Investment objective & strategy
As of Sept. 26, 2025 · prospectusObjective. The investment objectives of the North Square Strategic Income Fund (the Fund) are to seek high current income and to seek long-term capital appreciation.
Strategy. The Fund pursues its investment objectives by primarily investing in preferred securities and other income producing securities, including convertible securities, debt securities, mortgage-backed securities (residential and commercial), asset-backed securities, common stocks, derivatives, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and securities of other investment companies such as closed-end funds (exchange-traded only) and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in preferred securities and debt securities. Red Cedar Investment Management, LLC (Red Cedar or a Sub-Adviser), the Funds sub-adviser, retains broad discretion to allocate the Funds investments across various asset classes. Preferred securities in which the Fund may invest include traditional and convertible preferred securities, and hybrid preferred securities. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant … The Fund pursues its investment objectives by primarily investing in preferred securities and other income producing securities, including convertible securities, debt securities, mortgage-backed securities (residential and commercial), asset-backed securities, common stocks, derivatives, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and securities of other investment companies such as closed-end funds (exchange-traded only) and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in preferred securities and debt securities. Red Cedar Investment Management, LLC (Red Cedar or a Sub-Adviser), the Funds sub-adviser, retains broad discretion to allocate the Funds investments across various asset classes. Preferred securities in which the Fund may invest include traditional and convertible preferred securities, and hybrid preferred securities. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one or more market sectors, such as the financials sector. The Fund may invest in debt securities of any maturity. Debt securities in which the Fund may invest include U.S. Treasury and U.S. government agency securities, investment grade corporate debt instruments, investment grade municipal bonds, mortgage-backed (including collateralized mortgage backed-securities) and asset-backed securities and below investment grade securities. Investment grade securities are those rated at the time of acquisition Baa3 or higher by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys), or BBB- or higher by Standard & Poors, a division of McGraw Hill Companies Inc. (S&P), or Fitch Ratings Ltd. (Fitch) or, if unrated by S&P, Moodys or Fitch, determined by Red Cedar to be of comparable quality. Below investment grade securities are also known as high yield or junk securities. The Fund may utilize derivatives, including futures, forward contracts, options, swaps, and other various derivative products. The Funds use of derivative instruments may be for enhancing returns, hedging against market risks, or providing synthetic exposure to specific industries or securities. The Fund intends to use futures and swaps to hedge against general market risk, while it intends to use interest rate swaps and credit default swaps to hedge against interest rate risk and credit risk, respectively. The Fund will use options to hedge against market risk and to enhance returns and gain synthetic exposure to a security without holding the underlying asset. The Fund may invest its assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers, including those in emerging market countries. The Funds investments in foreign securities may include non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities traded outside of the United States, U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers traded in the United States and American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). ADRs are receipts that represent interests in foreign securities held on deposit by U.S. banks. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities of non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities. Red Cedar seeks to identify securities which it believes offer significantly higher yields than U.S. Treasury securities of comparable maturity, while striving to maintain stability of principal and preserving good overall credit quality through extensive credit analysis and broad diversification across security types. Red Cedar selects preferred securities based upon a review of yield characteristics, call provisions, credit quality and ratings, and ability to continue paying dividends, among other features. In evaluating and selecting debt securities, Red Cedar balances various factors, including the potential for increased yield as compared to U.S. Treasuries, as well as the maturity, call provisions and credit quality of the debt security. Convertible preferred securities and debt securities are additionally evaluated on various features including conversion rights, conversion ratio, likelihood of conversion, and value of the underlying security into which the convertible security may convert, among others. Red Cedar selects common stocks based on the companys business and financial strength and dividend history and policy, as well as its ability to potentially grow dividend distributions. The Fund will generally sell a security if its full valuation is realized, if better opportunities are identified, if news alters the Funds investment thesis, if the securitys credit quality deteriorates, or if the Fund requires cash to meet redemption requests.
Top holdings
As of Feb. 28, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| US TREASURY N/B | — | $59.86M | 5.61% |
| US TREASURY N/B | — | $50.52M | 4.73% |
| US ULTRA BOND CBT Sep25 | — | $37.26M | 3.49% |
| U.S. Treasury Notes | TII | $31.02M | 2.91% |
| V/E JPM EM L C B | EMLC | $29.75M | 2.79% |
| Mexican Bonos | MEX | $20.82M | 1.95% |
| US TREASURY N/B | — | $16.66M | 1.56% |
| FR SD8243 | — | $14.00M | 1.31% |
| PLNT 2025-1A A2I | PLNT | $13.83M | 1.29% |
| FN MA5583 | — | $12.52M | 1.17% |
Portfolio moves
Nov 30, 2025 → Feb 28, 2026How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.
Similar funds
Funds whose portfolios most overlap this one, by weight| Fund | Overlap | Net exp. |
|---|---|---|
| NORTH SQUARE PREFERRED AND INCOME SECURITIES FUND · ORDNX | 22% | 0.97% |
| NORTH SQUARE CORE PLUS BOND FUND · STTIX | 16% | 0.59% |
| Invesco U.S. Hybrid Bond ETF | 14% | 0.40% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| North Square Investments, LLC | Adviser |
| Red Cedar Investment Management, LLC | Sub-adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of September 26, 2025, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of February 28, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
- Total return for calendar year 2025, before tax and after fund expenses. Computed by compounding the twelve monthly total returns the fund reported in its SEC N-PORT filings for 2025 (the latest prospectus does not yet chart this year).
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