The Strategic Nature of Claymore/Zacks Sector Rotation ETF (XRO)

Through a sector rotation strategy, investors attempt to determine which sectors will be in favor at various points in the economic cycle and rebalance their portfolios accordingly. While implementing such a strategy may be time consuming and cost prohibitive for the average investor, by applying the strategy through an ETF like XRO, the reallocation and related transactions can be executed for you. XRO seeks to track the performance of the Zacks Sector Rotation Index, which applies a quantitative methodology proprietary to Zacks utilizing the 16 Zacks “Expanded Sectors.” On a quarterly basis, the Fund redirects its investments, generally in the same proportion to the weightings in the Index, from one sector to another as it strives to capture the performance momentum potential of a sector in relation to the economic cycle.

By highlighting a sector in the chart below, you can follow the allocation from the Fund’s inception to its most recent rebalance. For more information on XRO, please visit the Fund profile and Literature sections of this website.

There is no guarantee that future sector rotations will be successful in allowing the Fund to outperform the broad market. Sector data is subject to change on a daily basis. The Fund sectors shown represent the categorization used by the Zacks Investment Research in constructing its Sector Rotation Index. These sectors vary from the S&P 500 Index sector classifications. It is not possible to invest directly in these sectors.

This data is subject to change on a daily basis and represents a percentage of the Fund's total equity holdings.

RISKS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Investors should consider the following risk factors and special considerations associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause you to lose money.

Investment Risk. An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount that you invest.

Equity Risk. A principal risk of investing in the Fund is equity risk, which is the risk that the value of the securities held by the Fund will fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of equity securities of an issuer held by the Fund; the price of common stock of an issuer may be particularly sensitive to general movements in the stock market; or a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks and other equity securities held by the Fund. In addition, common stock of an issuer in the Fund’s portfolio may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer of the security experiences a decline in its financial condition. Common stock is subordinated to preferred stocks, bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure, in terms of priority to corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater dividend risk than preferred stocks or debt instruments of such issuers. In addition, while broad market measures of common stocks have historically generated higher average returns than fixed income securities, common stocks have also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns.

Foreign Investment Risk.The Fund’s investments in non-U.S. issuers, although limited to ADRs, may involve unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers, including, among others, less market liquidity, generally greater market volatility than U.S. securities and less complete financial information than for U.S. issuers. In addition, adverse political, economic or social developments could undermine the value of the Fund’s investments or prevent the Fund from realizing the full value of its investments. Financial reporting standards for companies based in foreign markets differ from those in the United States. Finally, the value of the currency of the country in which the Fund has invested could decline relative to the value of the U.S. dollar, which may affect the value of the investment to U.S. investors. In addition, the underlying issuers of certain depositary receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered depositary receipts, are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.

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

Sector Concentration Risk. A significant percentage of the Zacks Sector Rotation Index may be comprised of issuers in a single industry or sector of the economy. If the Fund is focused in an industry or sector, it may present more risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of the economy. In that connection, the Fund may at any time be subject to some or all of the following risks relating to the sectors which constitute the Zacks Sector Rotation Index:

• Consumer Staples Sector Risk. Companies in this sector are subject to government regulation affecting the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods, which regulations could affect company profitability. Tobacco companies may be adversely affected by the adoption of proposed legislation and/or by litigation. Also, the success of food and soft drink may be strongly affected by fads, marketing campaigns and other factors affecting supply and demand.
• Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competitive and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.
• Retail/Wholesale Sector Risk.The retail and wholesale industries may be affected by the performance of the domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. The success of companies in the retail industry depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending, and changes in demographics and consumer preferences can affect the success of retail products. The success of retail products may be strongly affected by fads, marketing campaigns and other factors affecting supply and demand. In addition, the retail and wholesale industries are subject to severe competition.
• Medical Sector Risk. Companies in the medical sector may be susceptible to government regulation and reimbursement rates. Such companies may also be heavily dependent on patent protection, with their profitability affected by the expiration of patents. Companies in the medical sector may also be subject to expenses and losses from extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims, as well as competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. The process for obtaining new product approval by the Food and Drug Administration is long and costly. Medical service providers may have difficulty obtaining staff to deliver service, and may be susceptible to product obsolescence. Such companies also may be characterized by thin capitalization and limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel.
• Auto/Tires/Trucks Sector Risk.The automotive industry can be highly cyclical, and companies in the industry may suffer periodic operating losses. The industry can be significantly affected by labor relations and fluctuating component prices. While most of the major manufacturers are large, financially strong companies, many others are small and can be non-diversified in both product line and customer base.
• Basic Materials Sector Risk. Companies in the basic materials sector could be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, exchange rates, import controls and increased competition. Production of industrial materials often exceeds demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns. Companies in the basic materials sector are at risk for environmental damage and product liability claims. Companies in the basic materials sector may be adversely affected by depletion of resources, technical progress, labor relations, and government regulations.
• Industrial Products Sector Risk.The stock prices of companies in the industrial sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general. The products of manufacturing companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Government regulation, world events and economic conditions may affect the performance of companies in the industrial sector. Companies in the industrial sector may be at risk for environmental damage and product liability claims.
• Construction Sector Risk. Companies in the construction sector can be significantly affected by changes in government spending on housing subsidies, public works, and transportation facilities such as highways and airports, as well as changes in interest rates, consumer confidence and spending, taxation, zoning laws, demographic patterns, housing starts, overbuilding, real estate values, and the level of new and existing home sales. Different segments of the construction sector can be significantly affected by natural disasters and environmental clean-up costs.
• Multi-Sector Conglomerates Sector Risk. Conglomerates are subject to the risk that one or more of their businesses may not be successful should management lose focus on, or give greater attention to, one or more of the conglomerate’s other businesses. Additionally, should the markets in which any one of a conglomerate’s business operates suffer a decline in profitability, such profit decline will have a negative financial impact on the conglomerate as a whole. Companies in the Multi-Sector Conglomerates sector may be subject to some or all of the risks applicable to any or all of the other sectors that constitute the Zacks Sector Rotation Index.
• Computer/Technology Sector Risk. Competitive pressures may have a significant effect on the financial condition of companies in the computer/technology sector. Also, many of the products and services offered by computer and technology companies are subject to the risks of short product cycles and rapid obsolescence. Companies in the computer/technology sector also may be subject to competition from new market entrants. Such companies also may be subject to risks relating to research and development costs and the availability and price of components. As product cycles shorten and manufacturing capacity increases, these companies could become increasingly subject to aggressive pricing, which hampers profitability. Other risks include those related to regulatory changes, such as the possible adverse effects on profits of recent increased competition among telecommunications companies and the uncertainties resulting from such companies’diversification into new domestic and international businesses, as well as agreements by any such companies linking future rate increases to inflation or other factors not directly related to the actual operating profits of the enterprise.
• Aerospace Sector Risk.The aerospace sector can be significantly affected by competition within the industry, domestic and foreign economies, government regulation, labor relations, and the price of fuel. Airline deregulation has substantially diminished the government’s role in the air transport industry while promoting an increased level of competition. However, regulations and policies of various domestic and foreign governments can still affect the profitability of individual carriers as well as the entire industry. In addition, companies in the aerospace sector can be significantly affected by government aerospace regulation and spending policies because companies involved in the aerospace sector may rely to a large extent on U.S. (and other) Government demand for their products and services. There are significant inherent risks in contracting with the U.S. Government which could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition and results of operations of industry participants, including:
  • termination by the U.S. Government of any contract as a result of a default by industry participants could subject them to liability for the excess costs incurred by the U.S. Government in procuring undelivered items from another source;
  • termination by the U.S. Government of any contract for convenience would generally limit industry participants recovery to costs already incurred or committed and limit participants profit to work completed prior to termination;
  • modification of U.S. Government contracts due to lack of congressional funding or changes in such funding could subject certain contracts to termination or modification;
  • failure to comply, even inadvertently, with the extensive and complex U.S. Government laws and regulations applicable to certain U.S. Government contracts and the laws governing the export of controlled products and commodities could subject industry participants to contract termination, civil and criminal penalties and, under certain circumstances, suspension from future U.S. Government contracts and exporting of products for a specific period of time;
  • results of routine U.S. Government audits and review could, in certain circumstances, lead to adjustments to industry contract prices, which could be significant; and
  • successful bids for U.S. Government contracts or the profitability of such contracts, if awarded, cannot be guaranteed in the light of the competitive bidding atmosphere under which U.S. Government contracts are awarded.
• Furthermore, because companies involved in the aerospace sector may rely to a large extent on U.S. (and other) Government demand for their products and services, those companies could be adversely impacted by future reductions or changes in U.S. Government spending. U.S. Government spending in aerospace is not generally correlated with any economic cycle, but rather, on the cycle of general political support for this type of spending. However, there is no assurance that future levels of aerospace spending will increase or that levels of aerospace and defense spending will not decrease in the future.
• Oils/Energy Sector Risk.The profitability of companies in the oils/energy sector is related to worldwide energy prices, exploration, and production spending. Such companies also are subject to risks of changes in exchange rates, government regulation, world events, depletion of resources and economic conditions, as well as market, economic and political risks of the countries where energy companies are located or do business. Oil and gas exploration and production can be significantly affected by natural disasters. Oil exploration and production companies may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, interest rates, government regulation, world events, and economic conditions. Oil exploration and production companies may be at risk for environmental damage claims.
• Finance Sector Risk.The financial services industries are subject to extensive government regulation, can be subject to relatively rapid change due to increasingly blurred distinctions between service segments, and can be significantly affected by availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. In addition, the recent deterioration of the credit markets generally has caused an adverse impact in a broad range of markets (such as those for collateralized debt obligations backed by mortgages (particularly subprime mortgages) and auction rate preferred shares), including U.S. and internationalcredit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Recent events in the financial sector have resulted, and may continue to result, inan unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. These events have included, but are not limited to, the U.S. government’s placement of the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation under conservatorship, the bankruptcy filing of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., the sale of Merrill Lynch to Bank of America, the U.S. government support of American International Group, Inc., the sale of Wachovia to Wells Fargo, reports of credit and liquidity issues involving certain money market mutual funds, and emergency measures by the U.S. and foreign governments banning short-selling. This situation has created instability in the financial markets and caused certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or evenceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many financial services companies toexperience a dramatic decline in value. Moreover, certain financial companies have avoided collapsedue to intervention by the U.S. regulatory authorities (such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Federal Reserve System), but such interventions have often not averted a substantial decline in the value of such companies’common stock. Both domestic and foreign equity markets have been experiencing increased volatility and turmoil, with issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets particularly affected, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue.
• Utilities Sector Risk. The rates that traditional regulated utility companies may charge their customers generally are subject to review and limitation by governmental regulatory commissions. Although rate changes of a utility usually fluctuate in approximate correlation with financing costs due to political and regulatory factors, rate changes ordinarily occur only following a delay after the changes in financing costs. This factor will tend to favorably affect a regulated utility company’s earnings and dividends in times of decreasing costs, but conversely, will tend to adversely affect earnings and dividends when costs are rising. The value of regulated utility debt securities (and, to a lesser extent, equity securities) tends to have an inverse relationship to the movement of interest rates. Certain utility companies have experienced full or partial deregulation in recent years. These utility companies are frequently more similar to industrial companies in that they are subject to greater competition and have been permitted by regulators to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business. These opportunities may permit certain utility companies to earn more than their traditional regulated rates of return. Some companies, however, may be forced to defend their core business and may be less profitable. Among the risks that may affect utility companies are the following: risks of increases in fuel and other operating costs; the high cost of borrowing to finance capital construction during inflationary periods; restrictions on operations and increased costs and delays associated with compliance with environmental and nuclear safety regulations; and the difficulties involved in obtaining natural gas for resale or fuel for generating electricity at reasonable prices. Other risks include those related to the construction and operation of nuclear power plants; the effects of energy conservation and the effects of regulatory changes.
• Transportation Sector Risk. Companies in the transportation sector can be significantly affected by changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor relations, and insurance costs. The trend in the United States has been to deregulate the transportation industry, which could have a favorable long-term effect, but future government decisions could adversely affect transportation companies.
• Business Services Sector Risk. Companies in the business services sector can be significantly affected by competitive pressures, such as technological developments, fixed-rate pricing, and the ability to attract and retain skilled employees. The success of companies that provide business-related services is, in part, subject to continued demand for business services as companies and other organizations seek alternative, cost-effective means to meet their economic goals.

MLP Risk. Investments in securities of MLPsinvolve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. Holders of the units of MLPs have more limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. There are also certain tax risks associated with an investment in units of MLPs. In addition, conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders, subordinated unit holders and the general partner of a MLP, including a conflict arising as a result of incentive distribution payments.

Portfolio Turnover Risk.The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities in connection with the quarterly rebalancing of the Zacks Sector Rotation Index, and therefore the Fund’s investments. A portfolio turnover rate of 200%, for example, is equivalent to the Fund buying and selling all of its securities two times during the course of the year. A high portfolio turnover rate (such as 100% or more) could result in high brokerage costs. While a high portfolio turnover rate can result in an increase in taxable capital gains distributions to the Fund’s shareholders, the Fund will seek to utilize the creation and redemption in kind mechanism to minimize capital gains to the extent possible.

Non-Correlation Risk.The Fund’s return may not match the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index.

The Fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions and expenses. If the Fund utilizes a sampling approach or futures or other derivative positions, its return may not correlate as well with the return on the Index, as would be the case if it purchased all of the securitiesin the Index with the same weightings as the Index.

Replication Management Risk. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund is not “actively” managed. Therefore, it would not necessarily sell a securitybecause the security’s issuer was in financial trouble unless that securityis removed from the Index.

Issuer-Specific Changes.The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. The value of securities of smaller issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk.The Fund is considered non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in share price than would occur in a diversified fund.

Claymore ETFs are listed on the NYSE Arca, depending on the ETF listing, the same way as shares of a publicly-traded company. Claymore ETFs can be purchased through most brokerage accounts. They can be bought and sold throughout the day on the NYSE Arca, depending on the ETF listing, during normal trading hours. The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of 50,000 shares (each block of 50,000 shares is called a “Creation Unit”) or multiples thereof. Only broker-dealers or large institutional investors with creation and redemption agreements, called Authorized Participants (“APs”), can purchase or redeem these Creation Units.

Investors buying or selling ETF shares on the secondary market may incur brokerage costs and other transactional fees. Shares of ETFs may fluctuate in price due to daily changes in trading volume. At times, shares may not have a high volume of trading. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by ZACKS INVESTMENT RESEARCH, INC. (“Licensor”). Licensor makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of the ZACKS SECTOR ROTATION INDEX (“Index”) to track general market performance. Licensor’s only relationship to the Licensee is the licensing of the index which is determined, composed and calculated by Licensor without regard to the Licensee or the Fund. Licensor has no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Fund iin determining, composing or calculating the Index. Licensor shall not be liable to any person for any error in the Index nor shall it be under any obligation to advise any person of any error therein.

NOT FDIC-INSURED | NOT BANK-GUARANTEED | MAY LOSE VALUE