Horizons ETFs to Launch World's First U.S.-Focused Marijuana ETF

Horizons US Marijuana Index ETF will begin trading on April 18, 2019 

TORONTO, April 15, 2019 /CNW/ - Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. ("Horizons ETFs") is pleased to announce that it has filed its final prospectus to launch the Horizons US Marijuana Index ETF. Units of the exchange traded fund ("HMUS" or the "ETF") have been conditionally approved for listing by the NEO Exchange ("NEO") and are slated to begin trading on April 18, 2019, under the ticker symbols HMUS (Canadian dollar units) and HMUS.U (U.S. dollar units).

HMUS will be the first ETF in the world that is solely focused on providing exposure to companies with significant business activities in, or significant exposure to, the United States marijuana or hemp industries. HMUS is an index (or passively managed) ETF, which seeks to replicate, to the extent possible, the performance of the US Marijuana Companies Index (the "Underlying Index"), net of expenses.

The ETF will make its units available on NEO in both Canadian and U.S dollars.

"While marijuana remains federally illegal for medical and recreational usage in the United States, the number of legal cultivators and distributors at the U.S. state level continues to grow. Many of these companies have chosen Canadian stock exchanges to list their stocks in order to raise capital to meet growing investor demand," said Steve Hawkins, President and CEO of Horizons ETFs. "HMUS will be the first index ETF solution to focus solely on identifying, and investing directly in, U.S. marijuana and hemp companies. As the U.S. continues to further liberalize its marijuana regulations, we anticipate that more investors will be looking to invest in companies with significant business operations in the U.S. market and HMUS will provide a diversified and liquid way to gain that exposure in one ETF."

The Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to the performance of a basket of publicly-listed companies having significant business activities in, or significant exposure to, the marijuana or hemp industries in the United States. Constituent companies will primarily include those with business activities as a producer, developer, or supplier of marijuana or hemp-based products, and can also include investment companies focused on investments in the Marijuana or Hemp industries, or companies with businesses ancillary to the Marijuana or Hemp industries. 

Constituents of the Underlying Index are selected from Canadian and U.S. exchanges. While some securities may be listed on major North American exchanges, the majority of the securities currently trade on North American exchanges that include but are not limited to the Canadian Securities Exchange and NEO.

The Underlying Index is market-capitalization-weighted, subject to a cap for each constituent issuer of a maximum of 10% of the net asset value of the Underlying Index at the time of any rebalance. For a security to be eligible for the Underlying Index, the issuer will generally need to have a market capitalization of greater than $75 million.

The top-20 constituents and weights of the Underlying Index as at April 15, 2019, are in the table below. Please note that the weights of the Underlying Index and the actual portfolio weights of HMUS could be different. Horizons ETFs will not invest the assets of HMUS on a discretionary basis except to the extent it may select securities of issuers in the course of employing a stratified sampling strategy to seek to closely match the investment characteristics of the Underlying Index.

Only stocks that meet minimum size and liquidity thresholds are eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. The composition of the Underlying Index is rebalanced at least quarterly on a market-capitalization basis, and capped so that no single stock can exceed 10% of the weight of the Underlying Index when rebalanced. Further information about the Underlying Index is available at website at www.solactive.com.

"The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF (HMMJ) was the first Marijuana ETF listed in the world. We launched that ETF shortly before cannabis was fully legalized in Canada," said Mr. Hawkins. "We see a lot of similarities with the regulatory environment in the U.S. to what we saw in Canada, three years ago. If the U.S. were to enact any type of federal legalization, either medical or recreational, that would immediately make the U.S. the largest federally approved cannabis market in the world. HMUS will give investors direct diversified access to this early stage sector which has the potential of future U.S. regulatory change."

HMUS will close the initial offering of units to its designated broker after the close of business on April 17, 2019, prior to its initial listing of units on NEO on April 18, 2019.

About Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. (www.HorizonsETFs.com)

Horizons ETFs is an innovative financial services company and offers one of the largest suites of exchange traded funds in Canada. The Horizons ETFs product family includes a broadly diversified range of solutions for investors of all experience levels to meet their investment objectives in a variety of market conditions. Horizons ETFs has more than $10 billion of assets under management and 87 ETFs listed on major Canadian stock exchanges. Horizons ETFs is a member of the Mirae Asset Global Investments Group.

Horizons ETFs is a Member of Mirae Asset Global Investments. Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with an investment in exchange traded products managed by Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. (the "Horizons Exchange Traded Products"). The Horizons Exchange Traded Products are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. The prospectus contains important detailed information about the Horizons Exchange Traded Products. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing.

HMUS is expected to invest in the Marijuana industry in certain U.S. states that have legalized marijuana for therapeutic or adult-use, which is currently illegal under U.S. federal law. HMUS will passively invest in companies involved in the marijuana industry in the U.S. where local state law regulates and permits such activities, as well as in companies involved in the Canadian legal Marijuana industry. HMUS will not be directly engaged in the manufacture, importation, possession, use, sale or distribution of marijuana in either Canada or the U.S.

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to a future outlook and anticipated distributions, events or results and may include statements regarding future financial performance. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terms such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "intend" or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking information. Horizons ETFs undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or other such factors which affect this information, except as required by law.

SOURCE Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc.