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KNO

AXS Knowledge Leaders ETF

KNO is an actively managed ETF that seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in the equities the managers believe to be highly innovative or "knowledge leaders" – innovative companies from all sectors around the world selected using a proprietary methodology based on time-tested academic research.

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Overview

Invest in the Intangibles

Companies with a proven track record of investing in research and development as well as other intangible assets have tended to be the innovators and market leaders of the future. The investments made by these "knowledge leaders", a term the portfolio managers use to describe them, are often overlooked by investors and have the potential to drive stronger returns over the long term.

Global Innovation Alternative

KNO carves an alternative pathway to innovation for investors. While most equity ETFs focused on innovation have a bias towards the large US tech companies, KNO takes a more global, diversified approach by looking at all sectors in all developed economies, excluding Hong Kong.

Quantitative Method to Tap into the “Knowledge Effect”

Decades of research going back to the 1990s established the association between a firm’s level of knowledge capital and its subsequent stock performance and exposed a market anomaly whereby stocks of highly innovative companies tend to experience excess returns over those of followers. KNO relies on the knowledge leaders method developed to capitalize on this phenomenon.

Fund Details

Exchange: NYSE Arca
Ticker: KNO
CUSIP: 46144X396
Inception Date: 07/07/2015
Distribution Frequency: Quarterly
Management Fee: 0.75%
Gross Expense Ratio: 0.75%

Investor Benefits

Searching for the higher return potential of innovation while looking to diversify your US tech exposure?

AXS Knowledge Leaders ETF is invested in 11 different economic sectors in 22 different developed countries and seeks to identify over 50 knowledge leaders that invest in key intangible assets, like research and development. KNO can be a great complement to typical equity ETFs.

Avoid "Home" Bias

Designed to be more geographically diverse than other "innovation" ETFs. Invests in all developed economies.

Equally Weighted

Maintains diversification by rebalancing quarterly and equally weighting all holdings.

Deep Expertise

KNO is based on a method of analyzing intangible assets and academic research developed nearly 25 years ago.

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If you use an online broker, you may be able to invest in the AXS Knowledge Leaders ETF (KNO) through your account. Below are links to some of the popular brokerage services.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ticker for AXS Knowledge Leaders ETF?
KNO.
What exchange is KNO traded on?
The Cboe BZX exchange.
What is the fund’s investment objective?
The fund seeks to provide capital appreciation.
Does KNO track an index?
No. It is an actively traded ETF. The portfolio holds approximately 100-120 equities. View current holdings here.
What types of companies are considered for KNO?
The fund selects equities from a universe of highly innovative companies we identify as knowledge leaders.
What is a “knowledge leader”?
A knowledge leader is an equity the managers believe to be highly innovative. Knowledge leaders are believed to possess deep reservoirs of intangible capital as a result of their history of investing in knowledge-intensive activities like R&D, brand development and employee education. These firms have demonstrated histories of successfully employing their R&D and have built competitive advantages as a result. Academic research shows that knowledge leaders have a tendency to outperform in the stock market. We identify knowledge leaders through a proprietary methodology that measures a company’s investment in its future growth.
How is KNO different from other innovation funds?
Most “innovation” funds are focused on themes, such as large US tech, whereas KNO is diversified, investing in innovative companies in every sector and country in the developed world.
What sectors does KNO invest in?
KNO invests in all 11 major economic sectors.
What countries does KNO invest in?
KNO invests in highly innovative companies in 22 different developed countries.
How many holdings does the portfolio hold at any time?
About 100-120.
How is the portfolio weighted?
The portfolio is equal weighted, thus avoiding the home-field bias of cap-weighted funds.
IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objectives will be achieved.

Market Risk: The market price of a security or instrument could decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally.

ETF Risk: Investing in an ETF will provide the Fund with exposure to the securities comprising the index on which the ETF is based and will expose the Fund to risks similar to those of investing directly in those securities. Shares of ETFs typically trade on securities exchanges and may at times trade at a premium or discount to their net asset values.

Foreign Investment Risk: The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments.

Geographic Investment Risk: To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region.