by requiring that all members of the audit committee be independent directors.
    The nomination committee is responsible for evaluating and reviewing the balance of skills, knowledge, and experience of the board. It also ensures that adequate succession plans are in place for directors and the CEO. We may vote against the re-election of members of the nomination committee if the board has failed to address concerns over board structure or succession.

 

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Board Gender Diversity     We expect boards of all listed companies to have at least one female board member and the boards of ASX 300 companies to be composed of at least 30 percent women directors. If a company does not meet the applicable expectation, State Street Global Advisors may vote against the Chair of the board’s nominating committee or the board leader in the absence of a nominating committee. Additionally, if a company does not meet the applicable expectation for three consecutive years, State Street Global Advisors may vote against all incumbent members of the nominating committee or those persons deemed responsible for the nomination process.
    We may waive this voting guideline if a company engages with State Street Global Advisors and provides a specific, timebound plan for either reaching the 30-percent threshold (ASX 300) or for adding a woman director (non-ASX 300).
   
Board Responsiveness to High Dissent Against Pay Proposals     Executive pay is another important aspect of corporate governance. We believe that executive pay should be determined by the board of directors. We expect companies to have in place remuneration committees to provide independent oversight over executive pay. ASX Corporate Governance Principles require listed companies to have a remuneration committee of at least three members all of whom are non-executive directors and a majority of whom are independent directors. Similarly, the NZX Corporate Governance Code recommends that at least a majority of remuneration committee members be independent.
    Since Australia has a non-binding vote on pay with a two-strike rule requiring a board spill vote in the event of a second strike, we believe that the vote provides investors a mechanism to address concerns they may have on the quality of oversight provided by the board on remuneration issues. Accordingly, our voting guidelines accommodate local market practice.
    We believe poorly structured executive compensation plans pose increasing reputational risk to companies. Ongoing high level of dissent against a company’s compensation proposals may indicate that the company is not receptive to investor concerns. If the level of dissent against a company’s remuneration report and/or remuneration policy is consistently high, and we have determined that a vote against a pay-related proposal is warranted in the third consecutive year, we may vote against the Chair of the remuneration committee.
   
Climate-related Disclosure     State Street Global Advisors finds that the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate- related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) provide the most effective framework for disclosure of climate-related risks and opportunities.

 

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    As such, we may take voting action against companies in the ASX 200 that fail to provide sufficient disclosure regarding climate-related risks and opportunities related to that company, or board oversight of climate related risks and opportunities, in accordance with the TCFD framework.
   
Indemnification and Limitations on Liability     Generally, State Street Global Advisors supports proposals to limit directors’ liability and/or expand indemnification and liability protection up to the limit provided by law, if he or she has not acted in bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
 

Shareholder Rights

 

   
   
Virtual/Hybrid Shareholder Meetings     As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are increasingly conducting their shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format. While we are encouraged by the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings, companies and shareholders must remain vigilant in continuing to improve their virtual shareholder meeting practices.
    Recognizing the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings and a shifting regulatory environment, we will generally support proposals that grant boards the right to hold shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format as long as companies uphold the following best practices:
   

•  Afford virtual attendee shareholders the same rights as would normally be granted to in-person attendee shareholders

   

•  Commit to time-bound renewal (five years or less) of meeting format authorization by shareholders

   

•  Provide a written record of all questions posed during the meeting, and

   

•  Comply with local market laws and regulations relating to virtual and hybrid shareholder meeting practices

    If a company breaches of any of the criteria above, we may vote against the Chair of the nominating committee.
   
Accounting and Audit-Related Issues     Companies should have robust internal audit and internal control systems designed for effective management of any potential and emerging risks to company operations and strategy. The responsibility of setting out an internal audit function lies with the audit committee, which should have independent non-executive directors designated as members.

 

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Appointment of External Auditors     State Street Global Advisors believes that a company’s auditor is an essential feature of an effective and transparent system of external supervision. Shareholders should be given the opportunity to vote on their appointment or to re-appoint at the annual meeting. When appointing external auditors and approving audit fees, we will take into consideration the level of detail in company disclosures. We will generally not support resolutions if adequate breakdown is not provided and if non-audit fees are more than 50 percent of audit fees. In addition, we may vote against members of the audit committee if we have concerns with audit-related issues or if the level of non-audit fees to audit fees is significant. In certain circumstances, we may consider auditor tenure when evaluating the audit process.
   
Approval of Financial Statements     We believe the disclosure and availability of reliable financial statements in a timely manner is imperative for the investment process. We expect external auditors to provide assurance of a company’s financial condition. Hence, we may vote against the approval of financial statements if i) they have not been disclosed or audited; ii) the auditor opinion is qualified/adverse, or the auditor has issued a disclaimer of opinion; or iii) the auditor opinion is not disclosed.
 

Capital Structure, Reorganization, and Mergers

 

   
   
Share Issuances     The ability to raise capital is critical for companies to carry out strategy, to grow, and to achieve returns above their cost of capital. The approval of capital raising activities is fundamental to shareholders’ ability to monitor the returns and to ensure capital is deployed efficiently. State Street Global Advisors supports capital increases that have sound business reasons and are not excessive relative to a company’s existing capital base.
    Pre-emption rights are a fundamental right for shareholders to protect their investment in a company. Where companies seek to issue new shares without pre-emption rights, we may vote against if such authorities are greater than 20 percent of the issued share capital. We may also vote against resolutions seeking authority to issue capital with pre-emption rights if the aggregate amount allowed seems excessive and is not justified by the board. Generally, we are against capital issuance proposals greater than 100 percent of the issued share capital when the proceeds are not intended for specific purpose.
   
Share Repurchase Programs     We generally support proposals to repurchase shares, unless the issuer does not clearly state the business purpose for the program, a definitive number of shares to be repurchased, and the timeframe for the repurchase. We may vote against share repurchase requests that allow share repurchases during a takeover period.

 

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Dividends     We generally support dividend payouts that constitute 30 percent or more of net income. We may vote against a dividend payout if the dividend payout ratio has been consistently below 30 percent without adequate explanation. We may also vote against if the payout is excessive given the company’s financial position. Particular attention will be warranted when the payment may damage the company’s long-term financial health.
   
Mergers and Acquisitions     Mergers or reorganization of the company structure often involve proposals relating to reincorporation, restructurings, liquidations, and other major changes to the corporation. Proposals that are in the best interests of shareholders, demonstrated by enhancing share value or improving the effectiveness of the company’s operations, will be supported. In general, provisions that are not viewed as financially sound or are thought to be destructive to shareholders’ rights are not supported. We will generally support transactions that maximize shareholder value. Some of the considerations include:
   

•  Offer premium

   

•  Strategic rationale

   

•  Board oversight of the process for the recommended transaction, including, director and/or management conflicts of interest

   

•  Offers made at a premium and where there are no other higher bidders

   

•  Offers in which the secondary market price is substantially lower than the net asset value

    We may vote against a transaction considering the following:
   

•  Offers with potentially damaging consequences for minority shareholders because of illiquid stock

   

•  Offers where we believe there is a reasonable prospect for an enhanced bid or other bidders

   

•  The current market price of the security exceeds the bid price at the time of voting

   
Anti-Takeover Measures     We oppose anti-takeover defenses, such as authorities for the board to issue warrants convertible into shares to existing shareholders during a hostile takeover.

 

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Remuneration

 

   
   
Executive Pay     There is a simple underlying philosophy that guides State Street Global Advisors’ analysis of executive pay; there should be a direct relationship between remuneration and company performance over the long term. Shareholders should have the opportunity to assess whether pay structures and levels are aligned with business performance. When assessing remuneration reports, we consider various factors, such as adequate disclosure of different remuneration elements, absolute and relative pay levels, peer selection and benchmarking, the mix of long-term and short-term incentives, alignment of pay structures with shareholder interests as well as with corporate strategy and performance. We may oppose remuneration reports in which there seems to be a misalignment between pay and shareholders’ interests and where incentive policies and schemes have a re-test option or feature. We may also vote against the re-election of members of the remuneration committee if we have serious concerns about remuneration practices and if the company has not been responsive to shareholder pressure to review its approach.
   
Equity Incentive Plans     We may not support proposals on equity-based incentive plans where insufficient information is provided on matters, such as grant limits, performance metrics, performance, and vesting periods and overall dilution. Generally, we do not support options under such plans being issued at a discount to market price nor plans that allow for re-testing of performance metrics.
   
Non-Executive Director Pay     Authorities that seek shareholder approval for non-executive directors’ fees generally are not controversial. We generally support resolutions regarding directors’ fees unless disclosure is poor and we are unable to determine whether the fees are excessive relative to fees paid by other comparable companies. We will evaluate any non-cash or performance-related pay to non-executive directors on a company-by-company basis.
   
Risk Management and Oversight     State Street Global Advisors believes that risk management is a key function of the board, which is responsible for setting the overall risk appetite of a company and for providing oversight on the risk management process established by senior executives at a company. We allow boards to have discretion over the ways in which they provide oversight in this area. However, we expect companies to disclose how the board provides oversight on its risk management system and risk identification. Boards should also review existing and emerging risks that evolve in tandem with the political and economic landscape or as companies diversify or expand their operations into new areas.

 

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    As responsible stewards, we believe in the importance of effective risk management and oversight of issues that are material to a company. To effectively assess the risk of our clients’ portfolios and the broader market, we expect our portfolio companies to manage risks and opportunities that are material and industry-specific and that have a demonstrated link to long-term value creation, and to provide high-quality disclosure of this process to shareholders.
    Consistent with this perspective, we may seek to engage with our portfolio companies to better understand how their boards are overseeing risks and opportunities the company has deemed to be material to its business or operations. If we believe a company has failed to implement and communicate effective oversight of these risks, we may consider voting against the directors responsible.
   
Environmental and Social Issues     As a fiduciary, State Street Global Advisors takes a comprehensive approach to engaging with our portfolio companies about material environmental and social factors. Our Asset Stewardship program prioritization process allows us to proactively identify companies for engagement and voting in order to mitigate sustainability risks in our portfolio. Through engagement, we aim to build long-term relationships with the issuers in which we invest on behalf of our clients and to address a broad range of topics relating to the promotion of long-term shareholder value creation. When voting, we fundamentally consider whether the adoption of a shareholder proposal addressing an environmental or social topic material to the company would promote long-term shareholder value in the context of the company’s existing practices and disclosures as well as existing market practice.
    For more information on our approach to environmental and social issues, please see our Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Environmental and Social Factors, available at ssga.com/about-us/asset-stewardship.html.
   
About State Street Global Advisors     For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $3.48 trillion under our care. .
 
   

*  Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of December 31, 2021.

   

  This figure is presented as of December 31, 2022 and includes approximately $58.60 billion USD of assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

 

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ssga.com

Marketing communication

State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

Abu Dhabi: State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM branch is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This document is intended for Professional Clients or Market Counterparties only as defined by the FSRA and no other person should act upon it. State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM Branch, Al Khatem Tower, Suite 42801, Level 28, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, P.O Box 76404, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. T: +971 2 245 9000. Australia: State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited (ABN 42 003 914 225) is the holder of an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL Number 238276). Registered office: Level 14, 420 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. T: +612 9240-7600. F: +612 9240-7611. Belgium: State Street Global Advisors Belgium, Chaussée de La Hulpe 185, 1170 Brussels, Belgium. T: +32 2 663 2036. State Street Global Advisors Belgium is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose

registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Canada: State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., 1981 McGill College Avenue, Suite 500, Montreal, Qc, H3A 3A8, T: +514 282 2400 and 30 Adelaide Street East Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G6. T: +647 775 5900. France: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, France Branch (“State Street Global Advisors France”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors France is registered in France with company number RCS Nanterre 899 183 289, and its office is located at Coeur Défense —Tour A —La Défense 4, 33e étage, 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92 931 Paris La Défense Cedex, France. T: +33 1 44 45 40 00. F: +33 1 44 45 41 92. Germany: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich, Germany (“State Street Global Advisors Germany”). T: +49 (0)89 55878 400. State Street Global Advisors Germany is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir

John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Hong Kong: State Street Global Advisors Asia Limited, 68/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. T: +852 2103-0288. F: +852 2103-0200. Ireland: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered office address 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Registered Number: 49934. T: +353 (0)1 776 3000. F: +353 (0)1 776 3300. Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 —REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155. Japan: State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 25F 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6325 Japan. T: +81-3-4530-7380. Financial Instruments Business Operator, Kanto Local Financial Bureau (Kinsho #345), Membership: Japan Investment Advisers Association, The Investment

Trust Association, Japan, Japan Securities Dealers’ Association. Netherlands: State Street Global Advisors Netherlands, Apollo Building 7th floor, Herikerbergweg 29, 1101 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands. T: +31 20 7181 000. State Street Global Advisors Netherlands is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Singapore: State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited, 168, Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 (Company Reg. No: 200002719D, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore). T: +65 6826-7555. F: +65 6826-7501. Switzerland: State Street Global Advisors AG, Beethovenstr. 19, CH-8027 Zurich. Registered with the Register of Commerce Zurich CHE-105.078.458. T: +41 (0)44 245 70 00. F: +41 (0)44 245 70 16. United Kingdom: State Street Global Advisors Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. T: 020 3395 6000. F: 020 3395 6350. United States: State Street Global Advisors, 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210-1641. T: +1 617 786 3000.

 

 

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The views expressed in this material are the views of SSGA Asset Stewardship Team through the period ended March 23, 2023 and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This document contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no representation or warranty as

to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your tax and financial advisor.

The returns on a portfolio of securities which exclude companies that do not meet the portfolio’s specified ESG criteria may trail the returns on a portfolio of securities which include such companies. A portfolio’s ESG criteria may result in the portfolio investing in industry sectors or securities which underperform the market as a whole.

 

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate EU regulator who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The trademarks and service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Third party data providers make no warranties or representations of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and have no liability for damages of any kind relating to the use of such data.

Responsible-Factor (R Factor) scoring is designed by State Street to reflect certain ESG characteristics and does not represent investment performance.

Results generated out of the scoring model is based on sustainability and corporate governance dimensions of a scored entity.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation. This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

© 2023 State Street Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

ID1482395-3479907.3.1.GBL.RTL 0323 Exp. Date: 03/31/2024

 

 

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March 2023

Continental Europe

Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines

State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelinesi for Continental Europe outline our approach to voting and engaging with companies listed on stock exchanges in European markets, excluding the United Kingdom and Ireland. These Guidelines complement and should be read in conjunction with State Street Global Advisors’ Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles, which outline our overall approach to voting and engaging with companies, and State Street Global Advisors’ Conflicts Mitigation Guidelines, which provide information about managing the conflicts of interests that may arise through State Street Global Advisors’ proxy voting and engagement activities.

 

 

 

  i

These Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) are also applicable to SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, and other advisory affiliates of State Street Corporation. Additionally, State Street Global Advisors maintains Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for select markets, including: Australia, continental Europe, Japan, New Zealand, North America (Canada and the US), the UK and Ireland, and emerging markets. International markets not covered by our market-specific guidelines are reviewed and voted in a manner that is consistent with the Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles; however, State Street Global Advisors also endeavors to show sensitivity to local market practices when voting in these various markets.

 

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State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Continental Europe address our market-specific approaches to topics including directors and boards, accounting and audit-related issues, capital structure, reorganization and mergers, remuneration, and other governance-related issues.

 

When voting and engaging with companies in European markets, we consider market-specific nuances in the manner that we believe will most likely protect and promote the long-term economic value of client investments. We expect companies to observe the relevant laws and regulations of their respective markets, as well as country-specific best practice guidelines and corporate governance codes. We may hold companies in some markets to our global standards when we feel that a country’s regulatory requirements do not address some of the key philosophical principles that we believe are fundamental to our global voting principles.

 

In our analysis and research into corporate governance issues at European companies, we expect all companies at a minimum to comply with guidance issued by the European Commission and country-specific governance codes. Consistent with the “comply-or-explain” expectations commonly established by guidance and codes, we encourage companies to proactively disclose their level of compliance with applicable provisions and requirements. In cases of non-compliance, and when companies cannot explain the nuances of their governance structures effectively, either publicly or through engagement, we may vote against the independent board leader.

 

   
State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Philosophy    

In our view, corporate governance and sustainability issues are an integral part of the investment process. The Asset Stewardship Team consists of investment professionals with expertise in corporate governance, remuneration, accounting, and environmental and social issues. We have established robust corporate governance principles and practices that are backed with extensive analytical expertise in order to understand the complexities of the corporate governance landscape. We engage with companies to provide insight on the principles and practices that drive our voting decisions. We also conduct proactive engagements to address significant shareholder concerns and issues in a manner consistent with maximizing shareholder value.

 

The team works alongside members of State Street Global Advisors’ Active Fundamental and Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”) investment teams, collaborating on issuer engagements and providing input on company-specific fundamentals.

 

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Directors and Boards     Principally, a board acts on behalf of shareholders by protecting their interests and preserving their rights. In order to carry out their primary responsibilities, directors have to undertake activities that range from setting strategy and providing guidance on strategic matters, overseeing executive management, to selecting the CEO and other senior executives, creating a succession plan for the board and management, and providing effective risk oversight, including of risks related to sustainability issues. Further, we believe good corporate governance necessitates the existence of effective internal controls and risk management systems, which should be governed by the board.
 
   

We believe that a well-constituted board of directors with a balance of skills, expertise and independence, provides the foundations for a well-governed company. We view board quality as a measure of director independence, director succession planning, board diversity, evaluations and refreshment, and company governance practices. We vote for the (re-)election of directors on a case-by-case basis after considering various factors, including board quality, general market practice, and availability of information on director skills and expertise.

 

In our analysis of boards, we consider whether board members have adequate skills to provide effective oversight of corporate strategy, operations, and risks, including environmental and social issues. Boards should also have a regular evaluation process in place to assess the effectiveness of the board and the skills of board members to address issues such as emerging risks, changes to corporate strategy, and diversification of operations and geographic footprint.

 

We may also consider factors such as board performance and directors who appear to be remiss in the performance of their oversight responsibilities (e.g. fraud, criminal wrongdoing and/or breach of fiduciary responsibilities).

   
Board Independence    

In principle, we believe independent directors are crucial to robust corporate governance and help management establish sound corporate governance policies and practices. We believe a sufficiently independent board will most effectively monitor management and perform oversight functions necessary to protect shareholder interests.

 

Our broad criteria for director independence in European companies include factors such as:

 

•  Participation in related-party transactions and other business relations with the company

 

•  Employment history with the company

 

•  Relations with controlling shareholders

 

•  Family ties with any of the company’s advisers, directors or senior employees

 

•  Serving as an employee or government representative

 

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•  Overall average board tenure and individual director tenure at issuers with classified and de-classified boards, respectively, and

 

•  Company classification of a director as non-independent

 

While overall board independence requirements and board structures differ from market to market, we consider voting against directors we deem non-independent if overall board independence is below 33 percent or if overall independence level is below 50 percent after excluding employee representatives and/or directors elected in accordance with local laws who are not elected by shareholders. We may withhold support for a proposal to discharge the board if a company does not meet adequate governance standards or board level independence.

   
Separation Chair/CEO     We also assess the division of responsibilities between chair and CEO on a case-by-case basis, giving consideration to factors such as overall level of independence on the board and general corporate governance standards in the company. However, we may take voting action against the chair or members of the nominating committee at the STOXX Europe 600 companies that have combined the roles of chair and CEO and have not appointed an independent deputy chair or a lead independent director.
   
Director Time Commitments    

When voting on the election or re-election of a director, we also consider the number of outside board directorships a non-executive and an executive may undertake. Thus, State Street Global Advisors may take voting action against a director who exceeds the number of board mandates listed below:

 

•  Named Executive Officers (NEOs) of a public company who sit on more than two public company boards

 

•  Non-executive board chairs or lead independent directors who sit on more than three public company boards

 

•  Director nominees who sit on more than four public company boards

 

For non-executive board chairs/lead independent directors and director nominees who hold excessive commitments, as defined above, we may consider waiving our policy and vote in support of a director if a company discloses its director commitment policy in a publicly available manner (e.g., corporate governance guidelines, proxy statement, company website). This policy or associated disclosure must include:

 

•  A numerical limit on public company board seats a director can serve on

 

– This limit cannot exceed our policy by more than one seat

 

•  Consideration of public company board leadership positions (e.g., Committee Chair)

 

•  Affirmation that all directors are currently compliant with the company policy

 

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•  Description of an annual policy review process undertaken by the Nominating Committee to evaluate outside director time commitments

 

If a director is imminently leaving a board and this departure is disclosed in a written, time-bound and publicly-available manner, we may consider waiving our withhold vote when evaluating the director for excessive time commitments.

 

Service on a mutual fund board, the board of a UK investment trust or a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) board is not considered when evaluating directors for excessive commitments. However, we do expect these roles to be considered by nominating committees when evaluating director time commitments.

   
Director Attendance at Board Meetings     We also consider attendance at board meetings and may withhold votes from directors who attend less than 75 percent of board meetings without appropriate explanation or providing reason for their failure to meet the attendance threshold. In addition, we monitor other factors that may influence the independence of a non-executive director, such as performance-related pay, cross-directorships and significant shareholdings. Moreover, we may vote against the election of a director whose biographical disclosures are insufficient to assess his or her role on the board and/or independence.
   
Board Gender Diversity    

We expect boards of all listed companies to have at least one female board member and the boards of STOXX 600 companies to be composed of at least 30 percent women directors. If a company does not meet the applicable expectation, State Street Global Advisors may vote against the Chair of the board’s nominating committee or the board leader in the absence of a nominating committee. Additionally, if a company does not meet the applicable expectation for three consecutive years, State Street Global Advisors may vote against all incumbent members of the nominating committee or those persons deemed responsible for the nomination process.

 

We may waive this voting guideline if a company engages with State Street Global Advisors and provides a specific, timebound plan for either reaching the 30-percent threshold (STOXX 600) or for adding a woman director (non-STOXX 600).

   
Length of Board Terms     Although we generally are in favour of the annual election of directors, we recognise that director terms vary considerably in different European markets. We may vote against article/bylaw changes that seek to extend director terms. In addition, we may vote against directors in certain markets if their terms extend beyond four years.

 

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Board Committees    

We believe companies should have relevant board level committees for audit, remuneration and nomination oversight. The audit committee is responsible for monitoring the integrity of the financial statements of the company, appointing external auditors, monitoring their qualifications and independence, and assessing effectiveness and resource levels. Similarly, executive pay is an important aspect of corporate governance, and it should be determined by the board of directors. We expect companies to have remuneration committees to provide independent oversight of executive pay. We may vote against nominees who are executive members of audit or remuneration committees.

 

In certain European markets, it is not uncommon for the election of directors to be presented in a single slate. In these cases, where executives serve on the audit or the remuneration committees, we may vote against the entire slate.

   
Board Responsiveness to High Dissent Against Pay Proposals     Poorly-structured executive remuneration plans pose increasing reputational risk to companies. Ongoing high levels of dissent against a company’s remuneration proposals may indicate that the company is not receptive to investor concerns. If the level of dissent against a company’s remuneration report and/or remuneration policy is consistently high, and we have determined that a vote against a remuneration-related proposal is warranted in the third consecutive year, we may vote against the Chair of the remuneration committee.
   
Climate-related Disclosure    

State Street Global Advisors finds that the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) provide the most effective framework for disclosure of climate-related risks and opportunities.

 

As such, we may take voting action against companies in the STOXX 600 that fail to provide sufficient disclosure regarding climate-related risks and opportunities related to that company, or board oversight of climate-related risks and opportunities, in accordance with the TCFD framework.

   
Indemnification and Limitations on Liability     Generally, we support proposals to limit directors’ liability and/or expand indemnification and liability protection up to the limit provided by law if a director has not acted in bad faith, with gross negligence, or with reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
 
Shareholder Rights    
   
Virtual/Hybrid Shareholder Meetings     As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are increasingly conducting their shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format. While we are encouraged by the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings, companies and shareholders must remain vigilant in continuing to improve their virtual shareholder meeting practices.

 

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Recognizing the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings and a shifting regulatory environment, we will generally support proposals that grant boards the right to hold shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format as long as companies uphold the following best practices:

 

•  Afford virtual attendee shareholders the same rights as would normally be granted to in-person attendee shareholders

 

•  Commit to time-bound renewal (five years or less) of meeting format authorization by shareholders

 

•  Provide a written record of all questions posed during the meeting, and

 

•  Comply with local market laws and regulations relating to virtual and hybrid shareholder meeting practices

 

If a company breaches of any of the criteria above, we may vote against the Chair of the nominating committee.

   
Accounting and Audit-Related Issues     Companies should have robust internal audit and internal control systems designed for effective management of any potential and emerging risks to company operations and strategy. The responsibility of setting up an internal audit function lies with the audit committee, which should have as members independent non-executive directors.
   
Appointment of External Auditors     We believe that a company’s auditor is an essential feature of an effective and transparent system of external supervision. Shareholders should be given the opportunity to vote on their appointment or re-appoint them at the annual meeting. When appointing external auditors and approving audit fees, we consider the level of detail in company disclosures; we will generally not support such resolutions if adequate breakdown is not provided and if non-audit fees are more than 50 percent of audit fees. In addition, we may vote against members of the audit committee if we have concerns with audit-related issues or if the level of non-audit fees to audit fees is significant. We may consider auditor tenure when evaluating the audit process in certain circumstances.
   
Limit Legal Liability of External Auditors     We generally oppose limiting the legal liability of audit firms as we believe this could create a negative impact on the quality of the audit function.
   
Approval of Financial Statements     We believe the disclosure and availability of reliable financial statements in a timely manner is imperative for the investment process. We expect external auditors to provide assurance of a company’s financial condition. Hence, we may vote against the approval of financial statements if i) they have not been disclosed or audited; ii) the auditor opinion is qualified/adverse, or the auditor has issued a disclaimer of opinion; or iii) the auditor opinion is not disclosed.

 

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Capital Structure, Reorganization, and Mergers In some European markets, differential voting rights continue to exist. State Street Global Advisors supports the one-share, one-vote policy and favors a share structure where all shares have equal voting rights. We believe pre-emption rights should be introduced for shareholders in order to provide adequate protection from excessive dilution from the issuance of new shares or convertible securities to third parties or a small number of select shareholders.

   
Unequal Voting Rights     We generally oppose proposals authorizing the creation of new classes of common stock with superior voting rights. We will generally oppose the creation of new classes of preferred stock with unspecified voting, conversion, dividend distribution and other rights. In addition, we will not support capitalization changes that add classes of stock with undefined voting rights or classes that may dilute the voting interests of existing shareholders. We support proposals to abolish voting caps and capitalization changes that eliminate other classes of stock and/or unequal voting rights.
   
Increase in Authorized Capital     The ability to raise capital is critical for companies to carry out strategy, to grow, and to achieve returns above their cost of capital. The approval of capital raising activities is fundamental to shareholders’ ability to monitor returns and to ensure capital is deployed efficiently. We support capital increases that have sound business reasons and are not excessive relative to a company’s existing capital base.
    Pre-emption rights are a fundamental right for shareholders to protect their investment in a company. Where companies seek to issue new shares whilst disapplying pre-emption rights, we may vote against if such authorities are greater than 20 percent of the issued share capital. We may also vote against resolutions that seek authority to issue capital with pre-emption rights if the aggregate amount allowed seems excessive and is not justified by the board. Generally, we oppose capital issuance proposals greater than 100 percent of the issued share capital when the proceeds are not intended for a specific purpose.
   
Share Repurchase Programs     We typically support proposals to repurchase shares; however, there are exceptions in some cases. We do not support repurchases if the issuer does not clearly state the business purpose for the program, a definitive number of shares to be repurchased, the range of premium/discount to market price at which the company can repurchase shares, and the timeframe for the repurchase. We may vote against share repurchase requests that allow share repurchases during a takeover period.

 

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Dividends     We generally support dividend payouts that constitute 30 percent or more of net income. We may vote against the dividend payouts if the dividend payout ratio has been consistently below 30 percent without adequate explanation or the payout is excessive given the company’s financial position. Particular attention will be paid to cases in which the payment may damage the company’s long-term financial health.
   
Related-Party Transactions     Some companies in European markets have a controlled ownership structure and complex cross-shareholdings between subsidiaries and parent companies (“related companies”). Such structures may result in the prevalence of related-party transactions between the company and its various stakeholders, such as directors and management, subsidiaries and shareholders. In markets where shareholders are required to approve such transactions, we expect companies to provide details of the transaction, such as the nature, the value and the purpose of such a transaction. We also encourage independent directors to ratify such transactions. Further, we encourage companies to describe the level of independent board oversight and the approval process, including details of any independent valuations provided by financial advisors on related-party transactions.
   
Mergers and Acquisitions     Mergers or restructurings often involve proposals relating to reincorporation, restructurings, mergers, liquidation and other major changes to the corporation. Proposals will be supported if they are in the best interest of the shareholders, which is demonstrated by enhancing share value or improving the effectiveness of the company’s operations. In general, provisions that are not viewed as financially sound or are thought to be destructive to shareholders’ rights are not supported.
   

We will generally support transactions that maximize shareholder value. Some of the considerations include:

 

•  Offer premium

 

•  Strategic rationale

 

•  Board oversight of the process for the recommended transaction, including director and/or management conflicts of interest

 

•  Offers made at a premium and where there are no other higher bidders

 

•  Offers in which the secondary market price is substantially lower than the net asset value

 

We may vote against a transaction considering the following:

 

•  Offers with potentially damaging consequences for minority shareholders because of illiquid stock

 

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•  Offers where we believe there is a reasonable prospect for an enhanced bid or other bidders

 

•  The current market price of the security exceeds the bid price at the time of voting.

   
Anti-Takeover Measures     European markets have diverse regulations concerning the use of share issuances as takeover defenses, with legal restrictions lacking in some markets. We support the one-share, one-vote policy. For example, dual-class capital structures entrench certain shareholders and management, insulating them from possible takeovers. We oppose unlimited share issuance authorizations because they can be used as anti-takeover devices. They have the potential for substantial voting and earnings dilution. We also monitor the duration of time for authorities to issue shares, as well as whether there are restrictions and caps on multiple issuance authorities during the specified time periods. We oppose antitakeover defenses, such as authorities for the board when subject to a hostile takeover to issue warrants convertible into shares to existing shareholders.
 
Remuneration    
   
Executive Pay    

Despite the differences among the various types of plans and awards, there is a simple underlying philosophy that guides our analysis of executive pay: there should be a direct relationship between remuneration and company performance over the long term.

 

Shareholders should have the opportunity to assess whether pay structures and levels are aligned with business performance. When assessing remuneration reports, we consider factors such as adequate disclosure of remuneration elements, absolute and relative pay levels, peer selection and benchmarking, the mix of long-term and short-term incentives, alignment of pay structures with shareholder interests, corporate strategy and performance. We may oppose remuneration reports where pay seems misaligned with shareholders’ interests. We may also vote against the re-election of members of the remuneration committee if we have serious concerns about remuneration practices and if the company has not been responsive to shareholder pressure to review its approach.

   
Equity Incentives Plans     We may not support proposals regarding equity-based incentive plans where insufficient information is provided on matters, including grant limits, performance metrics, performance and vesting periods, and overall dilution. Generally, we do not support options under such plans being issued at a discount to market price or plans that allow for retesting of performance metrics.

 

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Non-Executive Director Pay     In European markets, proposals seeking shareholder approval for non-executive directors’ fees are generally not controversial. We typically support resolutions regarding directors’ fees unless disclosure is poor and we are unable to determine whether the fees are excessive relative to fees paid by comparable companies. We will evaluate any non-cash or performance-related pay to non-executive directors on a company-by-company basis.
   
Risk Management    

We believe that risk management is a key function of the board, which is responsible for setting the overall risk appetite of a company and for providing oversight on the risk management process established by senior executives at a company. We allow boards to have discretion regarding the ways in which they provide oversight in this area. However, we expect companies to disclose how the board provides oversight on its risk management system and risk identification. Boards should also review existing and emerging risks that evolve in tandem with the political and economic landscape or as companies diversify or expand their operations into new areas.

 

As responsible stewards, we believe in the importance of effective risk management and oversight of issues that are material to a company. To effectively assess the risk of our clients’ portfolios and the broader market, we expect our portfolio companies to manage risks and opportunities that are material and industry-specific and that have a demonstrated link to long-term value creation, and to provide high-quality disclosure of this process to shareholders.

 

Consistent with this perspective, we may seek to engage with our portfolio companies to better understand how their boards are overseeing risks and opportunities the company has deemed to be material to its business or operations. If we believe a company has failed to implement and communicate effective oversight of these risks, we may consider voting against the directors responsible.

   
Environmental and Social Issues    

As a fiduciary, State Street Global Advisors takes a comprehensive approach to engaging with our portfolio companies about material environmental and social factors. Our Asset Stewardship program prioritization process allows us to proactively identify companies for engagement and voting in order to mitigate sustainability risks in our portfolio. Through engagement, we aim to build long-term relationships with the issuers in which we invest on behalf of our clients and to address a broad range of topics relating to the promotion of long-term shareholder value creation. When voting, we fundamentally consider whether the adoption of a shareholder proposal addressing an environmental or social topic material to the company would promote long-term shareholder value in the context of the company’s existing practices and disclosures as well as existing market practice.

 

For more information on our approach to environmental and social issues, please see our Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Environmental and Social Factors, available at ssga.com/about-us/asset-stewardship.html.

 

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About State Street

Global Advisors

    For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $3.48 trillion† under our care.
   

* Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of December 31, 2021.

   

This figure is presented as of December 31, 2022 and includes approximately $58.60 billion USD of assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

 

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ssga.com

Marketing communication

State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

Abu Dhabi: State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM branch is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This document is intended for Professional Clients or Market Counterparties only as defined by the FSRA and no other person should act upon it. State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM Branch, Al Khatem Tower, Suite 42801, Level 28, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, P.O Box 76404, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. T: +971 2 245 9000. Australia: State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited (ABN 42 003 914 225) is the holder of an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL Number 238276). Registered office: Level 14, 420 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. T: +612 9240-7600. F: +612 9240-7611. Belgium: State Street Global Advisors Belgium, Chaussée de La Hulpe 185, 1170 Brussels, Belgium. T: +32 2 663 2036. State Street Global Advisors Belgium is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and

whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Canada: State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., 1981 McGill College Avenue, Suite 500, Montreal, Qc, H3A 3A8, T: +514 282 2400 and 30 Adelaide Street East Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G6. T: +647 775 5900. France: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, France Branch (“State Street Global Advisors France”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors France is registered in France with company number RCS Nanterre 899 183 289, and its office is located at Coeur Défense — Tour A —La Défense 4, 33e étage, 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92 931 Paris La Défense Cedex, France. T: +33 1 44 45 40 00. F: +33 1 44 45 41 92. Germany: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich, Germany (“State Street Global Advisors Germany”). T: +49 (0)89 55878 400. State Street Global Advisors Germany is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay,

Dublin 2. Hong Kong: State Street Global Advisors Asia Limited, 68/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. T: +852 2103-0288. F: +852 2103-0200. Ireland: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered office address 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Registered Number: 49934. T: +353 (0)1 776 3000. F: +353 (0)1 776 3300. Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 —REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155. Japan: State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 25F 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6325 Japan. T: +81-3-4530-7380. Financial Instruments Business Operator, Kanto Local Financial Bureau (Kinsho #345), Membership: Japan Investment Advisers Association, The Investment Trust Association, Japan, Japan Securities Dealers’ Association.

Netherlands: State Street Global Advisors Netherlands, Apollo Building 7th floor, Herikerbergweg 29, 1101 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands. T: +31 20 7181 000. State Street Global Advisors Netherlands is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Singapore: State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited, 168, Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 (Company Reg. No: 200002719D, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore). T: +65 6826-7555. F: +65 6826-7501. Switzerland: State Street Global Advisors AG, Beethovenstr. 19, CH-8027 Zurich. Registered with the Register of Commerce Zurich CHE-105.078.458. T: +41 (0)44 245 70 00. F: +41 (0)44 245 70 16. United Kingdom: State Street Global Advisors Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. T: 020 3395 6000. F: 020 3395 6350. United States: State Street Global Advisors, 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210-1641. T: +1 617 786 3000.

 

 

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The views expressed in this material are the views of SSGA Asset Stewardship Team through the period ended March 23, 2023 and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This document contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no

representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your tax and financial advisor.

The returns on a portfolio of securities which exclude companies that do not meet the portfolio’s specified ESG criteria may trail the returns on a portfolio of securities which include such companies. A portfolio’s ESG criteria may result in the portfolio investing in industry sectors or securities which underperform the market as a whole.

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate EU regulator who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The trademarks and service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Third party data providers make no warranties or representations of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and have no liability for damages of any kind relating to the use of such data.

Responsible-Factor (R Factor) scoring is designed by State Street to reflect certain ESG characteristics and does not represent investment performance. Results

generated out of the scoring model is based on sustainability and corporate governance dimensions of a scored entity.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation. This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

© 2023 State Street Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

ID1482701-3479909.3.1.GBL.RTL 0323

Exp. Date: 03/31/2024

 

 

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March 2023

Japan

Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines

State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelinesi for Japan outline our approach to voting and engaging with companies listed on stock exchanges in Japan. These Guidelines complement and should be read in conjunction with State Street Global Advisors’ Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles, which outline our overall approach to voting and engaging with companies, and State Street Global Advisors’ Conflicts Mitigation Guidelines, which provide information about managing the conflicts of interests that may arise through State Street Global Advisors’ proxy voting and engagement activities.

 

 

 

  i

These Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines are also applicable to SSGA Funds Management, Inc.. SSGA Funds Management, Inc.is an SEC-registered investment adviser. SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, and other advisory affiliates of State Street make up State Street Global Advisors, the investment management arm of State Street Corporation.

 

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    State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Japan address our market-specific approaches to topics including directors and boards, accounting and audit-related issues, capital structure, remuneration and mergers, compensation, and other governance-related issues. When voting and engaging with companies in global markets, we consider market-specific nuances in the manner that we believe will most likely protect and promote the long-term economic value of client investments. We expect all companies to observe the relevant laws and regulations of their respective markets, as well as any country-specific best practice guidelines and corporate governance codes. We may hold companies in some markets to our global standards when we feel that a country’s regulatory requirements do not address some of the key philosophical principles that we believe are fundamental to our global voting principles.
    With companies in Japan, State Street Global Advisors takes into consideration the unique aspects of Japanese corporate governance structures. We recognize that under Japanese corporate law, companies may choose between three structures of corporate governance: the statutory auditor system, the committee structure and the hybrid structure.
    Most Japanese boards predominantly consist of executives and non-independent outsiders affiliated through commercial relationships or cross-shareholdings. Nonetheless, when evaluating companies, State Street Global Advisors expects the boards of Japanese companies to address conflicts of interest and risk management, and to demonstrate an effective process for monitoring management.
    Regardless of the corporate governance structure a company adopts, we expect all companies at a minimum to comply with Japan’s Corporate Governance Code (the “Code”). Consistent with the ‘comply or explain’ expectations established by the Code, we encourage companies to proactively disclose their level of compliance with the Code. In instances of non-compliance, and when companies cannot explain the nuances of their governance structure effectively, either publicly or through engagement, we may vote against the board leader.
   
State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Philosophy     In our view, corporate governance and sustainability issues are an integral part of the investment process. The Asset Stewardship Team consists of investment professionals with expertise in corporate governance, remuneration, accounting, and environmental and social issues. We have established robust corporate governance principles and practices that are backed with extensive analytical expertise to understand the complexities of the corporate governance landscape. We engage with companies to provide insight on the principles and practices that drive our voting decisions. We also conduct proactive engagement to address significant shareholder concerns and issues in a manner consistent with maximizing shareholder value.

 

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    The team works alongside members of State Street Global Advisors’ Active Fundamental and Asia-Pacific (“APAC”) Investment Teams, collaborating on issuer engagements and providing input on company-specific fundamentals.

 

   
Directors and Boards     Principally, a board acts on behalf of shareholders by protecting their interests and preserving their rights. In order to carry out their primary responsibilities, directors have to undertake activities that range from setting strategy and providing guidance on strategic matters, overseeing executive management, to selecting the CEO and other senior executives, creating a succession plan for the board and management, and providing effective risk oversight, including of risks related to sustainability issues. Further, we believe good corporate governance necessitates the existence of effective internal controls and risk management systems, which should be governed by the board.
    State Street Global Advisors believes that a well-constituted board of directors with a balance of skills, expertise and independence provides the foundation for a well-governed company. We view board quality as a measure of director independence, director succession planning, board diversity, evaluations and refreshment, and company governance practices. We vote for the (re-)election of directors on a case-by-case basis after considering various factors, including board quality, general market practice, and availability of information on director skills and expertise.
    Japanese companies have the option of having a traditional board of directors with statutory auditors, a board with a committee structure, or a hybrid board with a board level audit committee. We will generally support companies that seek shareholder approval to adopt a committee or hybrid board structure.
    Most Japanese issuers prefer the traditional statutory auditor structure. Statutory auditors act in a quasi-compliance role, as they are not involved in strategic decision-making, nor are they part of the formal management decision process. Statutory auditors attend board meetings, but do not have voting rights at the board; however, they have the right to seek an injunction and conduct broad investigations of unlawful behavior in the company’s operations.
    State Street Global Advisors will support the election of statutory auditors unless the outside statutory auditor nominee is regarded as non-independent based on our criteria, the outside statutory auditor has attended less than 75 percent of meetings of the board of directors or the board of statutory auditors during the year under review, or the statutory auditor has been remiss in the performance of their oversight responsibilities (fraud, criminal wrongdoing, and breach of fiduciary responsibilities).

 

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    Board Independence
    In principle, we believe independent directors are crucial to robust corporate governance and help management establish sound corporate governance policies and practices. A sufficiently independent board will most effectively monitor management and perform oversight functions that are necessary to protect shareholder interests.
    We believe that boards of TOPIX 500 companies should have at least three independent directors and be at least one-third independent. Otherwise, we may oppose the board leader who is responsible for the director nomination process.
    For non-TOPIX 500 companies, we may oppose the board leader if the board does not have at least two independent directors. For companies with a committee structure or a hybrid board structure, we also take into consideration the overall independence level of the committees.
   

In determining director independence, we consider the following factors:

 

•  Participation in related-party transactions and other business relations with the company

 

•  Past employment with the company

 

•  Professional services provided to the company

 

•  Family ties with the company

 

Regardless of board structure, we may oppose the election of a director for the following reasons:

 

•  Failure to attend board meetings

 

•  In instances of egregious actions related to a director’s service on the board

 

   
Board Gender Diversity     We expect boards of all listed companies to have at least one female board member. If a company does not meet this expectation, State Street Global Advisors may vote against the Chair of the board’s nominating committee or the board leader in the absence of a nominating committee. Additionally, if a company does not meet this expectation for three consecutive years, State Street Global Advisors may vote against all incumbent members of the nominating committee or those persons deemed responsible for the nomination process.
    We may waive this voting guideline if a company engages with State Street Global Advisors and provides a specific, timebound plan for adding at least one woman to its board.

 

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Climate-related Disclosures     State Street Global Advisors finds that the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) provide the most effective framework for disclosure of climate-related risks and opportunities.
    As such, we take voting action against companies in the TOPIX 100 that fail to provide sufficient disclosure regarding climate-related risks and opportunities related to that company, or board oversight of climate-related risks and opportunities, in accordance with the TCFD framework.
   
Indemnification and Limitations on Liability     Generally, State Street Global Advisors supports proposals to limit directors’ and statutory auditors’ liability and/or expand indemnification and liability protection up to the limit provided by law, if he or she has not acted in bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office. We believe limitations and indemnification are necessary to attract and retain qualified directors.
 
Shareholder Rights    
   
Virtual/Hybrid Shareholder Meetings     As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are increasingly conducting their shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format. While we are encouraged by the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings, companies and shareholders must remain vigilant in continuing to improve their virtual shareholder meeting practices.
    Recognizing the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings and a shifting regulatory environment, we will generally support proposals that grant boards the right to hold shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format as long as companies uphold the following best practices:
   

•  Afford virtual attendee shareholders the same rights as would normally be granted to in-person attendee shareholders

   

•  Commit to time-bound renewal (five years or less) of meeting format authorization by shareholders

   

•  Provide a written record of all questions posed during the meeting, and

   

•  Comply with local market laws and regulations relating to virtual and hybrid shareholder meeting practices

   

If a company breaches of any of the criteria above, we may vote against the Chair of the nominating committee.

 

   
Accounting and Audit- Related Issues     State Street Global Advisors believes that a company’s auditor is an essential feature of an effective and transparent system of external supervision. Shareholders should have the opportunity to vote on the appointment of the auditor at the annual meeting.

 

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Ratifying External Auditors     We generally support the appointment of external auditors unless the external auditor is perceived as being non-independent and there are concerns about the accounts presented and the audit procedures followed.
   
Approval of Financial Statements     We believe the disclosure and availability of reliable financial statements in a timely manner is imperative for the investment process. We expect external auditors to provide assurance of a company’s financial condition. Hence, we may vote against the approval of financial statements if i) they have not been disclosed or audited; ii) the auditor opinion is qualified/adverse, or the auditor has issued a disclaimer of opinion; or iii) the auditor opinion is not disclosed.
   
Limiting Legal Liability of External Auditors     We generally oppose limiting the legal liability of audit firms as we believe this could create a negative impact on the quality of the audit function.
 
Capital Structure, Reorganization, and Mergers    
   
Unequal Voting Rights     State Street Global Advisors supports the “one-share, one-vote” policy and favors a share structure where all shares have equal voting rights. We support proposals to abolish voting caps or multiple voting rights and will oppose measures to introduce these types of restrictions on shareholder rights.
    We generally oppose proposals authorizing the creation of new classes of common stock with superior voting rights. We will generally oppose new classes of preferred stock with unspecified voting, conversion, dividend distribution, and other rights. In addition, we will not support capitalization changes that add classes of stock with undefined voting rights or classes that may dilute the voting interests of existing shareholders.
    However, we will support capitalization changes that eliminate other classes of stock and/ or unequal voting rights.
   
Share Capital Increases     We believe pre-emption rights should be introduced for shareholders. This can provide adequate protection from excessive dilution due to the issuance of new shares or convertible securities to third parties or a small number of select shareholders.
   
Increase in Authorized Capital     We generally support increases in authorized capital where the company provides an adequate explanation for the use of shares. In the absence of an adequate explanation, we may oppose the request if the increase in authorized capital exceeds 100 percent of the currently authorized capital. Where share issuance requests exceed our standard threshold, we will consider the nature of the specific need, such as mergers, acquisitions and stock splits.

 

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Dividends     We generally support dividend payouts that constitute 30 percent or more of net income. We may vote against a dividend payout if the dividend payout ratio has been consistently below 30 percent without adequate explanation or if the payout is excessive given the company’s financial position. Particular attention will be paid where the payment may damage the company’s long-term financial health.
   
Share Repurchase Programs     Companies are allowed under Japan Corporate Law to amend their articles to authorize the repurchase of shares at the board’s discretion. We will oppose such amendments. We believe the company should seek shareholder approval for a share repurchase program at each year’s AGM, providing shareholders the right to evaluate the terms of the repurchase.
    We generally support proposals to repurchase shares, unless the issuer does not clearly state the business purpose for the program, a definitive number of shares to be repurchased and the timeframe for the repurchase. We may vote against share repurchase requests that allow share repurchases during a takeover period.
   
Mergers and Acquisitions     Mergers or reorganizing the structure of a company often involve proposals relating to reincorporation, restructurings, mergers, liquidations and other major changes to the corporation. We will support proposals that are in the best interests of shareholders, demonstrated by enhancing share value or improving the effectiveness of the company’s operations. In general, provisions that are deemed to be destructive to shareholders’ rights or financially detrimental will not be supported.
    We evaluate mergers and structural reorganizations on a case-by-case basis. We will generally support transactions that we believe will maximize shareholder value. Some of the considerations include, but are not limited to, the following:
   

•  Offer premium

   

•  Strategic rationale

   

•  Board oversight of the process for the recommended transaction, including director and/ or management conflicts of interest

   

•  Offers made at a premium and where there are no other higher bidders

   

•  Offers in which the secondary market price is substantially lower than the net asset value

 

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    We may vote against a transaction considering the following:
   

•  Offers with potentially damaging consequences for minority shareholders because of illiquid stock

   

•  Offers where we believe there is a reasonable prospect for an enhanced bid or other bidders

   

•  Offers in which the current market price of the security exceeds the bid price at the time of voting

   
Anti-Takeover Measures     In general, State Street Global Advisors believes that adoption of poison pills that have been structured to protect management and to prevent takeover bids from succeeding is not in shareholders’ interest. A shareholder rights plan may lead to management entrenchment. It may also discourage legitimate tender offers and acquisitions. Even if the premium paid to companies with a shareholder rights plan is higher than that offered to unprotected firms, a company’s chances of receiving a takeover offer in the first place may be reduced by the presence of a shareholder rights plan.
    Proposals that reduce shareholders’ rights or have the effect of entrenching incumbent management will not be supported.
    Proposals that enhance the right of shareholders to make their own choices as to the desirability of a merger or other proposal are supported.
   
Shareholder Rights Plans     In evaluating the adoption or renewal of a Japanese issuer’s shareholder rights plans (“poison pill”), we consider the following conditions: (i) release of proxy circular with details of the proposal with adequate notice in advance of meeting, (ii) minimum trigger of over 20 percent, (iii) maximum term of three years, (iv) sufficient number of independent directors, (v) presence of an independent committee, (vi) annual election of directors, and (vii) lack of protective or entrenchment features. Additionally, we consider the length of time that a shareholder rights plan has been in effect.
    In evaluating an amendment to a shareholder rights plan (“poison pill”), in addition to the conditions above, we will also evaluate and consider supporting proposals where the terms of the new plan are more favorable to shareholders’ ability to accept unsolicited offers.
   
“Cross-shareholdings”     “Cross-Shareholdings” are a long-standing feature of the balance sheets of many Japanese companies, but, in our view, can be detrimental for corporate governance practices and ultimately shareholder returns.
    Therefore, State Street Global Advisors may vote against the board leader at those TOPIX 500 companies where the “cross-shareholdings” (strategic listed shares) held by a company exceed 30 percent of the company’s net assets (as in the securities report disclosed for the previous fiscal year).

 

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    We may waive the guideline if a company engages with State Street Global Advisors and provides a specific, timebound, and publicly available plan for reducing its exposure to “cross-shareholdings”:
   

•  To less than 30% by 2025; or

   

•  By 50% of current level by 2025

   
Compensation     In Japan, excessive compensation is rarely an issue. Rather, the problem tends to be the lack of connection between pay and performance. Fixed salaries and cash retirement bonuses tend to comprise a significant portion of the compensation structure while performance-based pay is generally a small portion of the total pay. State Street Global Advisors, where possible, seeks to encourage the use of performance-based compensation in Japan as an incentive for executives and as a way to align interests with shareholders.
   
Adjustments to Aggregate Compensation Ceiling for Directors     Remuneration for directors in Japan is generally reasonable. Typically, each company sets the director compensation parameters as an aggregate, thereby limiting the total pay to all directors. When requesting a change, a company must disclose the last time the ceiling was adjusted, and management provides the rationale for the ceiling increase. We will generally support proposed increases to the ceiling if the company discloses the rationale for the increase. We may oppose proposals to increase the ceiling if there has been corporate malfeasance or sustained poor performance.
   
Annual Bonuses for Directors/Statutory Auditors     In Japan, since there are no legal requirements that mandate companies to seek shareholder approval before awarding a bonus, we believe that existing shareholder approval of the bonus should be considered best practice. As a result, we support management proposals on executive compensation where there is a strong relationship between executive pay and performance over a five-year period.
   
Retirement Bonuses for Directors/Statutory Auditors     While many companies in Japan have abolished the practice where retirement bonuses, based upon tenure, make up a sizeable portion of directors and auditors’ lifetime compensation, there remain many proposals seeking shareholder approval for the total amounts paid to directors and statutory auditors as a whole. In general, we support these payments unless the recipient is an outsider or in instances where the amount is not disclosed.
   
Stock Plans     Most option plans in Japan are conservative, particularly at large companies. Japanese corporate law requires companies to disclose the monetary value of the stock options for directors and/or statutory auditors. Some companies do not disclose the maximum number of options that can be issued per year and shareholders are unable to evaluate the dilution impact. In this case, we cannot calculate the dilution level and, therefore, we may oppose such plans due to poor disclosure. We also oppose plans that allow for the repricing of options.

 

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Deep Discount Options     As Japanese companies move away from the retirement bonus system, deep discount options plans have become more popular. Typically, the exercise price is set at JPY 1 per share. We evaluate deep discount options using the same criteria used to evaluate stock options and consider the vesting period.
   
Risk Management     We believe that risk management is a key function of the board, which is responsible for setting the overall risk appetite of a company and for providing oversight on the risk management process established by senior executives at a company. We allow boards to have discretion regarding the ways in which they provide oversight in this area. However, we expect companies to disclose how the board provides oversight on its risk management system and risk identification. Boards should also review existing and emerging risks that evolve in tandem with the changing political and economic landscape or as companies diversify or expand their operations into new areas.
    As responsible stewards, we believe in the importance of effective risk management and oversight of issues that are material to a company. To effectively assess the risk of our clients’ portfolios and the broader market, we expect our portfolio companies to manage risks and opportunities that are material and industry-specific and that have a demonstrated link to long-term value creation, and to provide high-quality disclosure of this process to shareholders.
    Consistent with this perspective, we may seek to engage with our portfolio companies to better understand how their boards are overseeing risks and opportunities the company has deemed to be material to its business or operations. If we believe a company has failed to implement and communicate effective oversight of these risks, we may consider voting against the directors responsible.
   
Environmental and Social Issues     As a fiduciary, State Street Global Advisors takes a comprehensive approach to engaging with our portfolio companies about material environmental and social factors. Our Asset Stewardship program prioritization process allows us to proactively identify companies for engagement and voting in order to mitigate sustainability risks in our portfolio. Through engagement, we aim to build long-term relationships with the issuers in which we investon behalf of our clients and to address a broad range of topics relating to the promotion of long-term shareholder value creation. When voting, we fundamentally consider whether the adoption of a shareholder proposal addressing an environmental or social topic material to the company would promote long-term shareholder value in the context of the company’s existing practices and disclosures as well as existing market practice.
    For more information on our approach to environmental and social issues, please see our Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Environmental and Social Factors, available at ssga.com/about-us/asset-stewardship.html.

 

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General/Routine    
   

Expansion of

Business Activities

    Japanese companies’ articles of incorporation strictly define the types of businesses in which a company is permitted to engage. In general, State Street Global Advisors views proposals that expand and diversify the company’s business activities as routine and non-contentious. We will monitor instances in which there has been an inappropriate acquisition and diversification away from the company’s main area of competence that resulted in a decrease of shareholder value.
   
About State Street Global Advisors     For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $3.48 trillion under our care.
 
   

*  Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of December 31, 2021.

  This figure is presented as of December 31, 2022 and includes approximately $58.60 billion USD of assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

 

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ssga.com

Marketing communications

State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

Abu Dhabi: State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM branch is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This document is intended for Professional Clients or Market Counterparties only as defined by the FSRA and no other person should act upon it. State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM Branch, Al Khatem Tower, Suite 42801, Level 28, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, P.O Box 76404, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. T: +971 2 245 9000. Australia: State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited (ABN 42 003 914 225) is the holder of an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL Number 238276). Registered office: Level 14, 420 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. T: +612 9240-7600. F: +612 9240-7611. Belgium: State Street Global Advisors Belgium, Chaussée de La Hulpe 185, 1170 Brussels, Belgium. T: +32 2 663 2036. State Street Global Advisors Belgium is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78

Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Canada: State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., 1981 McGill College Avenue, Suite 500, Montreal, Qc, H3A 3A8, T: +514 282 2400 and 30 Adelaide Street East Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G6. T: +647 775 5900. France: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, France Branch (“State Street Global Advisors France”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors France is registered in France with company number RCS Nanterre 899 183 289, and its office is located at Coeur Défense — Tour A — La Défense 4, 33e étage, 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92 931 Paris La Défense Cedex, France. T: +33 1 44 45 40 00. F: +33 1 44 45 41 92. Germany: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich, Germany (“State Street Global Advisors Germany”). T: +49 (0)89 55878 400. State Street Global Advisors Germany is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay,

Dublin 2. Hong Kong: State Street Global Advisors Asia Limited, 68/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. T: +852 2103-0288. F: +852 2103-0200. Ireland: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered office address 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Registered Number: 49934. T: +353 (0)1 776 3000. F: +353 (0)1 776 3300. Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 — REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155. Japan: State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 25F 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6325 Japan. T: +81-3-4530-7380. Financial Instruments Business Operator, Kanto Local Financial Bureau (Kinsho #345), Membership: Japan Investment Advisers

Association, The Investment Trust Association, Japan, Japan Securities Dealers’

Association. Netherlands: State Street Global Advisors Netherlands, Apollo Building 7th floor, Herikerbergweg 29, 1101 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands. T: +31 20 7181 000. State Street Global Advisors Netherlands is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Singapore: State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited, 168, Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 (Company Reg. No: 200002719D, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore). T: +65 6826-7555. F: +65 6826-7501. Switzerland: State Street Global Advisors AG, Beethovenstr. 19, CH-8027 Zurich. Registered with the Register of Commerce Zurich CHE-105.078.458. T: +41 (0)44 245 70 00. F: +41 (0)44 245 70 16. United Kingdom: State Street Global Advisors Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. T: 020 3395 6000. F: 020 3395 6350. United States: State Street Global Advisors, 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210-1641. T: +1 617 786 3000.

 

 

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The views expressed in this material are the views of SSGA Asset Stewardship Team through the period ended March 23, 2023 and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This document contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of,

nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your tax and financial advisor.

The returns on a portfolio of securities which exclude companies that do not meet the portfolio’s specified ESG criteria may trail the returns on a portfolio of securities which include such companies. A portfolio’s ESG criteria may result in the portfolio investing in industry sectors or securities which underperform the market as a whole.

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate

EU regulator who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The trademarks and service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Third party data providers make no warranties or representations of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and have no liability for damages of any kind relating to the use of such data.

Responsible-Factor (R Factor) scoring is designed by State Street to reflect certain ESG characteristics and does not represent investment performance. Results generated out of the scoring model is based on sustainability and corporate governance dimensions of a scored entity.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation. This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

© 2023 State Street Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

ID1482398-3479913.3.1.GBL.RTL 0323

Exp. Date: 03/31/2024

 

 

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March 2023

United Kingdom and Ireland

Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines

State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelinesi for the United Kingdom and Ireland outline our approach to voting and engaging with companies listed on stock exchanges in the United Kingdom and Ireland. These Guidelines complement and should be read in conjunction with State Street Global Advisors’ Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles, which outline our overall approach to voting and engaging with companies, and State Street Global Advisors’ Conflicts Mitigation Guidelines, which provide information about managing the conflicts of interests that may arise through State Street Global Advisors’ proxy voting and engagement activities.

 

 

 

  i

These Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) are also applicable to SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, and other advisory affiliates of State Street Corporation. Additionally, State Street Global Advisors maintains Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for select markets, including: Australia, continental Europe, Japan, New Zealand, North America (Canada and the US), the UK and Ireland, and emerging markets. International markets not covered by our market-specific guidelines are reviewed and voted in a manner that is consistent with the Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles; however, State Street Global Advisors also endeavors to show sensitivity to local market practices when voting in these various markets.

 

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    State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for the United Kingdom (“UK”) and Ireland address our market-specific approach to topics including directors and boards, accounting and audit-related issues, capital structure, reorganization and mergers, remuneration, and other governance-related issues.
    When voting and engaging with companies in global markets, we consider market-specific nuances in the manner that we believe will most likely protect and promote the long-term economic value of client investments. We expect companies to observe the relevant laws and regulations of their respective markets, as well as country-specific best practice guideliness and corporate governance codes. We may hold companies in some markets to our global standards when we feel that a country’s regulatory requirements do not address some of the key philosophical principles that we believe are fundamental to our global voting principles.
    In our analysis and research into corporate governance issues in the UK and Ireland, we expect all companies that obtain a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange or the Irish Stock Exchange, regardless of domicile, to comply with the UK Corporate Governance Code (the “Code”), and proactively monitor companies’ adherence to the Code. Consistent with the ‘comply or explain’ expectations established by the Code, we encourage companies to proactively disclose their level of compliance with the Code. In instances of non-compliance in which companies cannot explain the nuances of their governance structure effectively, either publicly or through engagement, we may vote against the independent board leader.
   
State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Philosophy     In our view, corporate governance and sustainability issues are an integral part of the investment process. The Asset Stewardship Team consists of investment professionals with expertise in corporate governance, remuneration, accounting, and environmental and social issues. We have established robust corporate governance principles and practices that are backed with extensive analytical expertise to understand the complexities of the corporate governance landscape. We engage with companies to provide insight on the principles and practices that drive our voting decisions. We also conduct proactive engagement to address significant shareholder concerns and issues in a manner consistent with maximizing shareholder value.
    The team works alongside members of State Street Global Advisors’ Active Fundamental and Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”) investment teams, collaborating on issuer engagements and providing input on company-specific fundamentals.

 

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Directors and Boards     Principally, a board acts on behalf of shareholders by protecting their interests and preserving their rights. In order to carry out their primary responsibilities, directors have to undertake activities that range from setting strategy and providing guidance on strategic matters, overseeing executive management, to selecting the CEO and other senior executives, creating a succession plan for the board and management, and providing risk oversight, including of risks related to sustainability issues. Further, we believe good corporate governance necessitates the existence of effective internal controls and risk management systems, which should be governed by the board.
    We believe that a well-constituted board of directors, with a balance of skills, expertise and independence, provides the foundations for a well-governed company. We view board quality as a measure of director independence, director succession planning, board diversity, evaluations and refreshment, and company governance practices. We vote for the (re-)election of directors on a case-by-case basis after considering various factors, including board quality, general market practice, and availability of information on director skills and expertise.
    We may also consider board performance and directors who appear to be remiss in the performance of their oversight responsibilities when analyzing their suitability for reappointment (e.g. fraud, criminal wrongdoing and breach of fiduciary responsibilities).
   
Board Independence     In principle, we believe independent directors are crucial to robust corporate governance and help management establish sound corporate governance policies and practices. We believe a sufficiently independent board will most effectively monitor management and perform oversight functions necessary to protect shareholder interests.
    Our broad criteria for director independence for UK companies include factors such as:
   

•  Participation in related-party transactions and other business relations with the company

   

•  Employment history with company

   

•  Excessive tenure and a preponderance of long-tenured directors

   

•  Relations with controlling shareholders

   

•  Family ties with any of the company’s advisers, directors or senior employees

   

•  Company classification of a director as non-independent

 

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Director Attendance at Board Meetings     We also consider attendance at board meetings and may withhold votes from directors who attend less than 75 percent of board meetings in a given year without appropriate explanation or providing reason for their failure to meet the attendance threshold. In addition, we monitor other factors that may influence the independence of a non-executive director, such as performance-related pay, cross-directorships and significant shareholdings.
   
Classified Boards     We support the annual election of directors.
   
Separation Chair/CEO     While we are generally supportive of having the roles of chair and CEO separated in the UK market, we assess the division of responsibilities between chair and CEO on a case-by-case basis, giving consideration to factors such as the company’s specific circumstances, overall level of independence on the board and general corporate governance standards in the company. Similarly, we monitor for circumstances in which a combined chair/CEO is appointed or a former CEO becomes chair.
   
Board Committees     We believe companies should have committees for audit, remuneration and nomination oversight. The audit committee is responsible for monitoring the integrity of the financial statements of the company, the appointment of external auditors, auditor qualifications and independence, and effectiveness and resource levels. Similarly, executive pay is an important aspect of corporate governance, and it should be determined by the board of directors. We expect companies to have remuneration committees to provide independent oversight over executive pay. We may vote against nominees who are executive members of audit or remuneration committees.
    We consider whether board members have adequate skills to provide effective oversight of corporate strategy, operations and risks, including environmental and social issues. Boards should also have a regular evaluation process in place to assess the effectiveness of the board and the skills of board members to address issues such as emerging risks, changes to corporate strategy, and diversification of operations and geographic footprint. The nomination committee is responsible for evaluating and reviewing the balance of skills, knowledge, and experience of the board. It also ensures that adequate succession plans are in place for directors and the CEO. We may vote against the re-election of members of the nomination committee if, over time, the board has not addressed concerns over board structure or succession.
    Poorly structured executive compensation plans pose increasing reputational risk to companies. Ongoing high level of dissent against a company’s compensation proposals may indicate that the company is not receptive to investor concerns. If the level of dissent against a company’s remuneration report and/or remuneration policy is consistently high, and we have determined that a vote against a pay-related proposal is warranted in the third consecutive year, we may vote against the Chair of the remuneration committee.

 

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Board Gender Diversity     We expect boards of all listed companies to have at least one female board member and the boards of FTSE 350 companies to be composed of at least 30 percent women directors. If a company does not meet the applicable expectation, State Street Global Advisors may vote against the chair of the board’s nominating committee or the board leader in the absence of a nominating committee. Additionally, if a company does not meet the applicable expectation for three consecutive years, State Street Global Advisors may vote against all incumbent members of the nominating committee or those persons deemed responsible for the nomination process.
    We may waive this voting guideline if a company engages with State Street Global Advisors and provides a specific, timebound plan for either reaching the 30-percent threshold (FTSE 350) or for adding a woman director (non-FTSE 350).
   
Board Racial/Ethnic Diversity     Effective board oversight of a company’s long-term business strategy necessitates a diversity of perspectives, especially in terms of gender, race and ethnicity. If a company in the FTSE 350 does not disclose, at minimum, the gender, racial and ethnic composition of its board, we may vote against the Chair of the nominating committee. We may withhold support from the Chair of the nominating committee also when a company in the FTSE 100 does not have at least one director from an underrepresented racial and/or ethnic community on its board.
   
Director Time Commitments     When voting on the election or re-election of a director, we also consider the number of outside board directorships a non-executive and an executive may undertake. Thus, State Street Global Advisors may take voting action against a director who exceeds the number of board mandates listed below:
   

•  Named Executive Officers (NEOs) of a public company who sit on more than two public company boards

   

•  Non-executive board chairs or lead independent directors who sit on more than three public company boards

   

•  Director nominees who sit on more than four public company boards

    For non-executive board chairs/lead independent directors and director nominees who hold excessive commitments, as defined above, we may consider waiving our policy and vote in support of a director if a company discloses its director commitment policy in a publicly available manner (e.g., corporate governance guidelines, proxy statement, company website). This policy or associated disclosure must include:
   

•  A numerical limit on public company board seats a director can serve on

        – This limit cannot exceed our policy by more than one seat
   

•  Consideration of public company board leadership positions (e.g., Committee Chair)

   

•  Affirmation that all directors are currently compliant with the company policy

 

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•  Description of an annual policy review process undertaken by the Nominating Committee to evaluate outside director time commitments

    If a director is imminently leaving a board and this departure is disclosed in a written, time-bound and publicly-available manner, we may consider waiving our withhold vote when evaluating the director for excessive time commitments.
    Service on a mutual fund board, the board of a UK investment trust or a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) board is not considered when evaluating directors for excessive commitments. However, we do expect these roles to be considered by nominating committees when evaluating director time commitments.
   
Climate-related Disclosures     State Street Global Advisors finds that the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) provide the most effective framework for disclosure of climate-related risks and opportunities.
    As such, we may take voting action against companies in the FTSE 350 that fail to provide sufficient disclosure regarding climate-related risks and opportunities related to that company, or board oversight of climate-related risks and opportunities, in accordance with the TCFD framework.
   
Indemnification and Limitations on Liability     Generally, we support proposals to limit directors’ liability and/or expand indemnification and liability protection up to the limit provided by law. This holds if a director has not acted in bad faith, gross negligence, nor reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
 
Shareholder Rights    
   
Virtual/Hybrid Shareholder Meetings     As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are increasingly conducting their shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format. While we are encouraged by the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings, companies and shareholders must remain vigilant in continuing to improve their virtual shareholder meeting practices.
    Recognizing the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings and a shifting regulatory environment, we will generally support proposals that grant boards the right to hold shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format as long as companies uphold the following best practices:
   

•  Afford virtual attendee shareholders the same rights as would normally be granted to in-person attendee shareholders

   

•  Commit to time-bound renewal (five years or less) of meeting format authorization by shareholders

 

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•  Provide a written record of all questions posed during the meeting, and Comply with local market laws and regulations relating to virtual and hybrid shareholder meeting practices

    If a company breaches of any of the criteria above, we may vote against the Chair of the nominating committee.
   
Accounting and Audit-Related Issues     Companies should have robust internal audit and internal control systems designed for effective management of any potential and emerging risks to company operations and strategy. The responsibility of setting out an internal audit function lies with the audit committee, which should have as members independent non-executive directors. Appointment of External Auditors
   
Appointment of External Auditors     State Street Global Advisors believes that a company’s auditor is an essential feature of an effective and transparent system of external supervision. Shareholders should be given the opportunity to vote on their appointment or re-appoint at the annual meeting. When appointing external auditors and approving audit fees, we take into consideration the level of detail in company disclosures and will generally not support such resolutions if an adequate breakdown is not provided and if non-audit fees are more than 50% of audit fees. In addition, we may vote against members of the audit committee if we have concerns with audit-related issues or if the level of non-audit fees to audit fees is significant. In certain circumstances, we may consider auditor tenure when evaluating the audit process.
   
Limit Legal Liability of External Auditors     We generally oppose limiting the legal liability of audit firms because we believe this could create a negative impact on the quality of the audit function.
   
Approval of Financial Statements     We believe the disclosure and availability of reliable financial statements in a timely manner is imperative for the investment process. We expect external auditors to provide assurance of a company’s financial condition. Hence, we may vote against the approval of financial statements if i) they have not been disclosed or audited; ii) the auditor opinion is qualified/adverse, or the auditor has issued a disclaimer of opinion; or iii) the auditor opinion is not disclosed.
 
Capital Structure, Reorganization, and Mergers    
   
Share Issuances     The ability to raise capital is critical for companies to carry out strategy, to grow, and to achieve returns above their cost of capital. The approval of capital raising activities is essential to shareholders’ ability to monitor returns and to ensure capital is deployed efficiently. We support capital increases that have sound business reasons and are not excessive relative to a company’s existing capital base.

 

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    Pre-emption rights are a fundamental right for shareholders to protect their investment in a company. Where companies seek to issue new shares without pre-emption rights, we may vote against if such authorities are greater than 20% of the issued share capital. We may also vote against resolutions that seek authority to issue capital with pre-emption rights if the aggregate amount allowed seems excessive and is not justified by the board. Generally, we are against capital issuance proposals greater than 100% of the issued share capital when the proceeds are not intended for a specific purpose.
   
Share Repurchase Programs     We generally support a proposal to repurchase shares. However, this is not the case if the issuer does not clearly state the business purpose for the program, a definitive number of shares to be repurchased, the range of premium/discount to market price at which a company can repurchase shares, and the timeframe for the repurchase. We may vote against share repurchase requests that allow share repurchases during a takeover period.
 
Dividends    
 
    We generally support dividend payouts that constitute 30% or more of net income. We may vote against the dividend payouts if the dividend payout ratio has been consistently below 30% without adequate explanation or the payout is excessive given the company’s financial position. Particular attention will be paid where the payment may damage the company’s long term financial health.
   
Mergers and Acquisitions     Mergers or reorganizing the structure of a company often involve proposals relating to reincorporation, restructurings, mergers, liquidations, and other major changes to the corporation. Proposals that are in the best interests of the shareholders, demonstrated by enhancing share value or improving the effectiveness of the company’s operations, will be supported. In general, provisions that are not viewed as financially sound or are thought to be destructive to shareholders’ rights and are not supported.
    We will generally support transactions that maximize shareholder value. Some of the considerations include the following:
   

•  Offer premium

   

•  Strategic rationale

   

•  Board oversight of the process for the recommended transaction, including, director and/ or management conflicts of interest

 

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•  Offers made at a premium and where there are no other higher bidders

   

•  Offers in which the secondary market price is substantially lower than the net asset value

    We may vote against a transaction considering the following:
   

•  Offers with potentially damaging consequences for minority shareholders because of illiquid stock

   

•  Offers in which we believe there is a reasonable prospect for an enhanced bid or other bidders

   

•  The current market price of the security exceeds the bid price at the time of voting

   
Anti-Takeover Measures     We oppose anti-takeover defenses such as authorities for the board when subject to a hostile takeover to issue warrants convertible into shares to existing shareholders.
   
Notice Period to Convene a General Meeting     We expect companies to give as much notice as is practicable when calling a general meeting. Generally, we are not supportive of authorizations seeking to reduce the notice period to 14 days.
 
Remuneration    
   
Executive Pay     Despite the differences among the types of plans and awards possible, there is a simple underlying philosophy that guides our analysis of executive pay: there should be a direct relationship between remuneration and company performance over the long term.
    Shareholders should have the opportunity to assess whether pay structures and levels are aligned with business performance. When assessing remuneration policies and reports, we consider adequate disclosure of various remuneration elements, absolute and relative pay levels, peer selection and benchmarking, the mix of long-term and short-term incentives, alignment of pay structures with shareholder interests as well as with corporate strategy and performance. We may oppose remuneration reports where pay seems misaligned with shareholders’ interests. We may also vote against the re-election of members of the remuneration committee if we have serious concerns about remuneration practices or if the company has not been responsive to shareholder concerns.

 

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Equity Incentive Plans     We may not support proposals on equity-based incentive plans where insufficient information is provided on matters such as grant limits, performance metrics, performance, vesting periods, and overall dilution. Generally we do not support options under such plans being issued at a discount to market price or plans that allow for re-testing of performance metrics.
   
Non-Executive Director Pay     Authorities that seek shareholder approval for non-executive directors’ fees are generally not controversial. We typically support resolutions regarding directors’ fees unless disclosure is poor and we are unable to determine whether they are excessive relative to fees paid by comparable companies. We will evaluate any non-cash or performance related pay to non-executive directors on a company- by-company basis.
   
Risk Management     State Street Global Advisors believes that risk management is a key function of the board, which is responsible for setting the overall risk appetite of a company and for providing oversight of the risk management process established by senior executives at a company. We allow boards to have discretion over how they provide oversight in this area. However, we expect companies to disclose how the board provides oversight on its risk management system and risk identification. Boards should also review existing and emerging risks that evolve in tandem with the with a changing political and economic landscape or as companies diversify their operations into new areas.
    As responsible stewards, we believe in the importance of effective risk management and oversight of issues that are material to a company. To effectively assess the risk of our clients’ portfolios and the broader market, we expect our portfolio companies to manage risks and opportunities that are material and industry-specific and that have a demonstrated link to long-term value creation, and to provide high-quality disclosure of this process to shareholders.
    Consistent with this perspective, we may seek to engage with our portfolio companies to better understand how their boards are overseeing risks and opportunities the company has deemed to be material to its business or operations. If we believe a company has failed to implement and communicate effective oversight of these risks, we may consider voting against the directors responsible.

 

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Environmental and Social Issues     As a fiduciary, State Street Global Advisors takes a comprehensive approach to engaging with our portfolio companies about material environmental and social factors. Our Asset Stewardship program prioritization process allows us to proactively identify companies for engagement and voting in order to mitigate sustainability risks in our portfolio. Through engagement, we aim to build long-term relationships with the issuers in which we invest on behalf of our clients and to address a broad range of topics relating to the promotion of long-term shareholder value creation. When voting, we fundamentally consider whether the adoption of a shareholder proposal addressing an environmental or social topic material to the company would promote long-term shareholder value in the context of the company’s existing practices and disclosures as well as existing market practice.
    For more information on our approach to environmental and social issues, please see our Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Environmental and Social Factors, available at ssga.com/about-us/asset-stewardship.html.
   
About State Street Global Advisors     For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $3.48 trillion† under our care.
 
   

*  Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of December 31, 2021.

  This figure is presented as of December 31, 2022 and includes approximately $58.60 billion USD of assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

 

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ssga.com

Marketing communication

State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

Abu Dhabi: State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM branch is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This document is intended for Professional Clients or Market Counterparties only as defined by the FSRA and no other person should act upon it. State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM Branch, Al Khatem Tower, Suite 42801, Level 28, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, P.O Box 76404, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. T: +971 2 245 9000. Australia: State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited (ABN 42 003 914 225) is the holder of an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL Number 238276). Registered office: Level 14, 420 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. T: +612 9240-7600. F: +612 9240- 7611. Belgium: State Street Global Advisors Belgium, Chaussée de La Hulpe 185, 1170 Brussels, Belgium. T: +32 2 663 2036. State Street Global Advisors Belgium is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose

registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Canada: State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., 1981 McGill College Avenue, Suite 500, Montreal, Qc, H3A 3A8, T: +514 282 2400 and 30 Adelaide Street East Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G6. T: +647 775 5900. France: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, France Branch (“State Street Global Advisors France”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors France is registered in France with company number RCS Nanterre 899 183 289, and its office is located at Coeur Défense — Tour A — La Défense 4, 33e étage, 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92 931 Paris La Défense Cedex, France. T: +33 1 44 45 40 00. F: +33 1 44 45 41 92. Germany: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich, Germany (“State Street Global Advisors Germany”). T: +49 (0)89 55878 400. State Street Global Advisors Germany is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir

John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Hong Kong: State Street Global Advisors Asia Limited, 68/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. T: +852 2103-0288. F: +852 2103-0200. Ireland: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered office address 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Registered Number: 49934. T: +353 (0)1 776 3000. F: +353 (0)1 776 3300. Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 — REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155. Japan: State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 25F 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6325 Japan. T: +81-3-4530-7380. Financial Instruments Business Operator, Kanto Local Financial Bureau (Kinsho #345), Membership: Japan Investment Advisers Association, The Investment Trust Association, Japan,

Japan Securities Dealers’ Association. Netherlands: State Street Global Advisors Netherlands, Apollo Building 7th floor, Herikerbergweg 29, 1101 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands. T: +31 20 7181 000. State Street Global Advisors Netherlands is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Singapore: State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited, 168, Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 (Company Reg. No: 200002719D, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore). T: +65 6826-7555. F: +65 6826-7501. Switzerland: State Street Global Advisors AG, Beethovenstr. 19, CH-8027 Zurich. Registered with the Register of Commerce Zurich CHE-105.078.458. T: +41 (0)44 245 70 00. F: +41 (0)44 245 70 16. United Kingdom: State Street Global Advisors Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. T: 020 3395 6000. F: 020 3395 6350. United States: State Street Global Advisors, 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210-1641. T: +1 617 786 3000.

 

 

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The views expressed in this material are the views of SSGA Asset Stewardship Team through the period ended March 23, 2023 and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This document contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no

representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your tax and financial advisor.

The returns on a portfolio of securities which exclude companies that do not meet the portfolio’s specified ESG criteria may trail the returns on a portfolio of securities which include such companies. A portfolio’s ESG criteria may result in the portfolio investing in industry sectors or securities which underperform the market as a whole.

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate EU regulator who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The trademarks and service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Third party data providers make no warranties or representations of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and have no liability for damages of any kind relating to the use of such data.

Responsible-Factor (R Factor) scoring is designed by State Street to reflect certain ESG characteristics and does not represent investment performance. Results

generated out of the scoring model is based on sustainability and corporate governance dimensions of a scored entity.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation. This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

© 2023 State Street Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

ID1482704-3479919.3.1.GBL.RTL    0323 Exp. Date: 03/31/2024

 

 

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March 2023

North America (United States & Canada)

Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines

State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelinesi for North America outline our approach to voting and engaging with companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States and Canada. These Guidelines complement and should be read in conjunction with State Street Global Advisors’ Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles, which outline our overall approach to voting and engaging with companies, and State Street Global Advisors’ Conflicts Mitigation Guidelines, which provide information about managing the conflicts of interests that may arise through State Street Global Advisors’ proxy voting and engagement activities.

 

 

 

  i

These Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) are also applicable to SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, and other advisory affiliates of State Street Corporation. Additionally, State Street Global Advisors maintains Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for select markets, including: Australia, continental Europe, Japan, New Zealand, North America (Canada and the US), the UK and Ireland, and emerging markets. International markets not covered by our market-specific guidelines are reviewed and voted in a manner that is consistent with the Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles; however, State Street Global Advisors also endeavors to show sensitivity to local market practices when voting in these various markets.

 

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    State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for North America (United States [“US”] and Canada) address our market-specific approaches to topics including directors and boards, accounting and audit related issues, capital structure, reorganization and mergers, compensation, and other governance-related issues.
    When voting and engaging with companies in global markets, we consider market-specific nuances in the manner that we believe will most likely protect and promote the long-term economic value of client investments. We expect companies to observe the relevant laws and regulations of their respective markets, as well as country specific best practice guidelines and corporate governance codes. We may hold companies in some markets to our global standards when we feel that a country’s regulatory requirements do not address some of the key philosophical principles that we believe are fundamental to our global voting principles.
    In our analysis and research into corporate governance issues in North America, we expect all companies to act in a transparent manner and to provide detailed disclosure on board profiles, related-party transactions, executive compensation, and other governance issues that impact shareholders’ long-term interests. Further, as a founding member of the Investor Stewardship Group (“ISG”), we proactively monitor companies’ adherence to the Corporate Governance Principles for US listed companies (the “Principles”). Consistent with the “comply-or-explain” expectations established by the Principles, we encourage companies to proactively disclose their level of compliance with the Principles. In instances of non-compliance, and when companies cannot explain the nuances of their governance structure effectively, either publicly or through engagement, we may vote against the independent board leader.
   
State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Philosophy     In our view, corporate governance and sustainability issues are an integral part of the investment process. The Asset Stewardship Team consists of investment professionals with expertise in corporate governance, remuneration, accounting, and environmental and social issues. We have established robust corporate governance principles and practices that are backed with extensive analytical expertise to understand the complexities of the corporate governance landscape. We engage with companies to provide insight on the principles and practices that drive our voting decisions. We also conduct proactive engagements to address significant shareholder concerns and issues in a manner consistent with maximizing shareholder value.
    The team works alongside members of State Street Global Advisors’ Active Fundamental and various other investment teams, collaborating on issuer engagements and providing input on company-specific fundamentals.

 

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Directors and Boards     Principally, a board acts on behalf of shareholders by protecting their interests and preserving their rights. In order to carry out their primary responsibilities, directors have to undertake activities that range from setting strategy and providing guidance on strategic matters, overseeing executive management, to selecting the CEO and other senior executives, creating a succession plan for the board and management, and providing effective risk oversight, including of risks related to sustainability issues. Further, good corporate governance necessitates the existence of effective internal controls and risk management systems, which should be governed by the board.
    State Street Global Advisors believes that a well-constituted board of directors, with a balance of skills, expertise, and independence, provides the foundations for a well-governed company. We view board quality as a measure of director independence, director succession planning, board diversity, evaluations and refreshment, and company governance practices. We vote for the (re-)election of directors on a case-by-case basis after considering various factors, including board quality, general market practice, and availability of information on director skills and expertise.
    In our analysis of boards, we consider whether board members have adequate skills to provide effective oversight of corporate strategy, operations, and risks, including environmental and social issues. Boards should also have a regular evaluation process in place to assess the effectiveness of the board and the skills of board members to address issues, such as emerging risks, changes to corporate strategy, and diversification of operations and geographic footprint.
    In principle, we believe independent directors are crucial to robust corporate governance and help management establish sound corporate governance policies and practices. We believe a sufficiently independent board will most effectively monitor management and perform oversight functions necessary to protect shareholder interests.
    Director-related proposals include issues submitted to shareholders that deal with the composition of the board or with members of a corporation’s board of directors. In deciding the director nominee to support, we consider numerous factors.
   
Director Elections     Our director election guideline focuses on companies’ governance profile to identify if a company demonstrates appropriate governance practices or if it exhibits negative governance practices. Factors we consider when evaluating governance practices include, but are not limited to the following:
   

•  Shareholder rights

   

•  Board independence

   

•  Board structure

 

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    If a company demonstrates appropriate governance practices, we believe a director should be classified as independent based upon the relevant listing standards or local market practice standards. In such cases, the composition of the key oversight committees of a board should meet the minimum standards of independence. Accordingly, we may vote against a nominee at a company with appropriate governance practices if the director is classified as non-independent under relevant listing standards or local market practice and serves on a key committee of the board (compensation, audit, nominating, or committees required to be fully independent by local market standards).
    Conversely, if a company demonstrates negative governance practices, State Street Global Advisors believes the classification standards for director independence should be elevated. In such circumstances, we will evaluate all director nominees based upon the following classification standards:
   

•  Is the nominee an employee of or related to an employee of the issuer or its auditor?

   

•  Does the nominee provide professional services to the issuer?

   

•  Has the nominee attended an appropriate number of board meetings?

   

•  Has the nominee received non-board related compensation from the issuer?

    In the US market where companies demonstrate negative governance practices, these stricter standards will apply not only to directors who are a member of a key committee but to all directors on the board as market practice permits. Accordingly, we may vote against a nominee (with the exception of the CEO) where the board has inappropriate governance practices and is considered not independent based on the above independence criteria.
    Additionally, we may withhold votes from directors based on the following:
   

•  Overall average board tenure is excessive. In assessing excessive tenure, we consider factors such as the preponderance of long tenured directors, board refreshment practices, and classified board structures

   

•  Directors attend less than 75 percent of board meetings without appropriate explanation or providing reason for their failure to meet the attendance threshold

   

•  Directors of companies that have not been responsive to a shareholder proposal that received a majority shareholder support at the last annual or special meeting

   

•  Consideration can be warranted if management submits the proposal(s) on the ballot as a binding management proposal, recommending shareholders vote for the particular proposal(s)

 

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•  Directors of companies have unilaterally adopted/ amended company bylaws that negatively impact our shareholder rights (such as fee-shifting, forum selection, and exclusion service bylaws) without putting such amendments to a shareholder vote

   

•  Compensation committee members where there is a weak relationship between executive pay and performance over a five-year period

   

•  Audit committee members if non-audit fees exceed 50 percent of total fees paid to the auditors

   

•  Directors who appear to have been remiss in their duties

    Board Gender Diversity
    We expect boards of all listed companies to have at least one female board member and the boards of Russell 3000 companies to be composed of at least 30 percent women directors. If a company does not meet the applicable expectation, State Street Global Advisors may vote against the Chair of the board’s nominating committee or the board leader in the absence of a nominating committee. Additionally, if a company does not meet the applicable expectation for three consecutive years, State Street Global Advisors may vote against all incumbent members of the nominating committee or those persons deemed responsible for the nomination process.
    We may waive this voting guideline if a company engages with State Street Global Advisors and provides a specific, timebound plan for either reaching the 30-percent threshold (Russell 3000) or for adding a woman director (non-Russell 3000).
    Board Racial/Ethnic Diversity
    We believe effective board oversight of a company’s long-term business strategy necessitates a diversity of perspectives, especially in terms of gender, race and ethnicity. If a company in the Russell 1000 does not disclose, at minimum, the gender, racial and ethnic composition of its board, we may vote against the Chair of the nominating committee. We may withhold support from the Chair of the nominating committee also when a company in the S&P 500 does not have at least one director from an underrepresented racial/ethnic community on its board.
    Workforce Diversity
    We may vote against the Chair of the compensation committee at companies in the S&P 500 that do not disclose their EEO-1 reports. Acceptable disclosures include:
   

•  The original EEO-1 report response

 

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•  The exact content of the report translated into custom graphics

    Director Time Commitments
    When voting on the election or re-election of a director, we also consider the number of outside board directorships that a non-executive and an executive may undertake. Thus, State Street Global Advisors may take voting action against a director who exceeds the number of board mandates listed below:
   

•  Named Executive Officers (NEOs) of a public company who sit on more than two public company boards

   

•  Non-executive board chairs or lead independent directors who sit on more than three public company boards

   

•  Director nominees who sit on more than four public company boards

    For non-executive board chairs/lead independent directors and director nominees who hold excessive commitments, as defined above, we may consider waiving our policy and vote in support of a director if a company discloses its director commitment policy in a publicly available manner (e.g., corporate governance guidelines, proxy statement, company website). This policy or associated disclosure must include:
   

•  A numerical limit on public company board seats a director can serve on

   

– This limit cannot exceed our policy by more than one seat

   

•  Consideration of public company board leadership positions (e.g., Committee Chair)

   

•  Affirmation that all directors are currently compliant with the company policy

   

•  Description of an annual policy review process undertaken by the Nominating Committee to evaluate outside director time commitments

    If a director is imminently leaving a board and this departure is disclosed in a written, time- bound and publicly-available manner, we may consider waiving our withhold vote when evaluating the director for excessive time commitments.
    Service on a mutual fund board, the board of a UK investment trust or a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) board is not considered when evaluating directors for excessive commitments. However, we do expect these roles to be considered by nominating committees when evaluating director time commitments.

 

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    Climate-related Disclosures
    State Street Global Advisors finds that the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) provide the most effective framework for disclosure of climate-related risks and opportunities.
    As such, we may take voting action against companies in the S&P 500 and S&P/TSX Composite that fail to provide sufficient disclosure regarding climate-related risks and opportunities related to that company, or board oversight of climate-related risks and opportunities, in accordance with the TCFD framework.
   
Director-Related Proposals     We generally vote for the following director-related proposals:
   

•  Discharge of board members’ duties, in the absence of pending litigation, regulatory investigation, charges of fraud, or other indications of significant concern

   

•  Proposals to restore shareholders’ ability in order to remove directors with or without cause

   

•  Proposals that permit shareholders to elect directors to fill board vacancies

   

•  Shareholder proposals seeking disclosure regarding the company, board, or compensation committee’s use of compensation consultants, such as company name, business relationship(s), and fees paid

 

    We generally vote against the following director-related proposals:
   

•  Requirements that candidates for directorships own large amounts of stock before being eligible to be elected

   

•  Proposals that relate to the “transaction of other business as properly comes before the meeting,” which extend “blank check” powers to those acting as proxy

   

•  Proposals requiring two candidates per board seat

   
Majority Voting     We will generally support a majority vote standard based on votes cast for the election of directors.
    We will generally vote to support amendments to bylaws that would require simple majority of voting shares (i.e. shares cast) to pass or to repeal certain provisions.

 

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Annual Elections     We generally support the establishment of annual elections of the board of directors. Consideration is given to the overall level of board independence and the independence of the key committees, as well as the existence of a shareholder rights plan.
   
Cumulative Voting     We do not support cumulative voting structures for the election of directors.
   
Separation Chair/CEO     We analyze proposals for the separation of Chair/CEO on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration numerous factors, including the appointment of and role played by a lead director, a company’s performance, and the overall governance structure of the company.
    However, we may take voting action against the chair or members of the nominating committee at S&P 500 companies that have combined the roles of chair and CEO and have not appointed a lead independent director.
   
Proxy Access     In general, we believe that proxy access is a fundamental right and an accountability mechanism for all long-term shareholders. We will consider proposals relating to proxy access on a case-by-case basis. We will support shareholder proposals that set parameters to empower long-term shareholders while providing management the flexibility to design a process that is appropriate for the company’s circumstances.
    We will review the terms of all other proposals and will support those proposals that have been introduced in the spirit of enhancing shareholder rights.
    Considerations include the following:
   

•  The ownership thresholds and holding duration proposed in the resolution

   

•  The binding nature of the proposal

   

•  The number of directors that shareholders may be able to nominate each year

   

•  Company governance structure

   

•  Shareholder rights

   

•  Board performance

   
Age/Term Limits     Generally, we may vote against age and term limits unless the company is found to have poor board refreshment and director succession practices, and has a preponderance of non-executive directors with excessively long tenures serving on the board.

 

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Approve Remuneration of Directors     Generally, we will support directors’ compensation, provided the amounts are not excessive relative to other issuers in the market or industry. In making our determination, we review whether the compensation is overly dilutive to existing shareholders.
   
Indemnification     Generally, we support proposals to limit directors’ liability and/or expand indemnification and liability protection if he or she has not acted in bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
   
Classified Boards     We generally support annual elections for the board of directors.
   
Confidential Voting     We will support confidential voting.
   
Board Size     We will support proposals seeking to fix the board size or designate a range for the board size and will vote against proposals that give management the ability to alter the size of the board outside of a specified range without shareholder approval.
   
Board Responsiveness     We may vote against the re-election of members of the compensation committee if we have serious concerns about remuneration practices and if the company has not been responsive to shareholder pressure to review its approach. In addition, if the level of dissent against a management proposal on executive pay is consistently high, and we have determined that a vote against a pay-related proposal is warranted in the third consecutive year, we may vote against the Chair of the compensation committee.

 

 
Shareholder Rights    
   
Virtual/Hybrid Shareholder Meetings     As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are increasingly conducting their shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format. While we are encouraged by the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings, companies and shareholders must remain vigilant in continuing to improve their virtual shareholder meeting practices.
    Recognizing the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings and a shifting regulatory environment, we will generally support proposals that grant boards the right to hold shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format as long as companies uphold the following best practices:
   

•  Afford virtual attendee shareholders the same rights as would normally be granted to in-person attendee shareholders

 

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•  Commit to time-bound renewal (five years or less) of meeting format authorization by shareholders

   

•  Provide a written record of all questions posed during the meeting, and

   

•  Comply with local market laws and regulations relating to virtual and hybrid shareholder meeting practices

    If a company breaches of any of the criteria above, we may vote against the Chair of the nominating committee.
 
Accounting and Audit-Related Issues    
   
Ratifying Auditors and Approving Auditor Compensation     We support the approval of auditors and auditor compensation provided that the issuer has properly disclosed audit and non-audit fees relative to market practice and the audit fees are not deemed excessive. We deem audit fees to be excessive if the non-audit fees for the prior year constituted 50 percent or more of the total fees paid to the auditor. We will also support the disclosure of auditor and consulting relationships when the same or related entities are conducting both activities and will support the establishment of a selection committee responsible for the final approval of significant management consultant contract awards where existing firms are already acting in an auditing function.
    In circumstances where “other” fees include fees related to initial public offerings, bankruptcy emergence, and spin-offs, and the company makes public disclosure of the amount and nature of those fees which are determined to be an exception to the standard “non-audit fee” category, then such fees may be excluded from the non-audit fees considered in determining the ratio of non-audit to audit/audit-related fees/tax compliance and preparation for purposes of determining whether non-audit fees are excessive.
    We will support the discharge of auditors and requirements that auditors attend the annual meeting of shareholders.
    Approval of Financial Statements
    We believe the disclosure and availability of reliable financial statements in a timely manner is imperative for the investment process. We expect external auditors to provide assurance of a company’s financial condition. Hence, we may vote against the approval of financial statements if i) they have not been disclosed or audited; ii) the auditor opinion is qualified/adverse, or the auditor has issued a disclaimer of opinion; or iii) the auditor opinion is not disclosed.

 

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Capital Structure     Capital structure proposals include requests by management for approval of amendments to the certificate of incorporation that will alter the capital structure of the company.
    The most common request is for an increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock, usually in conjunction with a stock split or dividend. Typically, we support requests that are not unreasonably dilutive or enhance the rights of common shareholders. In considering authorized share proposals, the typical threshold for approval is 100percent over current authorized shares. However, the threshold may be increased if the company offers a specific need or purpose (merger, stock splits, growth purposes, etc.). All proposals are evaluated on a case-by-case basis taking into account the company’s specific financial situation.
   
Increase in Authorized Common Shares     In general, we support share increases for general corporate purposes up to 100 percent of current authorized stock.
    We support increases for specific corporate purposes up to 100 percent of the specific need plus 50 percent of current authorized common stock for US and Canadian firms.
    When applying the thresholds, we will also consider the nature of the specific need, such as mergers and acquisitions and stock splits.
   
Increase in Authorized Preferred Shares     We vote on a case-by-case basis on proposals to increase the number of preferred shares.
    Generally, we will vote for the authorization of preferred stock in cases where the company specifies the voting, dividend, conversion, and other rights of such stock and the terms of the preferred stock appear reasonable.
    We will support proposals to create “declawed” blank check preferred stock (stock that cannot be used as a takeover defense). However, we may vote against proposals to increase the number of blank check preferred stock authorized for issuance when no shares have been issued or reserved for a specific purpose.
   
Unequal Voting Rights     We will not support proposals authorizing the creation of new classes of common stock with superior voting rights and may vote against new classes of preferred stock with unspecified voting, conversion, dividend distribution, and other rights. In addition, we will not support capitalization changes that add “blank check” classes of stock (i.e. classes of stock with undefined voting rights) or classes that dilute the voting interests of existing shareholders.
    However, we will support capitalization changes that eliminate other classes of stock and/ or unequal voting rights.

 

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Reorganization and Mergers     The reorganization of the structure of a company or mergers often involve proposals relating to reincorporation, restructurings, liquidations, and other major changes to the corporation.
    Proposals that are in the best interests of the shareholders, demonstrated by enhancing share value or improving the effectiveness of the company’s operations, will be supported.
    In general, provisions that are not viewed as economically sound or are thought to be destructive to shareholders’ rights are not supported.
    We will generally support transactions that maximize shareholder value. Some of the considerations include the following:
   

•  Offer premium

   

•  Strategic rationale

   

•  Board oversight of the process for the recommended transaction, including, director and/or management conflicts of interest

   

•  Offers made at a premium and where there are no other higher bidders

   

•  Offers in which the secondary market price is substantially lower than the net asset value

    We may vote against a transaction considering the following:
   

•  Offers with potentially damaging consequences for minority shareholders because of illiquid stock, especially in some non-US markets

   

•  Offers where we believe there is a reasonable prospect for an enhanced bid or other bidders

   

•  The current market price of the security exceeds the bid price at the time of voting

   
Anti-Takeover Issues     Typically, these are proposals relating to requests by management to amend the certificate of incorporation or bylaws to add or to delete a provision that is deemed to have an anti-takeover effect. The majority of these proposals deal with management’s attempt to add some provision that makes a hostile takeover more difficult or will protect incumbent management in the event of a change in control of the company.

 

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    Proposals that reduce shareholders’ rights or have the effect of entrenching incumbent management may not be supported.
    Proposals that enhance the right of shareholders to make their own choices as to the desirability of a merger or other proposal are supported.

 

   
Shareholder Rights Plans     US: We will support mandates requiring shareholder approval of a shareholder rights plans (“poison pill”) and repeals of various anti-takeover related provisions.
    In general, we may vote against the adoption or renewal of a US issuer’s shareholder rights plan (“poison pill”).
    We will vote for an amendment to a shareholder rights plan (“poison pill”) where the terms of the new plans are more favorable to shareholders’ ability to accept unsolicited offers (i.e. if one of the following conditions are met: (i) minimum trigger, flip-in or flip-over of 20 percent, (ii) maximum term of three years, (iii) no “dead hand,” “slow hand,” “no hand” nor similar feature that limits the ability of a future board to redeem the pill, and (iv) inclusion of a shareholder redemption feature (qualifying offer clause), permitting ten percent of the shares to call a special meeting or seek a written consent to vote on rescinding the pill if the board refuses to redeem the pill 90 days after a qualifying offer is announced).
    Canada: We analyze proposals for shareholder approval of a shareholder rights plan (“poison pill”) on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration numerous factors, including but not limited to, whether it conforms to ‘new generation’ rights plans and the scope of the plan.
   
Special Meetings     We will vote for shareholder proposals related to special meetings at companies that do not provide shareholders the right to call for a special meeting in their bylaws if:
   

•  The company also does not allow shareholders to act by written consent

   

•  The company allows shareholders to act by written consent but the ownership threshold for acting by written consent is set above 25 percent of outstanding shares

    We will vote for shareholder proposals related to special meetings at companies that give shareholders (with a minimum 10 percent ownership threshold) the right to call for a special meeting in their bylaws if:
   

•  The current ownership threshold to call for a special meeting is above 25 percent of outstanding shares

    We will vote for management proposals related to special meetings.

 

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Written Consent     We will vote for shareholder proposals on written consent at companies if:
   

•  The company does not have provisions in their bylaws giving shareholders the right to call for a special meeting

   

•  The company allows shareholders the right to call for a special meeting, but the current ownership threshold to call for a special meeting is above 25percent of outstanding shares

   

•  The company has a poor governance profile

 

We will vote management proposals on written consent on a case-by-case basis.

 

   
Super-Majority     We will generally vote against amendments to bylaws requiring super-majority shareholder votes to pass or repeal certain provisions. We will vote for the reduction or elimination of super-majority vote requirements, unless management of the issuer was concurrently seeking to or had previously made such a reduction or elimination.
   
Compensation     Despite the differences among the types of plans and the awards possible there is a simple underlying philosophy that guides the analysis of all compensation plans; namely, the terms of the plan should be designed to provide an incentive for executives and/or employees to align their interests with those of the shareholders and thus work toward enhancing shareholder value. Plans that benefit participants only when the shareholders also benefit are those most likely to be supported.
   
Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation and Frequency     State Street Global Advisors believes executive compensation plays a critical role in aligning executives’ interest with shareholders’, attracting, retaining and incentivizing key talent, and ensuring positive correlation between the performance achieved by management and the benefits derived by shareholders. We support management proposals on executive compensation where there is a strong relationship between executive pay and performance over a five-year period. We seek adequate disclosure of various compensation elements, absolute and relative pay levels, peer selection and benchmarking, the mix of long-term and short-term incentives, alignment of pay structures with shareholder interests as well as with corporate strategy, and performance. Further shareholders should have the opportunity to assess whether pay structures and levels are aligned with business performance on an annual basis.
    In Canada, where advisory votes on executive compensation are not commonplace, we will rely primarily upon engagement to evaluate compensation plans.

 

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Employee Equity
Award Plans
    We consider numerous criteria when examining equity award proposals. Generally we do not vote against plans for lack of performance or vesting criteria. Rather the main criteria that will result in a vote against an equity award plan are:
    Excessive voting power dilution To assess the dilutive effect, we divide the number of shares required to fully fund the proposed plan, the number of authorized but unissued shares and the issued but unexercised shares by the fully diluted share count. We review that number in light of certain factors, such as the industry of the issuer.
    Historical option grants Excessive historical option grants over the past three years. Plans that provide for historical grant patterns of greater than five to eight percent are generally not supported.
    Repricing We may vote against any plan where repricing is expressly permitted. If a company has a history of repricing underwater options, the plan will not be supported.

 

 
    Other criteria include the following:
   

•  Number of participants or eligible employees

   

•  The variety of awards possible

   

•  The period of time covered by the plan

    There are numerous factors that we view as negative. If combined they may result in a vote against a proposal. Factors include:
   

•  Grants to individuals or very small groups of participants

   

•  “Gun-jumping” grants which anticipate shareholder approval of a plan or amendment

   

•  The power of the board to exchange “underwater” options without shareholder approval. This pertains to the ability of a company to reprice options, not the actual act of repricing described above

   

•  Below market rate loans to officers to exercise their options

   

•  The ability to grant options at less than fair market value;

   

•  Acceleration of vesting automatically upon a change in control

   

•  Excessive compensation (i.e. compensation plans which we deem to be overly dilutive)

 

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    Share Repurchases If a company makes a clear connection between a share repurchase program and its intent to offset dilution created from option plans and the company fully discloses the amount of shares being repurchased, the voting dilution calculation may be adjusted to account for the impact of the buy back.
    Companies will not have any such repurchase plan factored into the dilution calculation if they do not (i) clearly state the intentions of any proposed share buy-back plan, (ii) disclose a definitive number of the shares to be bought back, (iii) specify the range of premium/discount to market price at which a company can repurchase shares, and (iv) disclose the time frame during which the shares will be bought back.
    162(m) Plan Amendments If a plan would not normally meet our criteria described above, but was primarily amended to add specific performance criteria to be used with awards that were designed to qualify for performance-based exception from the tax deductibility limitations of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, then we will support the proposal to amend the plan.

 

   
Employee Stock Option Plans     We generally vote for stock purchase plans with an exercise price of not less than 85 percent of fair market value. However, we take market practice into consideration.
   
Compensation-Related Items     We generally support the following proposals:
   

•  Expansions to reporting of financial or compensation-related information within reason

   

•  Proposals requiring the disclosure of executive retirement benefits if the issuer does not have an independent compensation committee

    We generally vote against the following proposal:
   

•  Retirement bonuses for non-executive directors and auditors

   
Miscellaneous/ Routine Items     We generally support the following miscellaneous/routine governance items:
   

•  Reimbursement of all appropriate proxy solicitation expenses associated with the election when voting in conjunction with support of a dissident slate

   

•  Opting-out of business combination provision

 

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•  Proposals that remove restrictions on the right of shareholders to act independently of management

   

•  Liquidation of the company if the company will file for bankruptcy if the proposal is not approved

   

•  Shareholder proposals to put option repricings to a shareholder vote

   

•  General updating of, or corrective amendments to, charter and bylaws not otherwise specifically addressed herein, unless such amendments would reasonably be expected to diminish shareholder rights (e.g. extension of directors’ term limits, amending shareholder vote requirement to amend the charter documents, insufficient information provided as to the reason behind the amendment)

   

•  Change in corporation name

   

•  Mandates that amendments to bylaws or charters have shareholder approval

   

•  Management proposals to change the date, time, and/or location of the annual meeting unless the proposed change is unreasonable

   

•  Repeals, prohibitions or adoption of anti-greenmail provisions

   

•  Management proposals to implement a reverse stock split when the number of authorized shares will be proportionately reduced and proposals to implement a reverse stock split to avoid delisting

   

•  Exclusive forum provisions

    State Street Global Advisors generally does not support the following miscellaneous/ routine governance items:
   

•  Proposals requesting companies to adopt full tenure holding periods for their executives

   

•  Reincorporation to a location that we believe has more negative attributes than its current location of incorporation

   

•  Shareholder proposals to change the date, time, and/or location of the annual meeting unless the current scheduling or location is unreasonable

   

•  Proposals to approve other business when it appears as a voting item

   

•  Proposals giving the board exclusive authority to amend the bylaws

   

•  Proposals to reduce quorum requirements for shareholder meetings below a majority of the shares outstanding unless there are compelling reasons to support the proposal

 

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Risk Management     We believe that risk management is a key function of the board, which is responsible for setting the overall risk appetite of a company and for providing oversight on the risk management process established by senior executives at a company. We allow boards to have discretion regarding the ways in which they provide oversight in this area. However, we expect companies to disclose how the board provides oversight on its risk management system and risk identification. Boards should also review existing and emerging risks that evolve in tandem with the changing political and economic landscape or as companies diversify or expand their operations into new areas.
    As responsible stewards, we believe in the importance of effective risk management and oversight of issues that are material to a company. To effectively assess the risk of our clients’ portfolios and the broader market, we expect our portfolio companies to manage risks and opportunities that are material and industry-specific and that have a demonstrated link to long-term value creation, and to provide high-quality disclosure of this process to shareholders.
    Consistent with this perspective, we may seek to engage with our portfolio companies to better understand how their boards are overseeing risks and opportunities the company has deemed to be material to its business or operations. If we believe a company has failed to implement and communicate effective oversight of these risks, we may consider voting against the directors responsible.
   
Environmental and Social Issues     As a fiduciary, State Street Global Advisors takes a comprehensive approach to engaging with our portfolio companies about material environmental and social factors. Our Asset Stewardship program prioritization process allows us to proactively identify companies for engagement and voting in order to mitigate sustainability risks in our portfolio. Through engagement, we aim to build long-term relationships with the issuers in which we invest on behalf of our clients and to address a broad range of topics relating to the promotion of long-term shareholder value creation. When voting, we fundamentally consider whether the adoption of a shareholder proposal addressing an environmental or social topic material to the company would promote long-term shareholder value in the context of the company’s existing practices and disclosures as well as existing market practice.
    For more information on our approach to environmental and social issues, please see our Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Environmental and Social Factors, available at ssga.com/about-us/asset-stewardship.html.

 

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About State Street Global Advisors     For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $3.48 trillion under our care.
   

*  Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of December 31, 2021.

  This figure is presented as of December 31, 2022 and includes approximately $58.60 billion USD of assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

 

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ssga.com

Marketing communications

State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

Abu Dhabi: State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM branch is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This document is intended for Professional Clients or Market Counterparties only as defined by the FSRA and no other person should act upon it. State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM Branch, Al Khatem Tower, Suite 42801, Level 28, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, P.O Box 76404, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. T: +971 2 245 9000. Australia: State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited (ABN 42 003 914 225) is the holder of an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL Number 238276). Registered office: Level 14, 420 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. T: +612 9240-7600. F: +612 9240-7611. Belgium: State Street Global Advisors Belgium, Chaussée de La Hulpe 185, 1170 Brussels, Belgium. T: +32 2 663 2036. State Street Global Advisors Belgium is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose

registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Canada: State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., 1981 McGill College Avenue, Suite 500, Montreal, Qc, H3A 3A8, T: +514 282 2400 and 30 Adelaide Street East Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G6. T: +647 775 5900. France: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, France Branch (“State Street Global Advisors France”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors France is registered in France with company number RCS Nanterre 899 183 289, and its office is located at Coeur Défense — Tour A — La Défense 4, 33e étage, 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92 931 Paris La Défense Cedex, France. T: +33 1 44 45 40 00. F: +33 1 44 45 41 92. Germany: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich, Germany (“State Street Global Advisors Germany”). T: +49 (0)89 55878 400. State Street Global Advisors Germany is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir

John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Hong Kong: State Street Global Advisors Asia Limited, 68/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. T: +852 2103-0288. F: +852 2103-0200. Ireland: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered office address 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Registered Number: 49934. T: +353 (0)1 776 3000. F: +353 (0)1 776 3300. Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 — REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155. Japan: State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 25F 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6325 Japan. T: +81-3-4530-7380. Financial Instruments Business Operator, Kanto Local Financial Bureau (Kinsho #345), Membership: Japan Investment Advisers Association, The Investment Trust Association, Japan,

Japan Securities Dealers’ Association. Netherlands: State Street Global Advisors Netherlands, Apollo Building 7th floor, Herikerbergweg 29, 1101 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands. T: +31 20 7181 000. State Street Global Advisors Netherlands is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Singapore: State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited, 168, Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 (Company Reg. No: 200002719D, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore). T: +65 6826-7555. F: +65 6826-7501. Switzerland: State Street Global Advisors AG, Beethovenstr. 19, CH-8027 Zurich. Registered with the Register of Commerce Zurich CHE-105.078.458. T: +41 (0)44 245 70 00. F: +41 (0)44 245 70 16. United Kingdom: State Street Global Advisors Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. T: 020 3395 6000. F: 020 3395 6350. United States: State Street Global Advisors, 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210-1641. T: +1 617 786 3000.

 

 

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The views expressed in this material are the views of SSGA Asset Stewardship Team through the period ended March 23, 2023 and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This document contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not

guaranteed. There is no representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your tax and financial advisor.

The returns on a portfolio of securities which exclude companies that do not meet the portfolio’s specified ESG criteria may trail the returns on a portfolio of securities which include such companies. A portfolio’s ESG criteria may result in the portfolio investing in industry sectors or securities which underperform the market as a whole.

 

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate EU regulator who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are

only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The trademarks and service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Third party data providers make no warranties or representations of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and have no liability for damages of any kind relating to the use of such data.

Responsible-Factor (R Factor) scoring is designed by State Street to reflect certain ESG characteristics and does not represent investment

performance. Results generated out of the scoring model is based on sustainability and corporate governance dimensions of a scored entity.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation. This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

© 2023 State Street Corporation.

All Rights Reserved. ID1482705-3479916.3.1.GBL.RTL 0323

Exp. Date: 03/31/2024

 

 

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March 2023

Rest of the World

Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines

State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelinesi for the Rest of the World outline our approach to voting and engaging with companies listed on stock exchanges in international markets not covered under specific country/regional Guidelines. These Guidelines complement and should be read in conjunction with State Street Global Advisors’ Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles, which outline our overall approach to voting and engaging with companies, and State Street Global Advisors’ Conflicts Mitigation Guidelines, which provide information about managing the conflicts of interests that may arise through State Street Global Advisors’ proxy voting and engagement activities.

 

 

 

  i

These Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) are also applicable to SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, and other advisory affiliates of State Street Corporation. Additionally, State Street Global Advisors maintains Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for select markets, including: Australia, continental Europe, Japan, New Zealand, North America (Canada and the US), the UK and Ireland, and emerging markets. International markets not covered by our market-specific guidelines are reviewed and voted in a manner that is consistent with the Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles; however, State Street Global Advisors also endeavors to show sensitivity to local market practices when voting in these various markets.

 

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    At State Street Global Advisors, we recognize that markets not covered under specific country/regional guidelines, specifically emerging markets, are disparate in their corporate governance frameworks and practices. While they tend to pose broad common governance issues, such as concentrated ownership, poor disclosure of financial and related-party transactions, and weak enforcement of rules and regulation, our Guidelines are designed to identify and to address specific governance concerns across the markets. We also evaluate the various factors that contribute to the corporate governance framework of a country. These factors include, but are not limited to: (i) the macroeconomic conditions and broader political system in a country; (ii) quality of regulatory oversight, enforcement of property and shareholder rights; and (iii) the independence of judiciary.
    When voting and engaging with companies in global markets, we consider market-specific nuances in the manner that we believe will most likely protect and promote the long-term economic value of client investments. We expect all companies to observe the relevant laws and regulations of their respective markets, as well as any country-specific best practice guidelines and corporate governance codes. We may hold companies in some markets to our global standards when we feel that a country’s regulatory requirements do not address some of the key philosophical principles that we believe are fundamental to our global voting principles.
    State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for the Rest of the World address our approaches to topics including directors and boards, accounting and audit-related issues, capital structure, reorganization and mergers, remuneration, and other governance-related issues.
   
State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Philosophy in Emerging Markets     State Street Global Advisors’ approach to proxy voting and issuer engagement in emerging markets is designed to increase the value of our clients’ investments through the mitigation of governance risks. The overall quality of the corporate governance framework in an emerging market country drives the level of governance risks investors assign to a country. Thus, improving the macro governance framework in a country may help to reduce governance risks and to increase the overall value of our clients’ holdings over time. In order to improve the overall governance framework and practices in a country, members of our Asset Stewardship Team endeavor to engage with representatives from regulatory agencies and stock markets to highlight potential concerns with the macro governance framework of a country. To help mitigate company-specific risk, the State Street Global Advisors Asset Stewardship Team works alongside members of the Active Fundamental and emerging market specialists to engage with emerging market companies on governance issues and address any specific concerns, or to get more information regarding shareholder items that are to be voted on at upcoming shareholder meetings. This integrated approach to engagement drives our proxy voting and engagement philosophy in emerging markets.

 

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Directors and Boards    

Principally, a board acts on behalf of shareholders by protecting their interests and preserving their rights. In order to carry out their primary responsibilities, directors have to undertake activities that range from setting strategy and providing guidance on strategic matters, overseeing executive management, to selecting the CEO and other senior executives, creating a succession plan for the board and management, and providing risk oversight, including of risks related to sustainability issues. Further, we believe good corporate governance necessitates the existence of effective internal controls and risk management systems, which should be governed by the board.

 

We believe that a well-constituted board of directors, with a good balance of skills, expertise and independence, provides the foundation for a well-governed company. However, several factors, such as low overall independence level requirements by market regulators, poor biographical disclosure of director profiles, prevalence of related-party transactions, and the general resistance from controlling shareholders to increase board independence, render the election of directors as one of the most important fiduciary duties we perform in emerging market companies.

   
Board Independence    

We vote for the (re-)election of directors on a case-by-case basis after considering various factors, including board quality, general market practice and availability of information on director skills and expertise. We expect companies to meet minimum overall board independence standards, as defined in a local corporate governance code or market practice. Therefore, in several countries, we may vote against certain non-independent directors if overall board independence levels do not meet market standards.

 

Our broad criteria for director independence in emerging market companies include factors such as:

 

•  Participation in related-party transactions

 

•  Employment history with company

 

•  Relations with controlling shareholders and employees

 

•  Company classification of a director as non-independent

   
Board Committees     In some countries, market practice calls for the establishment of a board level audit committee. We believe an audit committee should be responsible for monitoring the integrity of the financial statements of a company and appointing external auditors. It should also monitor their qualifications, independence, effectiveness and resource levels. Based upon our desire to enhance the quality of financial and accounting oversight provided by independent directors, we expect that listed companies have an audit committee constituted of a majority of independent directors.

 

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Board Gender Diversity    

We expect boards of listed companies in all markets and indices to have at least one female board member. If a company does not meet this expectation, State Street Global Advisors may vote against the Chair of the board’s nominating committee or the board leader in the absence of a nominating committee. Additionally, if a company does not meet this expectation for three consecutive years, State Street Global Advisors may vote against all incumbent members of the nominating committee or those persons deemed responsible for the nomination process.

 

We may waive this voting guideline if a company engages with State Street Global Advisors and provides a specific, timebound plan for adding at least one woman to its board.

   
Board Responsiveness to High Dissent against Pay Proposals     Poorly structured executive compensation plans pose increasing reputational risk to companies. Ongoing high level of dissent against a company’s compensation proposals may indicate that the company is not receptive to investor concerns. If the level of dissent against a company’s remuneration report and/or remuneration policy is consistently high, and we have determined that a vote against a pay-related proposal is warranted in the third consecutive year, we may vote against the Chair of the remuneration committee.
   
Climate-related Disclosures    

State Street Global Advisors finds that the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate- related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) provide the most effective framework for disclosure of climate-related risks and opportunities.

 

As such, we may take voting action against companies in the Hang Seng and Straits Times that fail to provide sufficient disclosure regarding climate-related risks and opportunities related to that company, or board oversight of climate-related risks and opportunities, in accordance with the TCFD framework.

 
Shareholder Rights    
   
Virtual/Hybrid Shareholder Meetings    

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are increasingly conducting their shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format. While we are encouraged by the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings, companies and shareholders must remain vigilant in continuing to improve their virtual shareholder meeting practices.

 

Recognizing the success of virtual and hybrid shareholder meetings and a shifting regulatory environment, we will generally support proposals that grant boards the right to hold shareholder meetings in a virtual or hybrid format as long as companies uphold the following best practices:

 

•  Afford virtual attendee shareholders the same rights as would normally be granted to in-person attendee shareholders

 

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•  Commit to time-bound renewal (five years or less) of meeting format authorization by shareholders

 

•  Provide a written record of all questions posed during the meeting, and

 

•  Comply with local market laws and regulations relating to virtual and hybrid shareholder meeting practices

 

If a company breaches of any of the criteria above, we may vote against the Chair of the nominating committee.

   
Accounting and
Audit-Related Issues
    The disclosure and availability of reliable financial statements in a timely manner is imperative for the investment process. As a result, board oversight of internal controls and the independence of the audit process are essential if investors are to rely upon financial statements. We believe that audit committees provide the necessary oversight for the selection and appointment of auditors, the company’s internal controls and the accounting policies, and the overall audit process.
   
Appointment of
External Auditors
    We believe that a company’s auditor is an essential feature of an effective and transparent system of external supervision. Shareholders should be given the opportunity to vote on their appointment or re-appointment at the annual meeting. We believe that it is imperative for audit committees to select outside auditors who are independent from management.
   
Approval of Financial Statements    

We believe the disclosure and availability of reliable financial statements in a timely manner is imperative for the investment process. We expect external auditors to provide assurance of a company’s financial condition. Hence, we may vote against the approval of financial statements if i) they have not been disclosed or audited; ii) the auditor opinion is qualified/adverse, or the auditor has issued a disclaimer of opinion; or iii) the auditor opinion is not disclosed.

 

Capital Structure, Reorganization, and Mergers State Street Global Advisors believes that changes to a company’s capital structure, such as changes in authorized share capital, share repurchase and debt issuances, are critical decisions made by the board. We believe the company should have a business rationale that is consistent with corporate strategy and should not overly dilute its shareholders.

 

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Related-Party Transactions     Most companies in emerging markets have a controlled ownership structure that often includes complex cross-shareholdings between subsidiaries and parent companies (“related companies”). As a result, there is a high prevalence of related-party transactions between the company and its various stakeholders, such as directors and management. In addition, inter-group loan and loan guarantees provided to related companies are some of the other related-party transactions that increase the risk profile of companies. In markets where shareholders are required to approve such transactions, we expect companies to provide details about the transaction, such as its nature, value and purpose. This also encourages independent directors to ratify such transactions. Further, we encourage companies to describe the level of independent board oversight and the approval process, including details of any independent valuations provided by financial advisors on related- party transactions.
   
Share Repurchase Programs     With regard to share repurchase programs, we expect companies to clearly state the business purpose for the program and a definitive number of shares to be repurchased.
   
Mergers and Acquisitions    

Mergers or reorganization of the structure of a company often involve proposals relating to reincorporation, restructurings, liquidations and other major changes to the corporation. Proposals that are in the best interest of the shareholders, demonstrated by enhancing share value or improving the effectiveness of the company’s operations, will be supported. In general, provisions that are not viewed as financially sound or are thought to be destructive to shareholders’ rights are not supported.

 

We evaluate mergers and structural reorganizations on a case-by-case basis. We generally support transactions that maximize shareholder value. Some of the considerations include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

•  Offer premium

 

•  Strategic rationale

 

•  Board oversight of the process for the recommended transaction, including director and/ or management conflicts of interest

 

•  Offers made at a premium and where there are no other higher bidders

 

•  Offers in which the secondary market price is substantially lower than the net asset value

 

We may vote against a transaction considering the following:

 

•  Offers with potentially damaging consequences for minority shareholders because of illiquid stock

 

 

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•  Offers where we believe there is a reasonable prospect for an enhanced bid or other bidders

 

•  The current market price of the security exceeds the bid price at the time of voting

 

We will actively seek direct dialogue with the board and management of companies that we have identified through our screening processes. Such engagements may lead to further monitoring to ensure the company improves its governance or sustainability practices. In these cases, we believe the engagement process represents the most meaningful opportunity for State Street Global Advisors to protect long-term shareholder value from excessive risk due to poor governance and sustainability practices.

   
Compensation     We consider it to be the board’s responsibility to set appropriate levels of executive remuneration. Despite the differences among the types of plans and the potential awards, there is a simple underlying philosophy that guides our analysis of executive remuneration: there should be a direct relationship between executive compensation and company performance over the long term. In emerging markets, we encourage companies to disclose information on senior executive remuneration.
 
    Shareholders should have the opportunity to assess whether pay structures and levels are aligned with business performance. When assessing remuneration reports, we consider factors such as adequate disclosure of remuneration elements, absolute and relative pay levels, peer selection and benchmarking, the mix of long-term and short-term incentives, alignment of pay structures with shareholder interests, corporate strategy and performance. We may oppose remuneration reports where pay seems misaligned with shareholders’ interests. We may also vote against the re-election of members of the remuneration committee if we have serious concerns about remuneration practices and if the company has not been responsive to shareholder pressure to review its approach. With regard to director remuneration, we support director pay provided the amounts are not excessive relative to other issuers in the market or industry, and are not overly dilutive to existing shareholders.
   
Risk Management     We believe that risk management is a key function of the board, which is responsible for setting the overall risk appetite of a company and for providing oversight on the risk management process established by senior executives at a company. We allow boards to have discretion regarding the ways in which they provide oversight in this area. However, we expect companies to disclose how the board provides oversight on its risk management system and risk identification. Boards should also review existing and emerging risks that evolve in tandem with a changing political and economic landscape or as companies diversify or expand their operations into new areas.

 

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    As responsible stewards, we believe in the importance of effective risk management and oversight of issues that are material to a company. To effectively assess the risk of our clients’ portfolios and the broader market, we expect our portfolio companies to manage risks and opportunities that are material and industry-specific and that have a demonstrated link to long-term value creation, and to provide high-quality disclosure of this process to shareholders.
    Consistent with this perspective, we may seek to engage with our portfolio companies to better understand how their boards are overseeing risks and opportunities the company has deemed to be material to its business or operations. If we believe a company has failed to implement and communicate effective oversight of these risks, we may consider voting against the directors responsible.
   
Environmental and Social Issues     As a fiduciary, State Street Global Advisors takes a comprehensive approach to engaging with our portfolio companies about material environmental and social factors. Our Asset Stewardship program prioritization process allows us to proactively identify companies for engagement and voting in order to mitigate sustainability risks in our portfolio. Through engagement, we aim to build long-term relationships with the issuers in which we invest on behalf of our clients and to address a broad range of topics relating to the promotion of long-term shareholder value creation. When voting, we fundamentally consider whether the adoption of a shareholder proposal addressing an environmental or social topic material to the company would promote long-term shareholder value in the context of the company’s existing practices and disclosures as well as existing market practice.
   

For more information on our approach to environmental and social issues, please see our Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Environmental and Social Factors, available at

ssga.com/about-us/asset-stewardship.html.

   
General/Routine Issues     Some of the other issues that are routinely voted on in emerging markets include approving the allocation of income and accepting financial statements and statutory reports. For these voting items, our guidelines consider several factors, such as historical dividend payouts, pending litigation, governmental investigations, charges of fraud, or other indication of significant concerns.

 

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About State Street Global Advisors     For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $3.48 trillion under our care.
 
   

*  Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of December 31, 2021.

  This figure is presented as of December 31, 2022 and includes approximately $58.60 billion USD of assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

 

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ssga.com

Marketing communication

State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

Abu Dhabi: State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM branch is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This document is intended for Professional Clients or Market Counterparties only as defined by the FSRA and no other person should act upon it. State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM Branch, Al Khatem Tower, Suite 42801, Level 28, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, P.O Box 76404, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. T: +971 2 245 9000. Australia: State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited (ABN 42 003 914 225) is the holder of an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL Number 238276). Registered office: Level 14, 420 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. T: +612 9240-7600. F: +612 9240-7611. Belgium: State Street Global Advisors Belgium, Chaussée de La Hulpe 185, 1170 Brussels, Belgium. T: +32 2 663 2036. State Street Global Advisors Belgium is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose

registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Canada: State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., 1981 McGill College Avenue, Suite 500, Montreal, Qc, H3A 3A8, T: +514 282 2400 and 30 Adelaide Street East Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G6. T: +647 775 5900. France: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, France Branch (“State Street Global Advisors France”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors France is registered in France with company number RCS Nanterre 899 183 289, and its office is located at Coeur Défense — Tour A — La Défense 4, 33e étage, 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92 931 Paris La Défense Cedex, France. T: +33 1 44 45 40 00. F: +33 1 44 45 41 92. Germany: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich, Germany (“State Street Global Advisors Germany”). T: +49 (0)89 55878 400. State Street Global Advisors Germany is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir

John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Hong Kong: State Street Global Advisors Asia Limited, 68/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. T: +852 2103-0288. F: +852 2103-0200. Ireland: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered office address 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Registered Number: 49934. T: +353 (0)1 776 3000. F: +353 (0)1 776 3300. Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 — REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155. Japan: State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 25F 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6325 Japan. T: +81-3-4530-7380. Financial Instruments Business Operator, Kanto Local Financial Bureau (Kinsho #345), Membership: Japan Investment Advisers Association, The Investment Trust Association, Japan,

Japan Securities Dealers’ Association. Netherlands: State Street Global Advisors Netherlands, Apollo Building 7th floor, Herikerbergweg 29, 1101 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands. T: +31 20 7181 000. State Street Global Advisors Netherlands is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Singapore: State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited, 168, Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 (Company Reg. No: 200002719D, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore). T: +65 6826-7555. F: +65 6826-7501. Switzerland: State Street Global Advisors AG, Beethovenstr. 19, CH-8027 Zurich. Registered with the Register of Commerce Zurich CHE-105.078.458. T: +41 (0)44 245 70 00. F: +41 (0)44 245 70 16. United Kingdom: State Street Global Advisors Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. T: 020 3395 6000. F: 020 3395 6350. United States: State Street Global Advisors, 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210-1641. T: +1 617 786 3000.

 

 

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The views expressed in this material are the views of SSGA Asset Stewardship Team through the period ended March 23, 2023 and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This document contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no

representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your tax and financial advisor.

The returns on a portfolio of securities which exclude companies that do not meet the portfolio’s specified ESG criteria may trail the returns on a portfolio of securities which include such companies. A portfolio’s ESG criteria may result in the portfolio investing in industry sectors or securities which underperform the market as a whole.

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate EU regulator who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The trademarks and service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Third party data providers make no warranties or representations of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and have no liability for damages of any kind relating to the use of such data.

Responsible-Factor (R Factor) scoring is designed by State Street to reflect certain ESG characteristics and does not represent investment performance. Results

generated out of the scoring model is based on sustainability and corporate governance dimensions of a scored entity.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation. This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

© 2023 State Street Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

ID1482392-3479918.3.1.GBL.RTL    0323 Exp. Date: 03/31/2024

 

 

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March 2023

Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Environmental and Social Factors

 

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Overview     Our primary fiduciary obligation to our clients is to maximize the long-term returns of their investments. It is our view that material sustainability considerations, including environmental and social (E&S) issues, can present risks and/or opportunities that impact long-term value creation. This philosophy provides the foundation for our value-based approach to Asset Stewardship.
    We regularly identify stewardship priorities that we believe are important for our portfolio companies to consider.
   
Our Approach to Assessing Materiality and Relevance of
E&S Factors
   

While we believe that E&S factors can expose companies to material risks as well as drive long-term value creation, the materiality of specific E&S factors varies across industries, markets, and specific companies. We leverage several inputs to inform our views on the materiality of an E&S issue at a given company, including:

 

•  Established frameworks, including The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) Standards, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Framework, etc.;

 

•  Academic research and other expert insights

 

•  Disclosure expectations required by regulation

 

•  Market expectations for the sector and industry

 

We expect companies to disclose information regarding their approach to identifying and managing material E&S-related risks and opportunities, as well as the board’s oversight of these risks and opportunities.

   
Our Approach to
E&S Factors Through Engagements
    The Asset Stewardship team regularly identifies thematic stewardship priorities that will be addressed across different engagement meetings. We focus on priorities that we consider important to be considered by the portfolio companies in which we invest our clients’ assets. These engagements help us to establish disclosure expectations and to more fully understand the nuanced challenges that companies seek to address related to E&S factors. Establishing robust disclosure expectations allows us to monitor companies’ progress toward alignment with our relevant disclosure expectations, and contributing to our perspectives on our stewardship priority areas.
    Through engagement, we address a broad range of factors that align with our stewardship priorities and seek to foster constructive, long-term relationships with issuers. We view engagements as part of an ongoing dialogue, versus a series of one-off conversations. During conversations with issuers, we share expectations and perspectives on key dimensions of E&S factors, and seek to understand how companies and their boards manage and oversee related risks and opportunities.

 

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    The Use of R-Factor in Engagements
    R-Factor™ is a scoring system created by State Street Global Advisors that measures the performance of a company’s business operations and governance as it relates to material ESG factors facing the company’s industry. State Street Global Advisors may engage with a company regarding its R-Factor™ score at the request of the company.
   
Analyzing E&S Proposals    

When analyzing shareholder proposals related to E&S factors, we consider the following factors:

 

•  The materiality of the E&S factors in the proposal to the company’s business and sector (see “Our Approach to Assessing Materiality and Relevance of E&S Factors” above);

 

•  The content and intent of the proposal, including whether the adoption of such a proposal would provide information to allow investors to better understand risk and opportunities in the context of the company’s disclosure and practices;

 

•  The strength of board oversight of the company’s relevant sustainability practices, as well as responsiveness to engagement;

 

•  Binding nature or prescriptiveness of proposal.

 

For proposal topics for which we have developed guidance, we leverage the specific guidance, found in the Appendix, as a benchmark to analyze a company’s disclosures relative to our expectations for the relevant E&S factor.

 

For proposal topics for which we have not published guidance, we evaluate the company’s determination of materiality of the proposal to the company’s business and operations and the company’s related disclosures.

   
Voting on E&S Proposals    

Below is the approach we follow when voting on E&S shareholder proposals:

 

•  FOR We will consider voting for shareholder proposals that we believe will lead to l increased alignment with our expectations set out in the attached Appendix;

 

•  ABSTAIN We will consider voting abstain when we support some elements of a proposal’s request, or recognize a company’s commitment to implement related disclosure and/or oversight practices;

 

•  AGAINST We will vote against shareholder proposals that we believe are immaterial, overly prescriptive, or would not further our disclosure and oversight expectations, including those set out in the Appendix.

 

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Appendix            
   
Guidance on Common Environmental and Social Proposal Topics     The following provides an overview of State Street Global Advisors’ public guidance related to common environmental and social shareholder proposal topics. We leverage this to inform our analysis of relevant shareholder proposals as it applies to companies in our portfolios.
    Climate Change
   

We expect all companies to provide public disclosures in accordance with the following four pillars of the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework:

 

1.  Governance;

 

2.  Strategy;

 

3.  Risk Management; and

 

4.  Metrics and Targets.

 

    Additionally, we expect companies in carbon-intensive sectors to disclose:
    Interim greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets to accompany long-term climate ambitions
    Discussion of impacts of scenario-planning on strategy and financial planning
    Incorporation of climate considerations in capital allocation decisions
    Scope 1, 2, and material categories of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions
    For additional context on our expectations for relevant disclosures, please review our related guidance.
    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    We expect all companies to provide public disclosure in the following key areas:
   

1.  Board Oversight Describe how the board executes its oversight role in risks and opportunities related to diversity and inclusion;

 

2.  Strategy Articulate the role diversity (of race, ethnicity, and gender, at minimum) plays in the company’s broader human capital management practices and long-term strategy;

 

3.  Goals Describe what diversity, equity, and inclusion-related goals exist, how these goals contribute to the company’s overall strategy, and how they are managed and progressing;

 

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4.  Metrics Provide measures of the diversity of the company’s global employee base and board, including:

   

a. Workforce Employee diversity by race, ethnicity, and gender (at minimum). We expect to see this information to be broken down by industry-relevant employment categories or levels of seniority, for all full-time employees. In the US, companies are expected to at least use the disclosure framework set forth by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s EEO-1 Survey. Non-US companies are encouraged to disclose this information in alignment with SASB guidance and nationally appropriate frameworks; and,

   

b. Board Diversity characteristics, including racial, ethnic, and gender makeup (at minimum) of the board of directors; and

 
   

5.  Board Diversity Articulate goals and strategy related to diverse representation at the board (including race, ethnicity, and gender, at minimum), including how the board reflects the diversity of the company’s workforce, community, customers, and other key stakeholders.

    For additional context on our expectations for relevant disclosures, please review our related guidance.
    Civil Rights Risks
    We expect all companies in the US to provide public disclosure on:
   

1.  Risks related to civil rights, including impact of products, practices, and services on underrepresented communities inside and outside the organization;

   

2.  Plans to manage and mitigate these risks; and

   

3.  Processes at the board for overseeing such risks (e.g., committee responsible, frequency of discussions, etc.).

    For additional context on our expectations for relevant disclosures, please review ourrelated guidance.
    Pay Equity
   

We expect all companies in the US and the UK to provide public disclosure on:

   

1.  Adjusted pay gaps related to race and gender within the company (Disclosure of the unadjusted pay gap is also encouraged, but not expected outside of the UK market at this time);

   

2.  Strategy to achieve and maintain pay equity; and

 

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3.  Role of the board in overseeing pay strategies as well as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts.

    For additional context on our expectations for relevant disclosures, please review our related guidance.
 
    Human Rights
    We expect all companies to disclose which processes exist for identifying risks related to human rights. If any material human rights risks are identified, we expect further public disclosure describing:
   

1.  Human rights-related risks the company considers most material;

   

2.  Plans to manage and mitigate these risks;

   

3.  Board oversight of these risks; and

   

4.  Assessment of the effectiveness of the human rights risk management program.

    For additional context on our expectations for relevant disclosures, please review our related guidance.
    Human Capital Management
    We expect all companies to provide public disclosure on:
   

1.  Board oversight Methods outlining how the board oversees human capital-related risks and opportunities;

   

2.  Strategy Approaches to human capital management and how these advance the long-term business strategy;

   

3.  Compensation Strategies throughout the organization that aim to attract and retain employees, and incentivize contribution to an effective human capital strategy;

   

4.  Voice Channels to ensure the concerns and ideas from workers are solicited and acted upon, and how the workforce is engaged and empowered in the organization; and

   

5.  Diversity, equity, and inclusion Efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (see our complementary Guidance on Diversity Disclosures & Practices for additional context).

    For additional context on our expectations for relevant disclosures, please review our related guidance.

 

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    Environmental Impacts
    If material risks related to adverse environmental impacts on communities from company operations have been identified, we expect companies to disclose information related to:
   

1.  Adverse environmental impacts on communities the company considers most material, including relevant demographic data where applicable;

   

2.  Management of material risks from company operations, including the role of stakeholders; and

   

3.  Board oversight of such risks.

    Deforestation-Intensive Companies
    We expect companies that have determined deforestation is a material risk to their business and operations to disclose:
   

1.  Strategy to assess and manage deforestation-related risks and opportunities for high-risk commodities in the company’s operations and/or business value chain (e.g., supply chain monitoring and engagement, greenhouse gas emissions linked to deforestation, product certifications, stakeholder engagement);

   

2.  Quantitative and/or qualitative metrics and time-bound targets used to assess and manage risks and opportunities related to high deforestation-risk commodities in the company’s operations and/or business value chain; and

   

3.  Board oversight and accountability for deforestation and/or land use-related risks.

    For additional context on our expectations for relevant disclosures and leading practices, please review our related insights gained from engaging with our portfolio companies in deforestation-intensive sectors.
    Concealment Clauses
    We expect all companies that use concealment clauses to provide public disclosure on:
   

1.  Description of concealment clauses used (e.g. arbitration, non-disclosure, non-disparagement) in employment and post-employment agreements for direct and contract employees globally;

   

2.  Carveouts enabling employees to speak publicly about experiences of sexual harassment, discrimination, and other unlawful acts; and

   

3.  Board’s role in overseeing the use of concealment clauses.

 

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About State Street Global Advisors     For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $3.48 trillion under our care.
 
    * Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of December 31, 2021.
    This figure is presented as of December 31, 2022 and includes approximately $58.60 billion USD of assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

 

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ssga.com

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State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

Abu Dhabi: State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM branch is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This document is intended for Professional Clients or Market Counterparties only as defined by the FSRA and no other person should act upon it. State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM Branch, Al Khatem Tower, Suite 42801, Level 28, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, P.O Box 76404, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. T: +971 2 245 9000. Australia: State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited (ABN 42 003 914 225) is the holder of an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL Number 238276). Registered office: Level 14, 420 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. T: +612 9240-7600. F: +612 9240-7611. Belgium: State Street Global Advisors Belgium, Chaussée de La Hulpe 185, 1170 Brussels, Belgium. T: +32 2 663 2036. State Street Global Advisors Belgium is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and

whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Canada: State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., 1981 McGill College Avenue, Suite 500, Montreal, Qc, H3A 3A8, T: +514 282 2400 and 30 Adelaide Street East Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G6. T: +647 775 5900. France: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, France Branch (“State Street Global Advisors France”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors France is registered in France with company number RCS Nanterre 899 183 289, and its office is located at Coeur Défense — Tour A — La Défense 4, 33e étage, 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92 931 Paris La Défense Cedex, France. T: +33 1 44 45 40 00. F: +33 1 44 45 41 92. Germany: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich, Germany (“State Street Global Advisors Germany”). T: +49 (0)89 55878 400. State Street Global Advisors Germany is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir

John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Hong Kong: State Street Global Advisors Asia Limited, 68/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. T: +852 2103-0288. F: +852 2103-0200. Ireland: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered office address 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Registered Number: 49934. T: +353 (0)1 776 3000. F: +353 (0)1 776 3300. Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 — REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155. Japan: State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 25F 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6325 Japan. T: +81-3-4530-7380. Financial Instruments Business Operator, Kanto Local Financial Bureau (Kinsho #345), Membership: Japan Investment Advisers Association, The Investment Trust Association,

Japan, Japan Securities Dealers’ Association. Netherlands: State Street Global Advisors Netherlands, Apollo Building 7th floor, Herikerbergweg 29, 1101 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands. T: +31 20 7181 000. State Street Global Advisors Netherlands is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Singapore: State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited, 168, Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 (Company Reg. No: 200002719D, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore). T: +65 6826-7555. F: +65 6826-7501. Switzerland: State Street Global Advisors AG, Beethovenstr. 19, CH-8027 Zurich. Registered with the Register of Commerce Zurich CHE-105.078.458. T: +41 (0)44 245 70 00. F: +41 (0)44 245 70 16. United Kingdom: State Street Global Advisors Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. T: 020 3395 6000. F: 020 3395 6350. United States: State Street Global Advisors, 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210-1641. T: +1 617 786 3000.

 

 

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The views expressed in this material are the views of SSGA Asset Stewardship Team through the period ended March 23, 2023 and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This document contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no

representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your tax and financial advisor.

The returns on a portfolio of securities which exclude companies that do not meet the portfolio’s specified ESG criteria may trail the returns on a portfolio of securities which include such companies. A portfolio’s ESG criteria may result in the portfolio investing in industry sectors or securities which underperform the market as a whole.

 

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate EU regulator who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The trademarks and service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Third party data providers make no warranties or representations of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and have no liability for damages of any kind relating to the use of such data.

Responsible-Factor (R Factor) scoring is designed by State Street to reflect certain ESG characteristics and does not represent investment performance. Results

generated out of the scoring model is based on sustainability and corporate governance dimensions of a scored entity.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation. This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

© 2023 State Street Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

ID1483208-3479887.4.1.GBL.RTL    0323

Exp. Date: 03/31/2024

 

 

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March 2023

Conflicts Mitigation Guidelines Managing Conflicts of Interest Arising from State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Activity

State Street Corporation has a comprehensive standalone Conflicts of Interest Policy and other policies that address a range of identified conflicts of interests. In addition, State Street Global Advisors, the asset management business of State Street Corporation, maintains a conflicts register that identifies key conflicts and describes systems in place to mitigate the conflicts. This document* is designed to act in conjunction with related policies and practices employed by other groups within the organization. Further, it complements those policies and practices

 

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by providing information about managing the conflicts of interests that may arise through State Street Global Advisors’ proxy voting and engagement activities.

 

 

 

  *

These Managing Conflicts of Interest Arising From State Street Global Advisors’ Proxy Voting and Engagement Activity Guidelines are also applicable to SSGA Funds Management, Inc. SSGA Funds Management, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser. SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, and other advisory affiliates of State Street make up State Street Global Advisors, the investment management arm of State Street Corporation.

 

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Managing Conflicts of Interest Related to Proxy Voting and Engagement     State Street Global Advisors has implemented processes designed to prevent undue influence on State Street Global Advisors’ voting and engagement activities that may arise from relationships between proxy issuers or companies and State Street Corporation, State Street Global Advisors, State Street Global Advisors affiliates, State Street Global Advisors Funds, or State Street Global Advisors Fund affiliates.
    State Street Global Advisors assigns sole responsibility for the implementation of proxy voting guidelines to members of its Asset Stewardship Team, a team that is independent from other functions within the organization, such as sales and marketing, investment, or client facing teams. Proxy voting is undertaken in accordance with the Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Principles, Global Proxy Voting and Engagement Guidelines for Environmental and Social Factors, regional proxy voting and engagement guidelines and guidance published thereunder by State Street Global Advisors from time to time (the “Voting Policy”), which are reviewed and overseen by the State Street Global Advisors’ ESG Committee (the “ESG Committee”). Any changes to the Voting Policy are communicated to Asset Stewardship Team employees in a timely manner to ensure that they understand the potential impact to their proxy voting activities. In rare circumstances where nuances within specific proxy proposals fall outside of the scope of the Voting Policy, requiring case-by-case analysis, such proposals are escalated to the head of Asset Stewardship and reported to the ESG Committee. Voting consistently with the Voting Policy helps mitigate potential conflicts of interest, as the Voting Policy is determined without reference to any specific entities or relationship.
    Members of the Asset Stewardship Team may from time to time discuss views on proxy voting matters, company performance, strategy, etc. with other State Street Corporation or State Street Global Advisors employees, including portfolio managers, senior executives, and relationship managers. However, final voting decisions are made solely by the Asset Stewardship Team, in accordance with the Voting Policy and in a manner consistent with the best interest of its clients, taking into account various perspectives on risks and opportunities with the goal of maximizing the value of client assets. Except in certain jurisdictions where proxy voting decisions are regularly disclosed prior to voting pursuant to local custom, Asset Stewardship Team employees are generally prohibited from disclosing State Street Global Advisors’ voting decisions prior to the meetings. In addition, State Street Global Advisors generally exercises a single voting decision for each ballot item across the client accounts for which it is responsible for proxy voting regardless of investment strategy.1 In certain cases, where a material conflict of interest is identified, the matter may be referred to the ESG Committee for review.

 

 

 

  1

Exceptions to this unified voting policy are where: (1) State Street Global Advisors has made proxy voting choices (i.e., the State Street Global Advisors proxy voting program) available to investors within a pooled investment vehicle, in which case a pro rata portion of shares held by the fund attributable to investors who choose to participate in the proxy voting program would be voted consistent with the third-party proxy voting policies selected by the investors, and (2) in limited circumstances, certain pooled investment vehicles for which State Street Global Advisors acts as investment manager may, pursuant to their governing documents, utilize proxy voting guidelines developed by third-party advisors.

 

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Other protocols designed to help mitigate potential conflicts of interest include:

 

     

Types of Potential
Conflict

 

 

Stewardship Conflict of Interest Description

 

 

Typical Conflict Mitigation Protocols That We
Employ

 

 
Business relationships   A conflict of interest may arise where, for example, we hold investments in companies with which we, or our affiliates, have material business relationships.   Assigning sole responsibility for the implementation of proxy voting guidelines to members of Asset Stewardship Team and voting in accordance with the Voting Policy are our primary conflict mitigation protocols. Furthermore, the voting rationale is recorded to provide transparency.
 
      Additional mitigation steps may be implemented on a case-by-case basis. This may include, for example, blackout periods for communications with issuers/clients.
     
Equity investments   A conflict of interest may arise where client accounts and/ or State Street Global Advisors pooled funds, where State Street Global Advisors acts as trustee, may hold shares in State Street Corporation or other State Street Global Advisors affiliated entities, such as mutual funds affiliated with SSGA Funds Management, Inc.   Mitigants may include, for example, outsourcing voting decisions relating to a shareholder meeting of State Street Corporation or other State Street Global Advisors affiliated entities to independent outside third parties. In such cases, delegated third parties exercise voting decisions based upon State Street Global Advisors’ Voting Policy.
 
Outside business interest   A conflict of interest may arise where an Asset Stewardship Team employee or a key employee in the firm has an outside business interest (such as a director role in a company we invest in, or in the same industry as we invest).   State Street Global Advisors maintains an Outside Activities Policy and employees must submit a request requiring approval before undertaking any outside activities that are captured by the Outside Activities Policy. The request will be reviewed by the employee’s manager and the Conduct Risk Management Office to ensure compliance with applicable policies and procedures (such as the Global Anti-Corruption Policy and the Standard of Conduct) and ensure potential conflicts are mitigated.
 
      Additional mitigation steps may be implemented on a case-by-case basis. This may include, for example, retaining an independent fiduciary to make a voting decision where State Street Global Advisors believes it may be conflicted from voting due to an employee’s outside business interest.
     
Other personal conflicts   A conflict of interest may arise where a family member or other personal contact of an employee is employed by a company in which we invest.   Mitigation steps may be implemented for personal conflicts on a case-by-case basis. This may include, for example, filing a Personal Conflicts declaration with a mitigation strategy to document how the conflict will be avoided. Such strategies may include, for example, a member of the Asset Stewardship Team with a conflict recusing him/herself from voting and participating in engagement activities at the relevant company, and implementing blackout periods for communications with issuers/clients.

 

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Types of Potential
Conflict

 

 

Stewardship Conflict of Interest Description

 

 

Typical Conflict Mitigation Protocols That We
Employ

 

 
Securities lending   We may lend securities that we hold in one of our portfolios to another financial counterparty. This may create a conflict of interest regarding whether to recall those securities to enable us to vote on behalf of the portfolio in a shareholder resolution, which may impact the intended securities lending income.  

Our approach to securities lending recall, and any potential conflicts that may be created through our securities lending recall activity, is governed by the Securities Lending Recall for Proxy Voting Procedure, which is co-owned by the Asset Stewardship Team, Securities Lending Team and Proxy Operations Group. The conflict mitigation protocols include predefining criteria to systematically recall shares, periodic review of the recall procedure by relevant stakeholders, and periodic reporting of recall activities and associated forgone lending income to the relevant internal governance bodies.

 

 

   
About State Street Global Advisors    

For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $3.48 trillion under our care.

 

 
    * Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of December 31, 2021.
    This figure is presented as of December 31, 2022 and includes approximately $58.60 billion USD of assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

 

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ssga.com

Marketing communication

 

 

State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

Abu Dhabi: State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM branch is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This document is intended for Professional Clients or Market Counterparties only as defined by the FSRA and no other person should act upon it. State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM Branch, Al Khatem Tower, Suite 42801, Level 28, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, P.O Box 76404, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. T: +971 2 245 9000. Australia: State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited (ABN 42 003 914 225) is the holder of an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL Number 238276). Registered office: Level 14, 420 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. T: +612 9240-7600. F: +612 9240-7611. Belgium: State Street Global Advisors Belgium, Chaussée de La Hulpe 185, 1170 Brussels, Belgium. T: +32 2 663 2036. State Street Global Advisors Belgium is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir

John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Canada: State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., 1981 McGill College Avenue, Suite 500, Montreal, Qc, H3A 3A8, T: +514 282 2400 and 30 Adelaide Street East Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G6. T: +647 775 5900. France: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, France Branch (“State Street Global Advisors France”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors France is registered in France with company number RCS Nanterre 899 183 289, and its office is located at Coeur Défense — Tour A — La Défense 4, 33e étage, 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92 931 Paris La Défense Cedex, France. T: +33 1 44 45 40 00. F: +33 1 44 45 41 92. Germany: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich, Germany (“State Street Global Advisors Germany”). T: +49 (0)89 55878 400. State Street Global Advisors Germany is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin

2. Hong Kong: State Street Global Advisors Asia Limited, 68/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. T: +852 2103-0288. F: +852 2103-0200. Ireland: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered office address 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Registered Number: 49934. T: +353 (0)1 776 3000. F: +353 (0)1 776 3300. Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 — REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155. Japan: State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 25F 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6325 Japan. T: +81-3-4530-7380. Financial Instruments Business Operator, Kanto Local Financial Bureau (Kinsho #345), Membership: Japan Investment Advisers Association, The Investment Trust Association, Japan, Japan Securities Dealers’

Association. Netherlands: State Street Global Advisors Netherlands, Apollo Building 7th floor, Herikerbergweg 29, 1101 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands. T: +31 20 7181 000. State Street Global Advisors Netherlands is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Singapore: State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited, 168, Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 (Company Reg. No: 200002719D, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore). T: +65 6826-7555. F: +65 6826-7501. Switzerland: State Street Global Advisors AG, Beethovenstr. 19, CH-8027 Zurich. Registered with the Register of Commerce Zurich CHE-105.078.458. T: +41 (0)44 245 70 00. F: +41 (0)44 245 70 16. United Kingdom: State Street Global Advisors Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. T: 020 3395 6000. F: 020 3395 6350. United States: State Street Global Advisors, 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210-1641. T: +1 617 786 3000.

 

 

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The views expressed in this material are the views of SSGA Asset Stewardship Team through the period ended March 23, 2023 and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This document contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no

representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your tax and financial advisor.

The returns on a portfolio of securities which exclude companies that do not meet the portfolio’s specified ESG criteria may trail the returns on a portfolio of securities which include such companies. A portfolio’s ESG criteria may result in the portfolio investing in industry sectors or securities which underperform the market as a whole.

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate EU regulator who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The trademarks and service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Third party data providers make no warranties or representations of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and have no liability for damages of any kind relating to the use of such data.

Responsible-Factor (R Factor) scoring is designed by State Street to reflect certain ESG characteristics and does not represent investment performance. Results

generated out of the scoring model is based on sustainability and corporate governance dimensions of a scored entity.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation. This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

© 2023 State Street Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

ID1482714-3479898.4.1.GBL.RTL 0323 Exp. Date: 03/31/2024

 

 

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March 2023

State Street Global Advisors’ Global Issuer and Stakeholder Engagement Guidelines

State Street Global Advisors has developed engagement guidelines to increase transparency around our engagement philosophy, approach, and processes. These guidelines are designed to communicate with our investee companies regarding the objectives of our engagement activities and to facilitate a better understanding of our preferred terms of engagement. The guidelines also outline our approach to engaging with activist investors and shareholder proposal proponents.

 

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    State Street Global Advisors’ engagement activities are driven exclusively by our goal to maximize and protect the long-term value of our clients’ assets.
   
State Street Global Advisors’ Methodology for Developing its Annual Engagement Strategy     While we would like to maintain a dialogue with all of our portfolio companies, we recognize the need to focus our engagement efforts where we believe we will have maximum impact. Each year, as part of its strategic review process, the Asset Stewardship Team develops an annual engagement strategy, and it accordingly identifies a priority list of companies that we intend to engage with during the year. We focus on priorities that we consider important to be considered by the portfolio companies in which we invest our clients’ assets.
    The intensity and type of engagement with a company is determined by State Street Global Advisors’ relative and absolute holdings in that company. In addition, we factor in geographic diversity in our engagement efforts to reflect the level of economic exposure to various markets. Finally, we also consider the engagement culture in a market or geographic region when developing our engagement priority list and approach.
   

State Street Global Advisors meets with companies through in-person and virtual meetings. We prefer virtual meetings as we believe this is cost effective for our clients and investee companies. This also helps us minimize our global carbon footprint.

 

   
Helpful Information to Include in Engagement Request Emails to State Street Global Advisors    

To help expedite the review of engagement requests, please include the following information in engagement request emails to State Street Global Advisors:

 

•  Company name and identifier (i.e. ticker)

 

•  Topics the issuer is interested in discussing

 

•  Upcoming meeting date, if applicable

 

•  Issuer attendees and their titles

 

All requests for engagement should be sent to the Asset Stewardship Team at GovernanceTeam@ssga.com.

   
Guidelines for Engaging with Investee Companies    

•  During the ‘proxy season’, we prioritize conversations related to companies’ shareholder meetings. In the ‘off-season’, we discuss our focus areas and stewardship priorities with companies for whom these topics are most material.

 

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•  We believe that as a long-term shareholder with substantial holdings, it is important to establish a relationship and have a direct communication channel with independent directors in our investee companies. Therefore, as part of our engagement process, we prefer to meet with the non-executive chairperson/lead independent director and/or representative of key board committees. Such meetings help us assess the quality and effectiveness of the board, the extent of the oversight of management, and the board’s perspectives on key issues, such as strategy, risk, capital allocation, and compensation. It also allows us to escalate matters to the board’s attention if management has been unresponsive to suggestions discussed during prior engagements.

   

•  After our initial meeting with members of the board, the frequency of desired follow-up meetings is determined by the nature of the issues discussed. We will outline expectations and timelines for subsequent meetings during the discussion. We follow similar guidelines for meeting requests with C-suite management representatives at companies.

   

•  Typically, we allow additional capacity for reactive engagement in Q2 for markets such as the US, UK, EU, and Japan (Q4 for Australian companies) where the majority of the companies have general meetings between the months of April and June.

   

•  We reserve the Q1, Q3, and Q4 time periods to conduct the majority of our active engagements with some room for reactive engagement with companies that have experienced a significant event or are seeking approval for a corporate transaction, board transition, or other material concern.

   

•  Instances in which we are likely to accept engagement requests include instances when:

   

– We have concerns about a ballot item; and

   

– We believe that engagement will better inform our voting decision; and/or

   

– We want to discuss material risks with a company

   

•  Instances in which we are likely to decline engagement requests include instances when:

   

– We do not have any immediate concerns about a ballot item

   

– We believe we have adequate information to make an informed voting decision on a ballot item

   

– Our position on a ballot item is addressed in our public policy statement

   

– We have actively engaged with the company on matters pertaining to the ballot proposal outside the ‘proxy season’

 

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– We believe that the matter is best discussed outside the vote solicitation period

   

•  If we have provided feedback during the vote solicitation period, we believe that any follow-up discussion with the company should focus on the board or company’s response to our feedback

   

•  We track all feedback provided to investee companies and routinely conduct follow-up engagements to assess the progress made by a company toward the incorporation of our feedback

   

•  We welcome written submission of changes made by the board to the company’s governance or remuneration policies and practices

 

   
Guidelines for Engaging with Other Investors Soliciting State Street Global Advisors’ Votes in Connection with Vote-No Campaigns or Shareholder Proposals     We believe it is good practice for us to speak to other investors that are running proxy contests, putting forth vote-no campaigns, or proposing shareholder proposals at investee companies. However, we generally limit such discussions with investors to one engagement unless we believe that it is necessary for us to have a follow-up call. We welcome the opportunity to review materials sent in advance of the proposed discussion. To the extent possible, we review all materials made publicly available by the investor or the company on a contested ballot item before making a voting decision. Our primary purpose of engaging with investors is:
   

•  To gain a better understanding of their position or concerns at investee companies.

   

•  In proxy contest situations:

   

– To assess possible director candidates where investors are seeking board representation in proxy contest situations

   

– To understand the investor’s proposed strategy for the company and investment time horizon to assess their alignment with State Street Global Advisors’ views and interests as a long-term shareholder

   

All requests for engagement should be sent to GovernanceTeam@ssga.com.

 

   

Investor Engagement Protocol

   

State Street Global Advisors encourages boards of directors to develop an investor engagement protocol or plan that establishes policies and mechanisms through which independent directors communicate with and receive feedback from institutional investors. The protocol would help foster strong relationships between a company’s directors and its investors, while promoting transparency, responsibility, and accountability of the board.

 

 

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The protocol should identify key independent directors (such as a non-executive chairman, lead independent director, or a representative of a key board committee), who would be mandated to engage with shareholders on a range of topics that are of interest to State Street Global Advisors and/or other institutional investors. A robust engagement protocol would also develop a crisis communication plan for the board when institutional investors and the market-at- large need to communicate with independent directors, in a timely manner, about their oversight and response to a developing concern facing the company.

 

   
Requesting R-Factor™ Scores     Companies interested in receiving their R-Factor™ scores should submit an email request to myrfactorscore@ssga.com including the following information:
   

•  Company’s legal name

   

•  Ticker

   

•  ISIN

   

•  Company’s headquarter location

   

•  Contact name

   

•  Contact’s Title at Company

   

•  Contact email address (must be an official company email address)

   

•  Contact phone#

   

Please note that R-Factor™ scores will be provided only to employees affiliated with a company’s Investor Relations, Chief Financial Officer, ESG/Sustainability Leadership or General Secretary’s organizations. Please include attestation in your email stating that you are affiliated with one of these functions.

 

   
About State Street Global Advisors     For four decades, State Street Global Advisors has served the world’s governments, institutions and financial advisors. With a rigorous, risk-aware approach built on research, analysis and market-tested experience, we build from a breadth of index and active strategies to create cost-effective solutions. And, as pioneers in index, ETF, and ESG investing, we are always inventing new ways to invest. As a result, we have become the world’s fourth-largest asset manager* with US $3.48 trillion† under our care.
 
   

*  Pensions & Investments Research Center, as of December 31, 2021.

   

  This figure is presented as of December 31, 2022 and includes approximately $58.60 billion USD of assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

 

 

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ssga.com

Marketing communication

 

 

State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

Abu Dhabi: State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM branch is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This document is intended for Professional Clients or Market Counterparties only as defined by the FSRA and no other person should act upon it. State Street Global Advisors Limited, ADGM Branch, Al Khatem Tower, Suite 42801, Level 28, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, P.O Box 76404, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. T: +971 2 245 9000. Australia: State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited (ABN 42 003 914 225) is the holder of an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL Number 238276). Registered office: Level 14, 420 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. T: +612 9240-7600. F: +612 9240-7611. Belgium: State Street Global Advisors Belgium, Chaussée de La Hulpe 185, 1170 Brussels, Belgium. T: +32 2 663 2036. State Street Global Advisors Belgium is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78

Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Canada: State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., 1981 McGill College Avenue, Suite 500, Montreal, Qc, H3A 3A8, T: +514 282 2400 and 30 Adelaide Street East Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G6. T: +647 775 5900. France: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, France Branch (“State Street Global Advisors France”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors France is registered in France with company number RCS Nanterre 899 183 289, and its office is located at Coeur Défense — Tour A — La Défense 4, 33e étage, 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92 931 Paris La Défense Cedex, France. T: +33 1 44 45 40 00. F: +33 1 44 45 41 92. Germany: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich, Germany (“State Street Global Advisors Germany”). T: +49 (0)89 55878 400. State Street Global Advisors Germany is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin

2. Hong Kong: State Street Global Advisors Asia Limited, 68/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. T: +852 2103-0288. F: +852 2103-0200. Ireland: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered office address 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Registered Number: 49934. T: +353 (0)1 776 3000. F: +353 (0)1 776 3300. Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 — REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155. Japan: State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 25F 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6325 Japan. T: +81- 3-4530-7380. Financial Instruments Business Operator, Kanto Local Financial Bureau (Kinsho #345), Membership: Japan Investment Advisers Association, The Investment Trust Association, Japan, Japan Securities Dealers’

Association. Netherlands: State Street Global Advisors Netherlands, Apollo Building 7th floor, Herikerbergweg 29, 1101 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands. T: +31 20 7181 000. State Street Global Advisors Netherlands is a branch office of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Singapore: State Street Global Advisors Singapore Limited, 168, Robinson Road, #33-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 (Company Reg. No: 200002719D, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore). T: +65 6826-7555. F: +65 6826-7501. Switzerland: State Street Global Advisors AG, Beethovenstr. 19, CH-8027 Zurich. Registered with the Register of Commerce Zurich CHE-105.078.458. T: +41 (0)44 245 70 00. F: +41 (0)44 245 70 16. United Kingdom: State Street Global Advisors Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. T: 020 3395 6000. F: 020 3395 6350. United States: State Street Global Advisors, 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210-1641. T: +1 617 786 3000.

 

 

C-120


LOGO

 

 

 

The views expressed in this material are the views of SSGA Asset Stewardship Team through the period ended March 23, 2023 and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This document contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed.

There is no representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your tax and financial advisor.

The returns on a portfolio of securities which exclude companies that do not meet the portfolio’s specified ESG criteria may trail the returns on a portfolio of securities which include such companies. A portfolio’s ESG criteria may result in the portfolio investing in industry sectors or securities which underperform the market as a whole.

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate EU regulator who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The trademarks and service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Third party data providers make no warranties or representations of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and have no liability for damages of any kind relating to the use of such data.

Responsible-Factor (R Factor) scoring is designed by State Street to reflect certain ESG characteristics and does not represent investment performance. Results

generated out of the scoring

model is based on sustainability and corporate governance dimensions of a scored entity.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation. This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

© 2023 State Street Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

ID1482720-3479897.3.1.GBL.RTL    0323 Exp. Date: 03/31/2024

 

 

C-121


PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28.
Exhibits
(a)(i)
(a)(ii)
(b)
(c)
(d)(i)(1)
(d)(i)(2)
(d)(ii)(1)
(d)(ii)(2)
(d)(ii)(3)
(d)(iii)
(d)(iv)
(e)(i)(1)
(e)(i)(2)
(f)
Not applicable.
(g)(i)
(g)(ii)

(g)(iii)
(g)(iv)
(h)(i)(1)
(h)(i)(2)
(h)(ii)(1)
(h)(ii)(2)
(h)(ii)(3)
(h)(ii)(4)
(h)(iii)(1)
(h)(iii)(2)
(h)(iii)(3)
(h)(iii)(4)
(h)(iii)(5)
(h)(iii)(6)
(h)(iv)
(h)(v)
(h)(vi)(1)

(h)(vi)(2)
(h)(vi)(3)
(h)(vi)(4)
(h)(vi)(5)
(h)(vi)(6)
(h)(vii)
(i)(i)
(i)(ii)
(i)(iii)
(i)(iv)
(i)(v)
(i)(vi)
(i)(vii)
(i)(viii)
(i)(ix)
(i)(x)
(i)(xi)
(i)(xii)
(i)(xiii)

(i)(xiv)
(i)(xv)
(i)(xvi)
(j)
(k)
Not applicable.
(l)
(m)
Not applicable.
(n)
Not applicable.
(p)(i)
(p)(ii)
(p)(iii)
(p)(iv)
(q)
EX-101.INS
XBRL Instance Document - the Instance Document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL
tags are embedded within the inline XBRL document.
EX-101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
EX-101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
EX-101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
EX-101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase
EX-101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
Item 29.
Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control With Registrant
The Board of Trustees of the Trust is the same as the Boards of Trustees of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SSGA Active Trust. In addition, the officers of the Trust are substantially identical to the officers of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SSGA Active Trust. Additionally, the Trust’s investment adviser, SSGA FM, also serves as investment adviser to each series of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SSGA Active Trust. Nonetheless, the Trust takes the position that it is not under common control with other trusts because the power residing in the respective boards and officers arises as the result of an official position with the respective trusts.
Additionally, see the “Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities” section of the Statement of Additional Information for a list of shareholders who own more than 5% of a specific fund’s outstanding shares and such information is incorporated by reference to this Item.
Item 30.
Indemnification
Pursuant to Section 5.3 of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and under Section 4.9 of the Registrant’s By-Laws, the Trust will indemnify any person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him/her in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he/she becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his/her being or having been a Trustee, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him/her in the settlement thereof, if he/she acted in good faith and in a manner he/she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his/her conduct

was unlawful. In addition, indemnification is permitted only if it is determined that the actions in question did not render him/her liable by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of his/her duties or by reason of reckless disregard of his/her obligations and duties to the Registrant. The Registrant may also advance money for litigation expenses provided that Trustees, officers, employees and/or agents give their undertakings to repay the Registrant unless their conduct is later determined to permit indemnification.
Pursuant to Section 5.2 of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, no Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant shall be liable for any action or failure to act, except in the case of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties to the Registrant. Pursuant to paragraph 9 of the Registrant’s Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser shall not be liable for any action or failure to act, except in the case of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties to the Registrant.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions of Rule 484 under the Act, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The Registrant hereby undertakes that it will apply the indemnification provision of its By-Laws in a manner consistent with Release 11330 of the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), so long as the interpretation of Sections 17(h) and 17(i) thereunder remains in effect.
The Registrant maintains insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant, or who is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a trustee, director, officer, employee or agent of another trust or corporation, against any liability asserted against him/her and incurred by him/her or arising out of his/her position. However, in no event will the Registrant maintain insurance to indemnify any such person for any act for which the Registrant itself is not permitted to indemnify him/her.
Item 31.
Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser
Any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each director or principal officer of each investment adviser is or has been, at any time during the last two fiscal years (December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022), engaged for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee are as follows:
SSGA FUNDS MANAGEMENT, INC.:
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser for each series of the Trust. SSGA FM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Global Advisors, Inc., which itself is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation. SSGA FM and other advisory affiliates of State Street Corporation make up State Street Global Advisors (“SSGA”), the investment management arm of State Street Corporation. The principal address of SSGA FM is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. SSGA FM is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Below is a list of the directors and principal executive officers of SSGA FM and their principal occupation(s). Unless otherwise noted, the address of each person listed is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
Name
Position with and Name of Other Company
Ellen Needham
Chairperson, Director and President of SSGA FM; Senior Vice President/Senior Managing Director of
SSGA
Sean Driscoll
Director of SSGA FM; Managing Director of SSGA
Barry F.X. Smith
Director of SSGA FM; Executive Vice President of SSGA
Shweta Narasimhadevara
Director of SSGA FM; Senior Vice President/Senior Managing Director of SSGA
Apea Amoa
Director of SSGA FM; Senior Vice President/Senior Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of
SSGA
Jaclyn Collier
Chief Compliance Officer of SSGA FM; Senior Vice President/Senior Managing Director and Chief
Compliance Officer of SSGA
Bo Trevino
Treasurer of SSGA FM; Vice President of SSGA
Sean O’Malley, Esq.
Chief Legal Officer of SSGA FM; Senior Vice President/Senior Managing Director and General
Counsel of SSGA
Ann Carpenter
Chief Operating Officer of SSGA FM; Managing Director of SSGA

Name
Position with and Name of Other Company
Timothy Corbett
Chief Risk Officer of SSGA FM; Senior Vice President/Senior Managing Director of SSGA
Jamie Bernardi
Derivates Risk Manager of SSGA FM; Managing Director of SSGA
Christyann Weltens
Derivates Risk Manager of SSGA FM; Vice President of SSGA
David Ireland
CTA Chief Marketing Officer of SSGA FM; Senior Vice President/Senior Managing Director of
SSGA
David Urman, Esq.
Clerk of SSGA FM; Vice President and Senior Counsel of SSGA
Daniel Furman, Esq.
Assistant Clerk of SSGA FM; Managing Director and Managing Counsel of SSGA
Leanne Dunn, Esq.
Assistant Clerk of SSGA FM; Managing Director and Senior Counsel of SSGA
Michael Pastore, Esq.
Assistant Clerk of SSGA FM; Managing Director and Senior Counsel of SSGA
NUVEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC:
Nuveen Asset Management serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Registrant’s SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg Municipal Bond ETF, SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg Short Term Municipal Bond ETF and SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg High Yield Municipal Bond ETF. The principal business address of Nuveen Asset Management is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Nuveen Asset Management is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Below is a list of the directors and principal executive officers of Nuveen Asset Management and their principal occupation(s). Unless otherwise noted, the address of each person listed is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
Name
Position with and Name of Other Company
Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC
Managing Member
William T. Huffman
President
Stuart J. Cohen
Managing Director and Head of Legal
Travis M. Pauley, Esq.
Chief Compliance Officer
Jon Stevens
Senior Managing Director
Megan Sendlak
Controller
STATE STREET GLOBAL ADVISORS LIMITED:
SSGA LTD serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Registrant’s SPDR Bloomberg International Corporate Bond ETF, SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF and SPDR Bloomberg Emerging Markets USD Bond ETF. The principal business address of SSGA LTD is 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HJ, United Kingdom. SSGA LTD is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Below is a list of the directors and principal executive officers of SSGA LTD and their principal occupation(s). Unless otherwise noted, the address of each person listed is 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HJ, United Kingdom.
Name
Position With and Name of Other Company
Alex Castle
Director
Cuan Coulter
Director
Ulla Pitha
Director
Scott Sanderston
Director
Karen Sharpe (INED)
Director
Ted Sotir (INED)
Director
Item 32.
Principal Underwriters
(a)
SSGA FD, One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, serves as the Trust’s principal underwriter and also serves as the principal underwriter for the following investment companies: SPDR Index Shares Funds, SSGA Active Trust, State Street Institutional Investment Trust, SSGA Funds, State Street Institutional Funds, State Street Variable Insurance Series Funds, Inc., Elfun Diversified Fund, Elfun Tax-Exempt Income Fund, Elfun Income Fund, Elfun International Equity Fund, Elfun Government Money Market Fund and Elfun Trusts.
(b)
To the best of the Trust’s knowledge, the managers and executive officers of SSGA FD are as follows:

Name and Principal
Business Address*
Positions and Offices with Underwriter
Positions and Offices
with the Trust
Barry F. X. Smith
President, Chairman and Manager
None
Timothy Corbett
Manager
None
Steven Lipiner
Manager
None
Ellen Needham
Manager
President
Christine Stokes
Manager
None
John Tucker
Manager
None
Jaclyn Collier
Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Officer
None
David Maxham
Chief Financial Officer
None
*
The principal business address for each of the above managers and executive officers is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
(c)
Not applicable.
Item 33.
Location of Accounts and Records
All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act and the Rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of SSGA FM and/or State Street Bank and Trust Company, with offices located at One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210 and One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, respectively.
Item 34.
Management Services
Not applicable.
Item 35.
Undertakings
Not applicable.

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, SPDR® Series Trust, the Registrant, certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, and has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunder duly authorized, in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the 26th day of April, 2023.
SPDR SERIES TRUST
 
 
By:
/s/ Ellen M. Needham
 
Ellen M. Needham
 
President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ Carolyn M. Clancy*
Trustee
April 26, 2023
Carolyn M. Clancy
 
 
/s/ Dwight D. Churchill*
Trustee
April 26, 2023
Dwight D. Churchill
 
 
/s/ Clare S. Richer*
Trustee
April 26, 2023
Clare S. Richer
 
 
/s/ Kristi L. Rowsell*
Trustee
April 26, 2023
Kristi L. Rowsell
 
 
/s/ Sandra G. Sponem*
Trustee
April 26, 2023
Sandra G. Sponem
 
 
/s/ Carl G. Verboncoeur*
Trustee
April 26, 2023
Carl G. Verboncoeur
 
 
/s/ Gunjan Chauhan*
Trustee
April 26, 2023
Gunjan Chauhan
 
 
/s/ James E. Ross*
Trustee
April 26, 2023
James E. Ross
 
 
/s/ Ellen M. Needham
President and Principal Executive Officer
April 26, 2023
Ellen M. Needham
 
 
/s/ Bruce S. Rosenberg
Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer
(fulfills the role of Principal Accounting Officer)
April 26, 2023
Bruce S. Rosenberg
 
*By:
/s/ David Urman
 
David Urman
As Attorney-in-Fact
Pursuant to Power of Attorney

EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No.
Exhibit
(d)(ii)(3)
Fee Waiver Letter Agreement
(h)(ii)(3)
Amendment, dated August 14, 2019, to the Master Sub-Administration Agreement dated June 1, 2015, as amended,
between SSGA FM and State Street Bank and Trust Company
(h)(vi)(4)
Third Amendment, dated October 31, 2019, to the Master Amended and Restated Securities Lending Authorization
Agreement dated January 6, 2017, as amended, between the Trust and State Street Bank and Trust Company
(h)(vi)(5)
Fourth Amendment, dated November 15, 2021, to the Master Amended and Restated Securities Lending Authorization
Agreement dated January 6, 2017, as amended, between the Trust and State Street Bank and Trust Company
(h)(vi)(6)
Fifth Amendment, dated February 24, 2022, to the Master Amended and Restated Securities Lending Authorization
Agreement dated January 6, 2017, as amended, between the Trust and State Street Bank and Trust Company
(j)
Consent of independent registered public accounting firm
(p)(ii)
Code of Ethics for SSGA FM