Rule 497(d)
Dow Jones Internet Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series
FT 340
FT 340 consists of a unit investment trust known as Dow Jones Internet
Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series (the "Trust"). The Trust consists of
a diversified portfolio of common stocks ("Securities") of companies
which comprise the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm). The Trust seeks
to provide above-average capital appreciation.
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED
OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
FIRST TRUST (registered trademark)
1-800-621-9533
The date of this Prospectus is April 9, 1999
As Amended April 15, 1999
Page 1
Table of Contents
Summary of Essential Information 3
Fee Table 4
Report of Independent Auditors 5
Statement of Net Assets 6
Schedule of Investments 7
The FT Series 9
Portfolio 10
Risk Factors 11
Portfolio Securities Descriptions 12
Public Offering 14
Distribution of Units 16
The Sponsor's Profits 17
The Secondary Market 17
How We Purchase Units 17
Expenses and Charges 17
Tax Status 18
Retirement Plans 19
Rights of Unit Holders 19
Income and Capital Distributions 20
Redeeming Your Units 21
Reinvesting in a New Trust 22
Removing Securities from the Trust 23
Amending or Terminating the Indenture 23
Information on the Sponsor, Trustee and Evaluator 24
Other Information 25
Page 2
Summary of Essential Information
Dow Jones Internet Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series
FT 340
At the Opening of Business on the
Initial Date of Deposit-April 9, 1999
Sponsor: Nike Securities L.P.
Trustee: The Chase Manhattan Bank
Evaluator: First Trust Advisors L.P.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
Initial Number of Units (1) 15,000
Fractional Undivided Interest in the Trust per Unit (1) 1/15,000
Public Offering Price:
Aggregate Offering Price Evaluation of Securities per Unit (2) $ 10.000
Maximum Sales Charge of 1.50% of the Public Offering Price
per Unit (1.50% of the net amount invested, exclusive of
the deferred sales charge) (3) $ .150
Less Deferred Sales Charge per Unit $ (.150)
Public Offering Price per Unit (4) $ 10.000
Sponsor's Initial Repurchase Price per Unit (5) $ 9.850
Redemption Price per Unit (based on aggregate underlying
value of Securities less the deferred sales charge) (5) $ 9.850
Cash CUSIP Number 30264V 828
Reinvestment CUSIP Number 30264V 836
Security Code 56719
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
First Settlement Date April 14, 1999
Rollover Notification Date June 15, 2000
Special Redemption and Liquidation Period July 1, 2000 to July 19, 2000
Mandatory Termination Date (6) July 19, 2000
Income Distribution Record Date Fifteenth day of December, commencing December 15, 1999.
Income Distribution Date (7) Last day of December, commencing December 31, 1999.
______________
<FN>
(1) As of the close of business on the Initial Date of Deposit, we may
adjust the number of Units of the Trust so that the Public Offering
Price per Unit will equal approximately $10.00. If we make such an
adjustment, the fractional undivided interest per Unit will vary from
the amount indicated above.
(2) Each Security, if listed on a securities exchange, is valued at its
last closing sale price. If a Security is not listed, or if no closing
sale price exists, it is valued at its closing ask price. Evaluations
for purposes of determining the purchase, sale or redemption price of
Units are made as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange
(generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day on which it is open (the
"Evaluation Time").
(3) The maximum sales charge is entirely deferred. See "Fee Table" and
"Public Offering."
(4) The Public Offering Price shown above reflects the value of the
Securities on the business day prior to the Initial Date of Deposit. No
investor will purchase Units at this price. Additional Units may be
created during the day of the Initial Date of Deposit which, along with
the Units described above, will be valued as of the Evaluation Time on
the Initial Date of Deposit and sold to investors at the Public Offering
Price per Unit based on this valuation. On the Initial Date of Deposit
the Public Offering Price per Unit will not include any accumulated
dividends on the Securities. After the Initial Date of Deposit, the
Public Offering Price per Unit will include a pro rata share of any
accumulated dividends on the Securities.
(5) During the initial offering period the Sponsor's Initial Repurchase
Price per Unit and the Redemption Price per Unit will include the
estimated organization costs per Unit set forth under "Fee Table." After
the initial offering period, the Sponsor's Repurchase Price and
Redemption Price per Unit will not include such estimated organization
costs. See "Redeeming Your Units."
(6) See "Amending or Terminating the Indenture."
(7) At the Rollover Notification Date for Rollover Unit holders or upon
termination of the Trust for other Unit holders, amounts in the Income
Account (which consist of dividends on the Securities) will be included
in amounts distributed to Unit holders. We will distribute money from
the Capital Account monthly on the last day of each month to Unit
holders of record on the fifteenth day of such month if the amount
available for distribution equals at least $1.00 per 100 Units. In any
case, we will distribute any funds in the Capital Account as part of the
final liquidation distribution.
</FN>
</TABLE>
Page 3
Fee Table
This Fee Table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you
buy and hold Units of the Trust. See "Public Offering" and "Expenses and
Charges." Although the Trust has a term of approximately 15 months and
is a unit investment trust rather than a mutual fund, this information
shows you a comparison of fees, assuming that when the Trust terminates,
the principal amount and distributions are rolled over into a New Trust,
and you pay only the deferred sales charge.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Amount
per Unit
________
<S> <C> <C>
Unit Holder Transaction Expenses
(as a percentage of public offering price)
Initial sales charge imposed on purchase 0.00% $ .000
Deferred sales charge 1.50% $ .150
_____ ______
Maximum sales charge 1.50%(a) $ .150
===== ======
Maximum sales charge imposed on reinvested dividends 1.50%(b) $ .150
===== ======
Organization Costs
(as a percentage of public offering price)
Estimated organization costs .200%(c) $.0200
===== ======
Estimated Annual Trust Operating Expenses
(as a percentage of average net assets)
Portfolio supervision, bookkeeping, administrative and evaluation fees .079% $.0080
Trustee's fee and other operating expenses .141%(d) .0142
_____ ______
Total .220% $.0222
===== ======
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in
the Trust with the cost of investing in other investment products. The
example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Trust for the periods
shown and sell all your Units at the end of those periods. The example
also assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the
Trust's operating expenses stay the same. Although your actual costs may
vary, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
______ _______ _______ ________
$192 $578 $797 $1,618
This example will not differ if you hold rather than sell your Units at
the end of each period. The example does not reflect sales charges on
reinvested dividends and other distributions. If these sales charges
were included, your costs would be higher.
______________
<FN>
(a) The maximum sales charge is entirely deferred. The maximum sales
charge is a fixed dollar amount equal to $.15 per Unit which will be
deducted in three equal monthly installments of $.05 per Unit beginning
August 20, 1999 and on the 20th day of each month thereafter (or the
preceding business day if the 20th day is not a business day) through
October 20, 1999. If you buy Units at a price of less than $10.00 per
Unit, the dollar amount of the sales charge will not change but the
sales charge on a percentage basis will be more than 1.5% of the Public
Offering Price. If you purchase Units after the first deferred sales
charge payment has been deducted, you will be charged the amount of the
previously collected deferred sales charge at the time of purchase and
will be subject to any remaining deferred sales charge payments not yet
collected.
(b) Reinvested dividends will be subject only to the deferred sales
charge remaining at the time of reinvestment. See "Income and Capital
Distributions."
(c) You will bear all or a portion of the costs incurred in organizing
the Trust. These estimated organization costs are included in the price
you pay for your Units and will be deducted from the assets of the Trust
at the end of the initial offering period.
(d) Includes estimated per Unit costs associated with a license fee as
described in "Expenses and Charges."
</FN>
</TABLE>
Page 4
Report of Independent Auditors
The Sponsor, Nike Securities L.P., and Unit Holders
FT 340
We have audited the accompanying statement of net assets, including the
schedule of investments, of FT 340, comprised of Dow Jones Internet
Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series, as of the opening of business on
April 9, 1999. This statement of net assets is the responsibility of the
Trust's Sponsor. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on this
statement of net assets based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the statement of net assets is
free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test
basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the statement
of net assets. Our procedures included confirmation of the letter of
credit held by the Trustee and deposited in the Trust on April 9, 1999.
An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and
significant estimates made by the Sponsor, as well as evaluating the
overall presentation of the statement of net assets. We believe that our
audit of the statement of net assets provides a reasonable basis for our
opinion.
In our opinion, the statement of net assets referred to above presents
fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of FT 340,
comprised of the Dow Jones Internet Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series,
at the opening of business on April 9, 1999 in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles.
ERNST & YOUNG LLP
Chicago, Illinois
April 9, 1999
Page 5
Statement of Net Assets
Dow Jones Internet Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series
FT 340
At the Opening of Business on the Initial Date of Deposit-April 9, 1999
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
NET ASSETS
Investment in Securities represented by purchase contracts (1) (2) $150,002
Less liability for reimbursement to Sponsor for organization costs (3) (300)
Less liability for deferred sales charge (4) (2,250)
________
Net assets $147,452
========
Units outstanding 15,000
ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS
Cost to investors (5) $150,002
Less maximum sales charge (5) (2,250)
Less estimated reimbursement to Sponsor for organization costs (3) (300)
________
Net assets $147,452
========
___________
<FN>
NOTES TO STATEMENT OF NET ASSETS
(1) Aggregate cost of the Securities listed under "Schedule of
Investments" is based on their aggregate underlying value.
(2) An irrevocable letter of credit issued by The Chase Manhattan Bank,
of which $200,000 will be allocated to the Trust, has been deposited
with the Trustee as collateral, covering the monies necessary for the
purchase of the Securities according to their purchase contracts.
(3) A portion of the Public Offering Price consists of an amount
sufficient to reimburse the Sponsor for all or a portion of the costs of
establishing the Trust. These costs have been estimated at $.0200 per
Unit for the Trust. A payment will be made at end of the initial
offering period to an account maintained by the Trustee from which the
obligation of the investors to the Sponsor will be satisfied. To the
extent that actual organization costs are greater than the estimated
amount, only the estimated organization costs added to the Public
Offering Price will be reimbursed to the Sponsor and deducted from the
assets of the Trust.
(4) Represents the amount of mandatory deferred sales charge
distributions from the Trust ($.15 per Unit), payable to us in three
equal monthly installments beginning on August 20, 1999 and on the
twentieth day of each month thereafter (or if such date is not a
business day, on the preceding business day) through October 20, 1999.
If you redeem Units before October 20, 1999 you will have to pay the
remaining amount of the deferred sales charge applicable to such Units
when you redeem them.
(5) The aggregate cost to investors in the Trust includes a deferred
sales charge computed at the rate of 1.50% of the Public Offering Price
per Unit (equivalent to 1.50% of the net amount invested, exclusive of
the deferred sales charge), assuming no reduction of sales charge as set
forth under "Public Offering."
</FN>
</TABLE>
Page 6
Schedule of Investments
Dow Jones Internet Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series
FT 340
At the Opening of Business on the
Initial Date of Deposit-April 9, 1999
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Number Percentage Market Cost of
of Ticker Symbol and of Aggregate Value per Securities to
Shares Name of Issuer of Securities (1) Offering Price Share the Trust (2)
______ ____________________________________ ______________ _________ _____________
<C> <S> <C> <C> <C>
E*COMMERCE
__________
34 AMZN Amazon.com, Inc. 4.06% $179.000 $ 6,086
38 BYND Beyond.com Corporation 0.90% 35.500 1,349
39 BCST Broadcast.com Inc. (3) 3.87% 148.750 5,801
34 CDNW CDnow, Inc. 0.33% 14.750 501
26 COOL Cyberian Outpost, Inc. 0.33% 18.938 492
76 EGRP E*TRADE Group, Inc. 4.70% 92.875 7,059
28 EBAY eBay Inc. 3.21% 171.750 4,809
28 EGGS Egghead.com, Inc. 0.31% 16.625 466
37 XCIT Excite, Inc. (4) 3.64% 147.500 5,458
36 GCTY GeoCities (5) 3.26% 135.813 4,889
54 SEEK Infoseek Corporation 2.86% 79.500 4,293
47 LCOS Lycos, Inc. 3.22% 102.625 4,823
22 ONSL ONSALE, Inc. 0.53% 36.500 803
80 TMCS Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch, Inc. (Class B) 1.95% 36.500 2,920
27 YHOO Yahoo! Inc. (3) (5) 3.72% 206.688 5,581
INTERNET SERVICES
_________________
66 AOL America Online, Inc. 7.05% 160.188 10,572
59 ATHM At Home Corporation (4) 6.39% 162.438 9,584
28 AXNT AXENT Technologies, Inc. 0.21% 11.063 310
28 BVSN BroadVision, Inc. 0.97% 52.063 1,458
43 CMGI CMGI Inc. 7.07% 246.500 10,600
39 CNET CNET, Inc. 3.00% 115.313 4,497
41 CHKP Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (6) 0.92% 33.688 1,381
59 CKFR CheckFree Holdings Corporation 1.93% 49.000 2,891
19 CYCH CyberCash, Inc. 0.19% 15.375 292
44 DCLK DoubleClick Inc. 3.91% 133.188 5,860
33 ELNK EarthLink Network, Inc. 1.73% 78.500 2,591
23 EXDS Exodus Communications, Inc. 2.79% 181.813 4,182
</TABLE>
Page 7
Schedule of Investments (cont'd.)
Dow Jones Internet Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series
FT 340
At the Opening of Business on the
Initial Date of Deposit-April 9, 1999
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Number Percentage Market Cost of
of Ticker Symbol and of Aggregate Value per Securities to
Shares Name of Issuer of Securities (1) Offering Price Share the Trust (2)
______ ____________________________________ _______________ _________ _____________
<C> <S> <C> <C> <C>
38 IDTC IDT Corporation 0.60% $ 23.813 $ 905
23 INSP InfoSpace.com, Inc. 1.68% 109.750 2,524
56 INKT Inktomi Corporation 3.91% 104.625 5,859
32 MSPG MindSpring Enterprises, Inc. 2.25% 105.375 3,372
37 NSOL Network Solutions, Inc. (Class A) 2.76% 111.875 4,139
41 OMKT Open Market, Inc. 0.35% 12.938 530
59 PSIX PSINet Inc. 1.82% 46.250 2,729
38 RNWK RealNetworks, Inc. 5.41% 213.750 8,123
17 SPYG Spyglass, Inc. 0.20% 17.625 300
110 SE Sterling Commerce, Inc. 1.93% 26.375 2,901
81 USWB USWeb Corporation 2.01% 37.250 3,017
38 VRIO Verio Inc. 1.20% 47.500 1,805
29 VRSN VeriSign, Inc. 2.83% 146.563 4,250
_______ _________
Total Investments 100% $150,002
======= =========
_____________
<FN>
(1) All Securities are represented by regular way contracts to purchase
such Securities for the performance of which an irrevocable letter of
credit has been deposited with the Trustee. The contracts to purchase
Securities were entered into by the Sponsor on April 9, 1999.
(2) The cost of the Securities to the Trust represents the aggregate
underlying value with respect to the Securities acquired (generally
determined by the closing sale prices of the listed Securities and the
ask prices of the over-the-counter traded Securities at the close of
business on the business day preceding the Initial Date of Deposit). The
valuation of the Securities has been determined by the Evaluator, an
affiliate of ours. The cost of the Securities to us and our loss (which
is the difference between the cost of the Securities to us and the cost
of the Securities to the Trust) are $151,638 and $1,636, respectively.
(3) Yahoo! Inc. ("Yahoo") has recently announced plans to acquire
Broadcast.com Inc. ("Broadcast.com"). As per the terms of the merger
agreement, each shareholder of Broadcast.com will receive .7722 shares
of Yahoo for each share of Broadcast.com held. As a result of this
expected transaction, it is anticipated that the Trust will receive
additional shares of common stock of Yahoo in exchange for the shares of
Broadcast.com which it holds. The transaction is subject to the approval
of the shareholders of both companies and various regulatory authorities.
(4) At Home Corporation ("At Home") has recently announced plans to acquire
Excite, Inc. ("Excite"). As per the terms of the merger agreement, each
shareholder of Excite will receive 1.041902 shares of At Home for each share
of Excite held. As a result of this expected transaction, it is anticipated
that the Trust will receive additional shares of common stock of At Home
in exchange for the shares of Excite which it holds. The transaction is
subject to the approval of the shareholders of both companies and various
regulatory authorities.
(5) Yahoo has recently announced plans to acquire GeoCities. As per the
terms of the merger agreement, each shareholder of GeoCities will
receive .6768 shares of Yahoo for each share of GeoCities held. As a
result of this expected transaction, it is anticipated that the Trust
will receive additional shares of common stock of Yahoo in exchange for
the shares of GeoCities which it holds. The transaction is subject to
the approval of the shareholders of both companies and various
regulatory authorities.
(6) This Security represents the common stock of a foreign company which
trades directly on a U.S. national securities exchange.
</FN>
</TABLE>
Page 8
The FT Series
The FT Series Defined.
We, Nike Securities L.P. (the "Sponsor"), have created several similar
yet separate series of an investment company which we have named the FT
Series. We designate each of these investment company series, the FT
Series, with a different series number.
YOU MAY GET MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS ON SOME OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS
PROSPECTUS IN AN "INFORMATION SUPPLEMENT" BY CALLING THE TRUSTEE AT 1-
800-682-7520.
What We Call the Trust.
This FT Series consists of a unit investment trust known as Dow Jones
Internet Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series.
Mandatory Termination Date.
The Trust will terminate on the Mandatory Termination Date, approximately
15 months from the date of this prospectus. This date is shown in "Summary
of Essential Information." The Trust was created under the laws of the
State of New York by a Trust Agreement (the "Indenture") dated the Initial
Date of Deposit. This agreement, entered into between Nike Securities L.P.,
as Sponsor, The Chase Manhattan Bank as Trustee and First Trust Advisors
L.P. as Portfolio Supervisor and Evaluator, governs the operation of the
Trust.
How We Created the Trust.
On the Initial Date of Deposit, we deposited the Securities (fully
backed by an irrevocable letter of credit of a financial institution)
with the Trustee. In return for depositing the Securities, the Trustee
delivered documents to us representing our ownership of the Trust, in
the form of units ("Units").
With the deposit of the contracts to buy Securities on the Initial Date
of Deposit we established a percentage relationship among the Securities
in the Trust's portfolio, as stated under "Schedule of Investments."
After the Initial Date of Deposit, we may deposit additional Securities
in the Trust, or cash (including a letter of credit) with instructions
to buy more Securities, in order to create new Units for sale. If we
create additional Units we will attempt, to the extent practicable, to
maintain the original percentage relationship established among the
Securities on the Initial Date of Deposit, and not the actual percentage
relationship existing on the day we are creating Units, since the two
may differ. This difference may be due to the sale, redemption or
liquidation of any of the Securities.
Since the prices of the underlying Securities will fluctuate daily, the
ratio of Securities in the Trust, on a market value basis, will also
change daily. The portion of Securities represented by each Unit will
not change as a result of the deposit of additional Securities or cash
in the Trust. If we deposit cash, you and new investors may experience a
dilution of your investment. This is because prices of Securities will
fluctuate between the time of the cash deposit and the purchase of the
Securities, and because the Trust will pay brokerage fees to buy
Securities. To reduce this dilution, the Trust will try to buy the
Securities as close to the evaluation time and as close to the
evaluation price as possible.
An affiliate of the Trustee may receive these brokerage fees or the
Trustee may, from time to time, retain and pay us (or our affiliate) to
act as agent for the Trust to buy Securities. If we or an affiliate of
ours act as agent to the Trust, we will be subject to the restrictions
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
We cannot guarantee that the Trust will keep its present size and
composition for any length of time. Securities may periodically be sold
under certain circumstances, and the proceeds from these sales will be
used to meet Trust obligations or distributed to Unit holders, but will
not be used to purchase additional securities. The Trust will not,
however, sell Securities to take advantage of market fluctuations or
changes in anticipated rates of appreciation or depreciation, or if the
Securities no longer meet the criteria by which they were selected. You
will not be able to dispose of any of the Securities in the Trust or
vote the Securities. As the holder of the Securities, the Trustee will
vote all of the Securities and will do so based on our instructions.
Neither we nor the Trustee will be liable for a failure in any of the
Securities. However, if a contract for the purchase of any of the
Securities initially deposited in the Trust fails, unless we can
purchase substitute Securities ("Replacement Securities") we will refund
to you that portion of the purchase price and sales charge resulting
from the failed contract on the next Income Distribution Date. Any
Replacement Security the Trust acquires will be identical to those from
Page 9
the failed contract. The Trustee must purchase the Replacement
Securities within 20 days after it receives notice of a failed contract,
and the purchase price may not be more than the amount of funds reserved
for the purchase of the failed contract.
Portfolio
Objectives
The objective of the Trust is to provide the potential for above average
capital appreciation through an investment in common stocks of companies
which comprise the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm).
The Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm) is a modified market
capitalization index, the long-term goal of which is to represent 80% of
the market capitalization of Internet stocks by selecting a cross-
section of companies. It consists of 40 firms that derive the majority
of their revenue from the Internet. A total of 15 engage in e-commerce
while the other 25 are Internet service providers. The 40 companies
listed on the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm) also make up two
subindexes called the Dow Jones Internet Commerce Index (sm) and the Dow
Jones Internet Services Index (sm). To qualify for listing on these
subindexes, companies must generate at least 50% of their revenue from
the Internet, have a minimum of three months trading history, and have a
market capitalization of at least $100 million. No single company will
represent more than 10% of the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm).
The Internet has developed quite a following in the investment community
over the past few years. The returns posted by companies like Yahoo!,
America Online, Excite, Infoseek and Amazon.com have encouraged some
investors to chase short-term gains rather than invest for long-term
growth.
We believe that the Trust offers a more balanced approach to owning
these high-tech equities by providing a diversified portfolio of
companies that derive the majority of their revenue from the Internet.
The portfolio invests in the common stocks of companies that are listed
on the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm) as of the business day
prior to the date of this prospectus. The weighting of the Securities in
the Trust attempts to match the weighting of the common stocks in the
Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm) as of the close of business on the
business day prior to the date of this prospectus subject to the
limitation that only whole shares are purchased for the Trust and that
during the initial offering period the Trust will not invest more
than 5% of the portfolio in shares of any securities-related issuer.
The following factors support our positive outlook for the companies in
the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm):
- - The number of Internet addresses expanded by 45% over the past year,
for the period ended January 31, 1999. There are 43.2 million currently
registered Internet addresses, up from 29.7 million a year ago.
- - Advertising spending on the Internet has grown substantially from
$266 million in 1996 to $1.26 billion for the first three quarters of
1998. Consumer product companies account for 27% of spending, the most
on the Internet.
- - The small business community, defined as firms with less than 100
employees, represents 98% of all U.S. businesses, yet more than half of
these firms do not utilize the Internet. This represents a potential
growth opportunity.
Internet Demographics
1995 1998
______ ______
Percentage of Americans Who
Own a computer 36% 43%
Use the Internet 14% 41%
Go online every day 3% 12%
Use e-mail 10% 35%
Bought something online 1% 13%
Percentage of Internet Users Who
Get entertainment information 44% 73%
Get travel / vacation information 27% 68%
Get financial information 26% 49%
source: The Industry Standard, January 99
Investors looking for an affordable way to invest in the growth
potential of the Internet should consider the Trust. It invests in 40
Internet-related companies, something the average investor would not be
in a position to do without a substantial financial commitment. Also,
the disciplined "buy and hold" approach may prove to be an effective way
to cope with volatility over time.
The Trust consists of the securities contained in the Dow Jones Internet
Composite Index (sm) as of the business day prior to the Initial Date of
Deposit. The composition of the Trust will not be adjusted to reflect
changes in the composition of the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm)
which occur after the Initial Date of Deposit.
There is, of course, no guarantee that the objective of the Trust will
be achieved. The Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm) is compiled by
Page 10
and is the property of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. ("Dow Jones"). The
Trust is not sponsored, managed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones and Dow
Jones has not participated in the creation of the Trust or in the
selection of the Securities. See "Risk Factors" for a discussion of the
risks of investing in the Trust.
Risk Factors
Price Volatility. The Trust invests in common stocks of companies that
are listed on the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (sm). The value of
the Trust's Units will fluctuate with changes in the value of these
common stocks. Common stock prices fluctuate for several reasons
including changes in investors' perceptions of the financial condition
of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or
when political or economic events affecting the issuers occur.
Because the Trust is not managed, the Trustee will not sell stocks in
response to or in anticipation of market fluctuations, as is common in
managed investments. As with any investment, we cannot guarantee that
the performance of the Trust will be positive over any period of time or
that you won't lose money. Units of the Trust are not deposits of any
bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or any other government agency.
The Trust may be considered to be concentrated in Securities issued by
companies with market capitalizations of less than $1 billion. The share
prices of these small-cap companies are often more volatile than those
of larger companies. This is a result of several factors common to many
such issuers, including limited trading volumes, products or financial
resources, management inexperience and less publicly available
information.
Dividends. There is no guarantee that the issuers of the Securities will
declare dividends in the future or that if declared they will either
remain at current levels or increase over time.
Technology Industry. The Trust is considered to be concentrated in
Securities issued by companies which are involved in the Internet area
of the technology industry. Technology companies are generally subject
to the risks of rapidly changing technologies; short product life
cycles; fierce competition; aggressive pricing and reduced profit
margins; the loss of patent, copyright and trademark protections;
cyclical market patterns; evolving industry standards and frequent new
product introductions. Technology companies may be smaller and less
experienced companies, with limited product lines, markets or financial
resources and fewer experienced management or marketing personnel.
Technology company stocks, especially those which are Internet-related,
have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that are often
unrelated to their operating performance. Also, the stocks of many
Internet companies have exceptionally high price-to-earnings ratios with
little or no earnings histories.
Legislation/Litigation. From time to time, various legislative
initiatives are proposed in the United States and abroad which may have
a negative impact on certain companies represented in the Trust. In
addition, litigation regarding any of the issuers of the Securities or
the industry represented by these issuers may negatively impact the
share prices of these Securities. We cannot predict what impact any
pending or proposed legislation or pending or threatened litigation will
have on the share prices of the Securities.
Year 2000 Problem. Many computer systems were not designed to properly
process information and data involving dates of January 1, 2000 and
thereafter. This is commonly known as the "Year 2000 Problem." We do not
expect that any of the computer system changes necessary to prepare for
January 1, 2000 will cause any major operational difficulties for the
Trust. However, we are unable to predict what impact the Year 2000
Problem will have on any of the issuers of the Securities.
Foreign Stocks. Certain of the Securities are issued by foreign
companies which makes the Trust subject to more risks than if it
invested solely in domestic common stocks. Risks of foreign common
stocks include losses due to future political and economic developments,
foreign currency devaluations, restrictions on foreign investments and
exchange of securities, inadequate financial information, and lack of
liquidity of certain foreign markets.
Page 11
Portfolio Securities Descriptions
E*COMMERCE
__________
Amazon.com, Inc., headquartered in Seattle, Washington, operates as an
on-line retailer of books, offering more than 2.5 million titles via a
commercial site on the World Wide Web.
Beyond.com Corporation, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, operates
as an online reseller of commercial off-the-shelf computer software to
the consumer, small business and large enterprise markets.
Broadcast.com Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, aggregates and
broadcasts streaming media programming on the Web with the ability to
deliver live and on-demand audio and video programs over the Internet.
CDnow, Inc., headquartered in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, sells compact
discs and other music-related products on the World Wide Web, including
CDs as well as movies, music videos, books, T-shirts, and CD-ROMs. The
site also posts music reviews and related articles, offers sound
samples, and provides overnight delivery options.
Cyberian Outpost, Inc., headquartered in Kent, Connecticut, operates as
a global Internet retailer of computer products including hardware,
software and peripheral products.
E*TRADE Group, Inc., headquartered in Palo Alto, California, provides
online discount brokerage services, using its proprietary processing
technology. Services include automated order placement, portfolio
tracking and related market information, news and other information.
eBay Inc., headquartered in San Jose, California, operates an online
person-to-person trading community on the Internet, bringing together
buyers and sellers in an auction format to trade personal items such as
antiques, coins, collectibles, computers, memorabilia, stamps and toys.
Egghead.com, Inc., headquartered in Liberty Lake, Washington, sells
personal computer hardware, software and related products through the
Internet to consumers and businesses.
Excite, Inc., headquartered in Redwood City, California, provides
navigation services and products for the Internet and the World Wide Web
which enable consumers, content providers and advertisers to access and
interact with one another more efficiently. The company also provides ad
serving and targeting services for Internet advertisers.
GeoCities, headquartered in Santa Monica, California, offers a community
of personal Web sites on the Internet within 40 themed "neighborhoods."
Infoseek Corporation, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, develops
and provides branded, comprehensive Web-based navigational services that
help users access and personalize the resources of the Internet.
Infoseek Service is a free service targeted at individual business and
consumer users.
Lycos, Inc., headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, owns and
operates a free global Internet navigation and community network which
provides Web search and navigation, communications and personalization
tools, homepage building, Web community services and a contemporary
shopping center.
ONSALE, Inc., headquartered in Menlo Park, California, operates as an
electronic retailer specializing in selling refurbished and close-out
computers, peripherals and consumer electronics over the Internet via an
interactive 24-hour online auction.
Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch, Inc. (Class B), headquartered in
Pasadena, California, provides local city guides, local advertising and
live event ticketing on the Internet.
Yahoo! Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, offers a family
of branded online media properties, including "YAHOO!" that is among the
most widely used sources of information and discovery on the World Wide
Web.
INTERNET SERVICES
_________________
America Online, Inc., headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, provides online
services to consumers in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan
offering subscribers a wide variety of services, including electronic
mail, conferencing, news, sports, Internet access, entertainment,
weather, stock quotes, software, computing support, and online classes.
At Home Corporation, headquartered in Redwood City, California, provides
Internet services over the cable television infrastructure and leased
digital telecommunications lines to consumers and businesses.
Page 12
AXENT Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Rockville, Maryland,
develops, markets, licenses and supports enterprise-wide information
security solutions for client/server computing environments.
BroadVision, Inc., headquartered in Redwood City, California, provides
an integrated software application system, "BroadVision One-To-One,"
that enables businesses to create applications for interactive marketing
and selling services on the World Wide Web.
CMGI Inc., headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, invests in and
develops Internet companies. The company also operates direct marketing
companies and venture funds focused on the Internet.
CNET, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California, provides
information on computers, the Internet and digital technologies through
sites on the Internet and television programming.
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., headquartered in Ramat-Gan,
Israel, develops, sells and supports network security software products
that enable connectivity with security and manageability.
CheckFree Holdings Corporation, headquartered in Norcross, Georgia,
provides electronic commerce services, financial application software
and related products for financial institutions and businesses and their
customers.
CyberCash, Inc., headquartered in Reston, Virginia, provides Internet
payment processing services to businesses in the United States and
abroad by providing secure, convenient and cost-effective means for
effecting payments over the Internet.
DoubleClick Inc., headquartered in New York, New York, provides
comprehensive Internet advertising solutions for advertisers and Web
publishers.
EarthLink Network, Inc., headquartered in Pasadena, California, is an
Internet service provider focusing on providing reliable access, useful
information, assistance and services to its customers to encourage their
introduction to the Internet.
Exodus Communications, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California,
provides Internet system and network management solutions for
enterprises with mission-critical Internet operations.
IDT Corporation, headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey, offers a broad
range of integrated and competitively priced long-distance telephone,
Internet access and Internet telephonic services in the United States
and abroad.
InfoSpace.com, Inc., headquartered in Redmond, Washington, provides
content services for the Internet such as yellow and white pages, maps,
classified ads, stock quotes and weather forecasts.
Inktomi Corporation, headquartered in San Mateo, California, develops
and markets scalable Internet software. The company's products include
search engine, shopping engine and traffic server network caching
products.
MindSpring Enterprises, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia,
provides Internet access serving individual subscribers, including
individuals with little or no prior on-line experience.
Network Solutions, Inc. (Class A), headquartered in Herndon, Virginia,
provides worldwide Internet domain name registration services within the
".com," ".org," ".net" and ".edu" top-level domains. The company also
provides Intranet consulting and network design and implementation
services to large companies.
Open Market, Inc., headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, develops,
markets, licenses and supports high performance software products that
allow the company's customers to conduct business-to-consumer and
business-to-business electronic commerce on the Internet and to deploy
Internet-based business applications within an enterprise.
PSINet Inc., headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, is a global facilities-
based Internet access provider to the business market, by means of its
high performance computer network, "PSINet."
RealNetworks, Inc., headquartered in Seattle, Washington, develops and
markets software products and services designed to enable users of
personal computers and other digital devices to send and receive real-
time media using current infrastructure.
Spyglass, Inc., headquartered in Naperville, Illinois, provides World
Wide Web technologies that enable organizations to offer products and
services for electronic publishing, commerce and collaboration on the
Internet.
Sterling Commerce, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, develops,
markets and supports electronic commerce software products and provides
electronic commerce network services that enable businesses to engage in
business-to-business electronic communications and transactions.
Page 13
USWeb Corporation, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, provides
Intranet, Extranet and Web site solutions and services to medium-sized
and large companies.
Verio Inc., headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, provides Internet
connectivity and enhanced Internet services to small and medium-sized
businesses.
VeriSign, Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, California, provides
digital certificate solutions and infrastructure needed by companies,
government agencies, trading partners and individuals to conduct secure
communications and commerce over the Internet and over intranets and
extranets using the Internet Protocol.
We have obtained the foregoing descriptions from sources we deem
reliable. We have not independently verified the provided information
either in terms of accuracy or completeness.
Public Offering
The Public Offering Price.
You may buy Units at the Public Offering Price. The Public Offering
Price per Unit is comprised of the following:
- - The aggregate underlying value of the Securities;
- - The amount of any cash in the Income and Capital Accounts;
- - Dividends receivable on Securities; and
- - The total sales charge (which consists entirely of a deferred sales
charge).
The price you pay for your Units will differ from the amount stated
under "Summary of Essential Information" due to various factors,
including fluctuations in the prices of the Securities and changes in
the value of the Income and/or Capital Accounts.
The Securities purchased with the portion of the Public Offering Price
intended to be used to reimburse the Sponsor for the Trust's
organization costs (including costs of preparing the registration
statement, the Indenture and other closing documents, registering Units
with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and states, the
initial audit of the Trust portfolio, legal fees and the initial fees
and expenses of the Trustee) will be purchased in the same proportionate
relationship as all the Securities contained in the Trust. Securities
will be sold to reimburse the Sponsor for the Trust's organization costs
at the end of the initial offering period (a significantly shorter time
period than the life of the Trust). During the initial offering period,
there may be a decrease in the value of the Securities. To the extent
the proceeds from the sale of these Securities are insufficient to repay
the Sponsor for the Trust organization costs, the Trustee will sell
additional Securities to allow the Trust to fully reimburse the Sponsor.
In that event, the net asset value per Unit will be reduced by the
amount of additional Securities sold. Although the dollar amount of the
reimbursement due to the Sponsor will remain fixed and will never exceed
the per Unit amount set forth for the Trust in "Statement of Net
Assets," this will result in a greater effective cost per Unit to Unit
holders for the reimbursement to the Sponsor. To the extent actual
organization costs are less than the estimated amount, only the actual
organization costs will be deducted from the assets of the Trust. When
Securities are sold to reimburse the Sponsor for organization costs, the
Trustee will sell such Securities, to the extent practicable, which will
maintain the same proportionate relationship among the Securities
contained in the Trust as existed prior to such sale.
Although you are not required to pay for your Units until three business
days following your order (the "date of settlement"), you may pay before
then. You will become the owner of Units on the date of settlement if
payment has been received. If you pay for your Units before the date of
settlement, we may use your payment during this time and it may be
considered a benefit to us, subject to the limitations of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.
Minimum Purchase.
The minimum amount you can purchase of the Trust is $1,000 worth of
Units ($500 if you are purchasing Units for your Individual Retirement
Account or any other qualified retirement plan).
Sales Charges.
The maximum sales charge you will pay is entirely deferred. This
deferred sales charge is a fixed dollar amount equal to $.15 per Unit
which will be deducted in three equal monthly installments of $.05 per
Unit beginning August 20, 1999 and on the 20th day of each month
thereafter (or the preceding business day if the 20th day is not a
business day) through October 20, 1999. On the Initial Date of Deposit
this fee will equal 1.5% of the Public Offering Price (equivalent to
1.5% of the net amount invested), but because this amount is a fixed
Page 14
dollar amount per Unit, it will vary from 1.5% of the Public Offering
Price per Unit as the Public Offering Price varies from $10 per Unit.
However, in no event will the maximum sales charge exceed 2% of the
Public Offering Price per Unit. If you purchase Units after the first
deferred sales charge payment has been deducted, you will be charged the
amount of the previously collected deferred sales charge at the time of
purchase and will be subject to any remaining deferred sales charge
payments not yet collected.
Discounts for Certain Persons.
If you invest at least $1 million (except if you are purchasing for a
"wrap fee account" as described below) the maximum sales charge will be
$.10 per Unit.
The reduced sales charge for quantity purchases will apply only to
purchases made by the same person on any one day from any one dealer. We
will consider Units you purchase in the name of your spouse or your
child under 21 years of age to be purchases by you for determining the
reduced sales charge. The reduced sales charges will also apply to a
trustee or other fiduciary purchasing Units for a single trust estate or
single fiduciary account. You must inform your dealer of any combined
purchases before the sale in order to be eligible for the reduced sales
charge. Any reduced sales charge is the responsibility of the
broker/dealer or other selling agent making the sale.
The following persons may purchase Units at the Public Offering Price
less the applicable dealer concession:
- - Employees, officers and directors of the Sponsor, our related
companies, dealers and their affiliates, and vendors providing services
to us.
- - Immediate family members of the above (spouses, children,
grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, mothers-in-law, fathers-
in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, and trustees, custodians or
fiduciaries for the benefit of such persons).
If you purchase Units through registered broker/dealers who charge
periodic fees for financial planning, investment advisory or asset
management services or provide these services as part of an investment
account where a comprehensive "wrap fee" charge is imposed, you may
purchase Units in the primary or secondary market at the Public Offering
Price, less the concession we would typically allow such broker/dealer.
See "Distribution of Units-Dealer Concessions."
Every investor will be charged the deferred sales charge per Unit
regardless of any discounts. However, if you are eligible to receive a
discount such that the maximum sales charge you must pay is less than
the applicable maximum deferred sales charge, you will be credited the
difference between your maximum sales charge and the maximum deferred
sales charge at the time you buy your Units.
The Value of the Securities.
The aggregate underlying value of the Securities in the Trust will be
determined as follows: if the Securities are listed on a securities
exchange or The Nasdaq Stock Market, their value is generally based on
the closing sale prices on that exchange or system (unless it is
determined that these prices are not appropriate as a basis for
valuation). However, if there is no closing sale price on that exchange
or system, they are valued based on the closing ask prices. If the
Securities are not so listed, or, if so listed and the principal market
for them is other than on that exchange or system, the evaluation will
generally be based on the current ask prices on the over-the-counter
market (unless it is determined that these prices are not appropriate as
a basis for evaluation). If current ask prices are unavailable, the
evaluation is generally determined:
a) On the basis of current ask prices for comparable securities,
b) By appraising the value of the Securities on the ask side of the
market, or
c) By any combination of the above.
The Evaluator will appraise the value of the Securities in the Trust as
of the Evaluation Time on each business day and will adjust the Public
Offering Price of the Units according to this valuation. This Public
Offering Price will be effective for all orders received before the
Evaluation Time on each such day. If we or the Trustee receive orders
for purchases, sales or redemptions after that time, or on a day which
is not a business day, they will be held until the next determination of
price. The term "business day" as used in this prospectus will exclude
Saturdays, Sundays and the following holidays as observed by the New
York Stock Exchange ("NYSE"): New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s
Page 15
Birthday, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day,
Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
After the initial offering period is over, the secondary market Public
Offering Price will be determined based on the aggregate underlying
value of the Securities in the Trust, plus or minus cash, if any, in the
Income and Capital Accounts of the Trust plus the applicable sales
charge. We calculate the aggregate underlying value of the Securities
during the secondary market the same way as described above for sales
made during the initial offering period, except that bid prices are used
instead of ask prices when necessary.
Distribution of Units
We intend to qualify Units of the Trust for sale in a number of states.
During the initial offering period, Units will be sold at the current
Public Offering Price. When the initial offering period ends, Units we
have reacquired may be offered by this prospectus at the secondary
market Public Offering Price (see "The Secondary Market").
Dealer Concessions.
Dealers and other selling agents can purchase Units at prices which
represent a concession or agency commission of $.10 of the Public
Offering Price per Unit. In addition, dealers and other selling agents
will receive a maximum concession of up to $.10 per Unit on purchases
resulting from the automatic reinvestment of income or capital
distributions into additional Units.
Dealers and other selling agents who sell Units of the Trust during the
initial offering period in the dollar amounts shown below will be
entitled to the following additional sales concessions as a percentage
of the Public Offering Price:
Additional
Total Sales per Trust Concession
(in millions) per Unit
_____________________ __________
$ 40 but less than $50 $.0050
$ 50 but less than $75 $.0125
$ 75 but less than $100 $.0150
$100 or more $.0200
We reserve the right to change the amount of concessions or agency
commissions from time to time. Certain commercial banks may be making
Units of the Trust available to their customers on an agency basis. A
portion of the sales charge paid by these customers is kept by or given
to the banks in the amounts shown above. Under the Glass-Steagall Act,
banks are prohibited from underwriting Trust Units. However, the Glass-
Steagall Act does allow certain agency transactions. In Texas and in
certain other states, any banks making Units available must be
registered as broker/dealers under state law.
Award Programs.
From time to time we may sponsor programs which provide awards to a
dealer's registered representatives who have sold a minimum number of
Units during a specified time period. We may also pay fees to qualifying
dealers for services or activities which are meant to result in sales of
Units of the Trust. In addition, we will pay to dealers who sponsor
sales contests or recognition programs that conform to our criteria, or
participate in our sales programs, amounts equal to no more than the
total applicable sales charges on Units sold by such persons during such
programs. We make these payments out of our own assets, and not out of
the Trust's assets. These programs will not change the price you pay for
your Units or the amount that the Trust will receive from the Units sold.
Investment Comparisons.
From time to time we may compare the then current estimated returns of
the Trust (which may show performance net of the expenses and charges
the Trust would have incurred) and returns over specified periods of
other similar trusts we sponsor in our advertising and sales materials,
with (1) returns on other taxable investments such as the common stocks
comprising various market indexes, corporate or U.S. Government bonds,
bank CDs and money market accounts or funds, (2) performance data from
Morningstar Publications, Inc. or (3) information from publications such
as Money, the New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, Business Week,
Forbes or Fortune. The investment characteristics of the Trust, which
are described more fully elsewhere in this prospectus, differ from other
comparative investments. You should not assume that these performance
comparisons will be representative of the Trust's future relative
performance.
Page 16
The Sponsor's Profits
We will receive a gross sales commission equal to the maximum sales
charge per Unit of the Trust less any reduced sales charge as stated in
"Public Offering." Also, any difference between our cost to purchase the
Securities and the price at which we sell them to the Trust is
considered a profit or loss (see Note 2 of "Schedule of Investments").
During the initial offering period, dealers and others may also realize
profits or sustain losses as a result of fluctuations in the Public
Offering Price they receive when they sell the Units.
In maintaining a market for Units, any difference between the price at
which Units are purchased and the price at which they are sold (which
includes a maximum deferred sales charge for the Trust) or redeemed will
be a profit or loss to us. The secondary market Public Offering Price of
Units may be more or less than the cost of those Units to us.
The Secondary Market
Although we are not obligated to, we intend to maintain a market for the
Units after the initial offering period and continuously offer to
purchase Units at prices based on the Redemption Price per Unit.
We will pay all expenses to maintain a secondary market, except the
Evaluator fees and Trustee costs to transfer and record the ownership of
Units. We may discontinue purchases of Units at any time. IF YOU WISH TO
DISPOSE OF YOUR UNITS, YOU SHOULD ASK US FOR THE CURRENT MARKET PRICES
BEFORE MAKING A TENDER FOR REDEMPTION TO THE TRUSTEE. If you sell Units
or tender them for redemption before you have paid the total deferred
sales charge on your Units, you will have to pay the remainder at that
time.
How We Purchase Units
The Trustee will notify us of any tender of Units for redemption. If our
bid at that time is equal to or greater than the Redemption Price per
Unit, we may purchase the Units. You will receive the proceeds from the
sale of Units we purchase no later than if they were redeemed by the
Trustee. We may tender Units we hold to the Trustee for redemption as
any other Units. If we elect not to purchase Units, the Trustee may sell
tendered Units in the over-the-counter market, if any. However, the
amount you will receive is the same as you would have received on
redemption of the Units.
The Public Offering Price of any Units we acquire will be consistent
with the Public Offering Price described in the then effective
prospectus. Any profit or loss from the resale or redemption of such
Units will belong to us.
Expenses and Charges
The estimated annual expenses of the Trust are listed under "Fee Table."
If actual expenses exceed the estimate, the Trust will bear the excess.
The Trustee will pay operating expenses of the Trust from the Income
Account of the Trust if funds are available, and then from the Capital
Account. The Income and Capital Accounts are noninterest-bearing to Unit
holders, so the Trustee benefits from the use of these funds.
As Sponsor, we will be compensated for providing bookkeeping and other
administrative services to the Trust, and will receive brokerage fees
when the Trust uses us (or an affiliate of ours) as agent in buying or
selling Securities. First Trust Advisors L.P., an affiliate of ours,
acts as both Portfolio Supervisor and Evaluator to the Trust and will
receive the fees set forth under "Fee Table" for providing portfolio
supervisory and evaluation services to the Trust. In providing portfolio
supervisory services, the Portfolio Supervisor will purchase research
services from a number of sources, which may include underwriters or
dealers of the Trust.
The fees payable to the Portfolio Supervisor, Evaluator and Trustee are
based on the largest aggregate number of Units of the Trust outstanding
at any time during the calendar year, except during the initial offering
period, in which case these fees are calculated based on the largest
number of Units outstanding during the period for which compensation is
paid. These fees may be adjusted for inflation without Unit holders'
approval, but in no case will the annual fees paid to us or our
affiliates for providing a given service to all unit investment trusts
for which we provide such services be more than the actual cost of
providing such service in such year.
Page 17
In addition to the Trust's operating expenses, and the fees described above,
the Trust may also incur the following charges:
- - A quarterly license fee payable by the Trust for the use of certain
trademarks and trade names of Dow Jones;
- - All legal expenses of the Trustee according to its responsibilities
under the Indenture;
- - The expenses and costs incurred by the Trustee to protect the Trust
and the rights and interests of the Unit holders;
- - Fees for any extraordinary services the Trustee performed under the
Indenture;
- - Payment for any loss, liability or expense the Trustee incurred
without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part, in
connection with its acceptance or administration of the Trust;
- - Payment for any loss, liability or expenses we incurred without
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct in acting as Depositor of
the Trust; and/or
- - All taxes and other government charges imposed upon the Securities or
any part of the Trust (no such taxes or charges are now in place or
planned as far as we know).
The above expenses and the Trustee's annual fee (when paid or owing to
the Trustee) are secured by a lien on the Trust. In addition, if there
is not enough cash in the Income or Capital Accounts of the Trust, the
Trustee has the power to sell Securities to make cash available to pay
these charges. Since the Securities are all common stocks and dividend
income is unpredictable, we cannot guarantee that dividends will be
sufficient to meet any or all expenses of the Trust. These sales may
result in capital gains or losses to the Unit holders. See "Tax Status."
Tax Status
This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax
consequences of owning Units of the Trust. This section is current as of
the date of this prospectus. Tax laws and interpretations change
frequently, and these summaries do not describe all of the tax
consequences to all taxpayers. For example, these summaries generally do
not describe your situation if you are a non-U.S. person, a
broker/dealer, or other investor with special circumstances. In
addition, this section does not describe your state or foreign taxes. As
with any investment, you should consult your own tax professional about
your particular consequences.
Trust Status.
The Trust will not be taxed as a corporation for federal income tax
purposes. As a Unit owner, you will be treated as the owner of a pro
rata portion of the Securities and other assets held by the Trust, and
as such you will be considered to have received a pro rata share of
income (i.e., dividends and capital gains, if any) from each Security
when such income is considered to be received by the Trust. This is true
even if you elect to have your distributions automatically reinvested
into additional Units. In addition, the income from the Trust which you
must take into account for federal income tax purposes is not reduced by
amounts used to pay the deferred sales charge.
Your Tax Basis and Income or Loss upon Disposition.
If your Trust disposes of Securities, you will generally recognize gain
or loss. If you dispose of your Units or redeem your Units for cash, you
will also generally recognize gain or loss. To determine the amount of
this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in the related
Securities from your share of the total proceeds received in the
transaction. You can generally determine your initial tax basis in each
Security or other Trust asset by apportioning the cost of your Units,
generally including sales charges, among each Security or other Trust
asset ratably according to their value on the date you purchase your
Units. In certain circumstances, however, you may have to adjust your
tax basis after you purchase your Units (for example, in the case of
certain dividends that exceed a corporation's accumulated earnings and
profits).
If you are an individual, the maximum marginal federal tax rate for net
capital gain is generally 20% (10% for certain taxpayers in the lowest
tax bracket). Net capital gain equals net long-term capital gain minus
net short-term capital loss for the taxable year. Capital gain or loss
is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year
and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or
less. You must exclude the date you purchase your Units to determine the
holding period of your Units. The tax rates for capital gains realized
from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for
ordinary income. The tax code may, however, treat certain capital gains
as ordinary income in special situations.
Page 18
Rollovers.
If you elect to have your proceeds from the Trust rolled over into the
next series of the Trust, it is considered a sale for federal income tax
purposes, and any gain on the sale will be treated as a capital gain,
and any loss will be treated as a capital loss. However, any loss you
incur in connection with the exchange of your Units of the Trust for
units of the next series will generally be disallowed with respect to
this deemed sale and subsequent deemed repurchase, to the extent the two
trusts have identical Securities under the wash sale provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code.
In-Kind Distributions.
Under certain circumstances, you may request an In-Kind Distribution of
Securities when you redeem your Units or at the Trust's termination. If
you request an In-Kind Distribution you will be responsible for any
expenses related to this distribution. By electing to receive an In-Kind
Distribution, you will receive an undivided interest in whole shares of
stock plus, possibly, cash.
You will not recognize gain or loss if you only receive Securities in
exchange for your pro rata portion of the Securities held by the Trust.
However, if you also receive cash in exchange for a fractional share of
a Security held by the Trust, you will generally recognize gain or loss
based on the difference between the amount of cash you receive and your
tax basis in such fractional share of the Security.
Limitations on the Deductibility of Trust Expenses.
Generally, for federal income tax purposes, you must take into account
your full pro rata share of the Trust's income, even if some of that
income is used to pay Trust expenses. You may deduct your pro rata share
of each expense paid by the Trust to the same extent as if you directly
paid the expense. You may, however, be required to treat some or all of
the expenses of the Trust as miscellaneous itemized deductions.
Individuals may only deduct certain miscellaneous itemized deductions to
the extent they exceed 2% of adjusted gross income.
Foreign, State and Local Taxes.
Some distributions by the Trust may be subject to foreign withholding
taxes. Any dividends withheld will nevertheless be treated as income to
you. However, because you are deemed to have paid directly your share of
foreign taxes that have been paid or accrued by the Trust, you may be
entitled to a foreign tax credit or deduction for U.S. tax purposes with
respect to such taxes.
Under the existing income tax laws of the State and City of New York,
the Trust will not be taxed as a corporation, and the income of the
Trust will be treated as the income of the Unit holders in the same
manner as for federal income tax purposes. You should consult your tax
advisor regarding potential foreign, state or local taxation with
respect to your Units.
Retirement Plans
You may purchase Units of the Trust for:
- - Individual Retirement Accounts,
- - Keogh Plans,
- - Pension funds, and
- - Other tax-deferred retirement plans.
Generally, the federal income tax on capital gains and income received
in each of the above plans is deferred until you receive distributions.
These distributions are generally treated as ordinary income but may, in
some cases, be eligible for special averaging or tax-deferred rollover
treatment. Before participating in a plan like this, you should review
the tax laws regarding these plans and consult your attorney or tax
advisor. Brokerage firms and other financial institutions offer these
plans with varying fees and charges.
Rights of Unit Holders
Unit Ownership.
The Trustee will treat as record owner of Units persons registered as
such on its books. If you request certificates representing the Units
you ordered for purchase they will be delivered three business days
after your order or shortly thereafter. You may transfer or redeem Units
represented by a certificate by endorsing and surrendering it to the
Trustee, along with a written instrument(s) of transfer. You must sign
your name exactly as it appears on the face of the certificate with your
signature guaranteed by an eligible institution. In certain cases the
Trustee may require additional documentation before they will transfer
or redeem your Units.
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Certificates will be issued in fully registered form, transferable only
on the books of the Trustee in denominations of one Unit or any multiple
thereof, numbered serially for identification purposes.
You may also choose to hold your Units in uncertificated form. If you
choose this option, the Trustee will establish an account for you and
credit your account with the number of Units you purchase. Within two
business days of the issuance or transfer of Units held in
uncertificated form, the Trustee will send to you, as the registered
owner of Units:
- - A written initial transaction statement containing a description of
your Trust;
- - The number of Units issued or transferred;
- - Your name, address and Taxpayer Identification Number ("TIN");
- - A notation of any liens or restrictions of the issuer and any adverse
claims; and
- - The date the transfer was registered.
Uncertificated Units may be transferred the same way as certificated
Units, except that no certificate needs to be presented to the Trustee.
Also, no certificate will be issued when the transfer takes place unless
you request it. You may at any time request that the Trustee issue
certificates for your Units.
You may be required to pay a nominal fee to the Trustee for each
certificate reissued or transferred, and to pay any government charge
that may be imposed for each transfer or exchange. The Trustee does not
require such charge now, nor are they currently contemplating doing so.
If a certificate gets lost, stolen or destroyed, you may be required to
furnish indemnity to the Trustee to receive replacement certificates.
You must surrender mutilated certificates to the Trustee for replacement.
Unit Holder Reports.
In connection with each distribution, the Trustee will provide you with
a statement detailing the per Unit amount of income (if any)
distributed. After the end of each calendar year, the Trustee will
provide you with the following information:
- - A summary of transactions in the Trust for the year;
- - Any Securities sold during the year and the Securities held at the
end of that year by the Trust;
- - The Redemption Price per Unit, computed on the 31st day of December
of such year (or the last business day before); and
- - Amounts of income and capital distributed during the year.
You may request from the Trustee copies of the evaluations of the
Securities as prepared by the Evaluator to enable you to comply with
federal and state tax reporting requirements.
Income and Capital Distributions
You will begin receiving distributions on your Units only after you
become a Record Owner. It is your responsibility to notify the Trustee
when you become Record Owner of the Units, but normally your
broker/dealer provides this notice. The Trustee will credit any
dividends received on the Trust's Securities to the Income Account of
the Trust. All other receipts, such as return of capital, are credited
to the Capital Account of the Trust.
The Trustee will distribute any net income in the Income Account on or
near the Income Distribution Dates to Unit holders of record on the
preceding Income Distribution Record Date. See "Summary of Essential
Information." Distribution amounts will vary with changes in the Trust's
fees and expenses, in dividends received and with the sale of
Securities. The Trustee will distribute amounts in the Capital Account
on the last day of each month to Unit holders of record on the fifteenth
day of each month provided the amount equals at least $1.00 per 100
Units. However, amounts in the Capital Account from the sale of
Securities designated to meet redemptions of Units, to pay the deferred
sales charge or to pay expenses will not be distributed. The Trustee is
not required to pay interest on funds held in the Income or Capital
Accounts of the Trust. However, the Trustee may earn interest on these
funds, thus benefiting from the use of such funds.
We anticipate that the deferred sales charge will be collected from the
Capital Account of the Trust and that there will be enough money in the
Capital Account to cover these costs. If there is not enough money in
the Capital Account to pay the deferred sales charge, the Trustee may
sell Securities to meet the shortfall. We will designate an account
where distributions will be made to pay the deferred sales charge.
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The Trustee is required by the Internal Revenue Service to withhold a
certain percentage of any distribution the Trust makes and deliver such
amount to the Internal Revenue Service if the Trustee does not have your
TIN. You may recover this amount by giving your TIN to the Trustee, or
when you file a tax return. Normally, the selling broker gives your TIN
to the Trustee. However, you should check your statements from the
Trustee to make sure they have the number to avoid this "back-up
withholding." If not, you should provide it to the Trustee as soon as
possible.
Within a reasonable time after the Trust is terminated, unless you are a
Rollover Unit holder, you will receive the pro rata share of the money
from the disposition of the Securities. However, if you are eligible,
you may elect to receive an In-Kind Distribution as described under
"Amending or Terminating the Indenture." All Unit holders will receive a
pro rata share of any other assets remaining in the Trust, excluding any
unpaid expenses of the Trust.
The Trustee may establish reserves (the "Reserve Account") within the
Trust for any state and local taxes and any governmental charges to be
paid out of the Trust.
Distribution Reinvestment Option. You may elect to have each
distribution of income and/or capital reinvested into additional Units
of the Trust by notifying the Trustee at least 10 days before any Record
Date. Each later distribution of income and/or capital on your Units
will be reinvested by the Trustee into additional Units of the Trust.
You will have to pay any remaining deferred sales charge on any Units
acquired pursuant to this distribution reinvestment option. This option
may not be available in all states. PLEASE NOTE THAT EVEN IF YOU
REINVEST DISTRIBUTIONS, THEY ARE STILL CONSIDERED DISTRIBUTIONS FOR
INCOME TAX PURPOSES.
Redeeming Your Units
You may redeem all or a portion of your Units at any time by sending the
certificates representing the Units you want to redeem to the Trustee at
its unit investment trust office. If your Units are held in
uncertificated form, you need only to deliver a request for redemption
to the Trustee. In either case, the certificates or the redemption
request you send to the Trustee must be properly endorsed with proper
instruments of transfer and signature guarantees as explained in "Rights
of Unit Holders-Unit Ownership" (or by providing satisfactory indemnity
if the certificates were lost, stolen, or destroyed). No redemption fee
will be charged, but you are responsible for any governmental charges
that apply. Three business days after the day you tender your Units (the
"Date of Tender") you will receive cash in an amount for each Unit equal
to the Redemption Price per Unit calculated at the Evaluation Time on
the Date of Tender.
The Date of Tender is considered to be the date on which the Trustee
receives your certificates or redemption request (if such day is a day
the NYSE is open for trading). However, if your certificates or
redemption request are received after 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (or after
any earlier closing time on a day on which the NYSE is scheduled in
advance to close at such earlier time), the Date of Tender is the next
day the NYSE is open for trading.
Any amounts paid on redemption representing income will be withdrawn
from the Income Account of the Trust if funds are available for that
purpose, or from the Capital Account. All other amounts paid on
redemption will be taken from the Capital Account of the Trust.
If you are tendering 1,000 Units or more for redemption, rather than
receiving cash you may elect to receive a distribution of shares of
Securities (an "In-Kind Distribution") in an amount and value equal to
the Redemption Price per Unit by making this request in writing to the
Trustee at the time of tender. However, no In-Kind Distribution requests
submitted during the nine business days prior to the Trust's Mandatory
Termination Date will be honored. Where possible, the Trustee will make
an In-Kind Distribution by distributing each of the Securities in book-
entry form to your bank or broker/dealer account at the Depository Trust
Company. The Trustee will subtract any customary transfer and
registration charges from your In-Kind Distribution. As a tendering Unit
holder, you will receive your pro rata number of whole shares of the
Securities that make up the portfolio, and cash from the Capital Account
equal to the fractional shares to which you are entitled. If there is
not enough money in the Capital Account to pay the required cash
distribution, the Trustee may have to sell Securities.
The Internal Revenue Service will require the Trustee to withhold a
portion of your redemption proceeds if the Trustee has not previously
Page 21
been provided your TIN. For more information about this withholding, see
"Income and Capital Distributions." If the Trustee does not have your
TIN, you must provide it at the time of the redemption request.
The Trustee may sell Securities in the Trust to make funds available for
redemption. If Securities are sold, the size and diversification of the
Trust will be reduced. These sales may result in lower prices than if
the Securities were sold at a different time.
Your right to redeem Units (and therefore, your right to receive
payment) may be delayed:
- - If the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday
closings);
- - If the SEC determines that trading on the NYSE is restricted or that
an emergency exists making sale or evaluation of the Securities not
reasonably practical; or
- - For any other period permitted by SEC order.
The Trustee is not liable to any person for any loss or damage which may
result from such a suspension or postponement.
The Redemption Price.
The Redemption Price per Unit is determined by the Trustee by:
adding
1. cash in the Income and Capital Accounts not designated to purchase
Securities;
2. the aggregate underlying value of the Securities held in the Trust; and
3. dividends receivable on the Securities trading ex-dividend as of the
date of computation; and
deducting
1. any applicable taxes or governmental charges that need to be paid out
of the Trust;
2. any amounts owed to the Trustee for its advances;
3. estimated accrued expenses of the Trust, if any;
4. cash held for distribution to Unit holders of record of the Trust as
of the business day before the evaluation being made; and
5. other liabilities incurred by the Trust; and
dividing
1. the result by the number of outstanding Units of the Trust.
Any remaining deferred sales charge on the Units when you redeem them
will be deducted from your redemption proceeds. In addition, until the
end of the initial offering period, the Redemption Price per Unit will
include estimated organization costs as set forth under "Fee Table."
The aggregate underlying value of the Securities for purposes of
calculating the Redemption Price during the secondary market is
determined in the same manner as that used to calculate the secondary
market Public Offering Price as discussed in "Public Offering-The Value
of the Securities."
Reinvesting in a New Trust
The Trust's portfolio has been selected on the basis of capital
appreciation potential for a limited time period. When the Trust is
about to terminate, you may have the option to roll your proceeds into
the next series of the Trust (the "New Trust") if one is available. We
intend to create the New Trust in conjunction with the termination of
the Trust and plan to use the same procedure we used to select the
portfolio for the Trust to the New Trust.
If you wish to have the proceeds from your Units rolled into the New
Trust you must notify the Trustee in writing of your election by the
Rollover Notification Date stated in the "Summary of Essential
Information." As a Rollover Unit holder, your Units will be redeemed and
the underlying Securities sold by the Trustee, in its capacity as
Distribution Agent, during the Special Redemption and Liquidation
Period. The Distribution Agent may engage us or other brokers as its
agent to sell the Securities.
Once all of the Securities are sold, your proceeds, less any brokerage
fees, governmental charges or other expenses involved in the sales, will
be used to buy units of the New Trust or trust with a similar investment
strategy that you have selected, provided such trusts are registered and
being offered. Accordingly, proceeds may be uninvested for up to several
days. Units purchased with rollover proceeds will generally be purchased
subject only to the maximum remaining deferred sales charge on such
units (currently expected to be $.15 per unit).
We intend to create New Trust units as quickly as possible, depending on
the availability of the Securities contained in the New Trust's
portfolio. Rollover Unit holders will be given first priority to
Page 22
purchase New Trust units. We cannot, however, assure the exact timing of
the creation of New Trust units or the total number of New Trust units
we will create. Any proceeds not invested on behalf of Rollover Unit
holders in New Trust units will be distributed within a reasonable time
after such occurrence. Although we believe that enough New Trust units
can be created, monies in the New Trust may not be fully invested on the
next business day.
Please note that there are certain tax consequences associated with
becoming a Rollover Unit holder. See "Tax Status." If you elect not to
participate as a Rollover Unit holder ("Remaining Unit holders"), you
will not incur capital gains or losses due to the Special Redemption and
Liquidation, nor will you be charged any additional sales charge. We may
modify, amend or terminate this rollover option upon 60 days notice.
Removing Securities from the Trust
The portfolio of the Trust is not managed. However, we may, but are not
required to, direct the Trustee to dispose of a Security in certain
limited circumstances, including situations in which:
- - The issuer of the Security defaults in the payment of a declared
dividend;
- - Any action or proceeding prevents the payment of dividends;
- - There is any legal question or impediment affecting the Security;
- - The issuer of the Security has breached a covenant which would affect
the payment of dividends, the issuer's credit standing, or otherwise
damage the sound investment character of the Security;
- - The issuer has defaulted on the payment of any other of its
outstanding obligations; or
- - The price of the Security has declined to such an extent, or such
other credit factors exist, that in our opinion keeping the Security
would be harmful to the Trust.
Except in the limited instance in which the Trust acquires Replacement
Securities to replace failed contracts to purchase Securities, as
described in "The FT Series," the Trust may not acquire any securities
or other property other than the Securities. The Trustee, on behalf of
the Trust, will reject any offer for new or exchanged securities or
property in exchange for a Security, such as those acquired in a merger
or other transaction. If such exchanged securities or property are
nevertheless acquired by the Trust, at our instruction, they will either
be sold or held in the Trust. In making the determination as to whether
to sell or hold the exchanged securities or property we may get advice
from the Portfolio Supervisor. Any proceeds received from the sale of
Securities, exchanged securities or property will be credited to the
Capital Account of the Trust for distributions to Unit holders or to
meet redemption requests. The Trustee may retain and pay us or an
affiliate of ours to act as agent for the Trust to facilitate selling
Securities, exchanged securities or property from the Trust. If we or
our affiliate act in this capacity, we will be held subject to the
restrictions under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
The Trustee may sell Securities that we designate; or, without our
direction, in its own discretion, in order to meet redemption requests
or pay expenses. In designating which Securities should be sold, we will
try to maintain the proportionate relationship among the Securities. If
this is not possible, the composition and diversification of the
Securities in the Trust may be changed. To get the best price for the
Trust we may have to specify minimum amounts (generally 100 shares) in
which blocks of Securities are to be sold. We may consider sales of
units of unit investment trusts which we sponsor in making
recommendations to the Trustee on the selection of broker/dealers to
execute the Trust's portfolio transactions, or when acting as agent for
the Trust in acquiring or selling Securities on behalf of the Trust.
Amending or Terminating the Indenture
Amendments. The Indenture may be amended by us and the Trustee without
your consent:
- - To cure ambiguities;
- - To correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision;
- - To make any amendment required by any governmental agency; or
- - To make other changes determined not to be materially adverse to your
best interests (as determined by us and the Trustee).
Termination. As provided by the Indenture, the Trust will terminate on
the Mandatory Termination Date. The Trust may be terminated prior to the
Mandatory Termination Date:
Page 23
- - Upon the consent of 100% of the Unit holders;
- - If the value of the Securities owned by the Trust as shown by any
evaluation is less than the lower of $2,000,000 or 20% of the total
value of Securities deposited in the Trust during the initial offering
period ("Discretionary Liquidation Amount"); or
- - In the event that Units of the Trust not yet sold aggregating more
than 60% of the Units of such Trust are tendered for redemption by
underwriters, including the Sponsor.
In the event of termination, the Trustee will send prior written notice
thereof to all Unit holders which will specify how you should tender
your certificates, if any, to the Trustee. If the Trust is terminated
due to this last reason, we will refund to each purchaser of Units of
such Trust the entire sales charge paid by such purchaser; however,
termination of the Trust prior to the Mandatory Termination Date for any
other stated reason will result in all remaining unpaid deferred sales
charges on your Units being deducted from your termination proceeds. For
various reasons, including Unit holder's participating as Rollover Unit
holders, the Trust may be reduced below the Discretionary Liquidation
Amount and could therefore be terminated prior to the Mandatory
Termination Date.
Unless terminated earlier, the Trustee will begin to sell Securities in
connection with the termination of the Trust during the period beginning
nine business days prior to, and no later than, the Mandatory
Termination Date. We will determine the manner, timing and execution of
the sale of Securities as part of the termination of the Trust. Because
the Trustee must sell the Securities within a relatively short period of
time, the sale of Securities as part of the termination process may
result in a lower amount than might otherwise be realized if such sale
were not required at this time.
If you own at least 1,000 Units of the Trust the Trustee will send you a
form at least 30 days prior to the Mandatory Termination Date which will
enable you to receive an In-Kind Distribution of Securities (reduced by
customary transfer and registration charges) rather than the typical
cash distribution. You must notify the Trustee at least ten business
days prior to the Mandatory Termination Date if you elect this In-Kind
Distribution option. If you do not elect to participate in either the
Rollover Option or the In-Kind Distribution option for eligible Unit
holders you will receive a cash distribution from the sale of the
remaining Securities, along with your interest in the Income and Capital
Accounts of the Trust, within a reasonable time after the Trust is
terminated. Regardless of the distribution involved, the Trustee will
deduct from the Trust any accrued costs, expenses, advances or
indemnities provided by the Indenture, including estimated compensation
of the Trustee and costs of liquidation and any amounts required as a
reserve to pay any taxes or other governmental charges.
Information on the Sponsor, Trustee and Evaluator
The Sponsor.
We, Nike Securities L.P., specialize in the underwriting, trading and
wholesale distribution of unit investment trusts under the "First Trust"
brand name and other securities. An Illinois limited partnership formed
in 1991, we act as Sponsor for successive series of:
- - The First Trust Combined Series
- - FT Series (formerly known as The First Trust Special Situations Trust)
- - The First Trust Insured Corporate Trust
- - The First Trust of Insured Municipal Bonds
- - The First Trust GNMA
First Trust introduced the first insured unit investment trust in 1974.
To date we have deposited more than $25 billion in First Trust unit
investment trusts. Our employees include a team of professionals with
many years of experience in the unit investment trust industry.
We are a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
and Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Our principal offices
are at 1001 Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois 60532; telephone number
(630) 241-4141. As of December 31, 1998, the total partners' capital of
Nike Securities L.P. was $18,506,548 (audited).
This information refers only to the Sponsor and not to the Trust or to
any series of the Trust or to any other dealer. We are including this
information only to inform you of our financial responsibility and our
ability to carry out our contractual obligations. We will provide more
detailed financial information on request.
The Trustee.
The Trustee is The Chase Manhattan Bank, and its principal executive
Page 24
office is located at 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017 and its
unit investment trust office at 4 New York Plaza, 6th Floor, New York,
New York, 10004-2413. If you have questions regarding the Trust, you may
call the Customer Service Help Line at 1-800-682-7520. The Trustee is
supervised by the Superintendent of Banks of the State of New York, the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System.
The Trustee has not participated in selecting the Securities; it only
provides administrative services.
Limitations of Liabilities of Sponsor and Trustee.
Neither we nor the Trustee will be liable to Unit holders for taking any
action or for not taking any action in good faith according to the
Indenture. We will also not be accountable for errors in judgment. We
will only be liable for our own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence (ordinary negligence in the Trustee's case) or reckless
disregard of our obligations and duties. The Trustee is not liable for
any loss or depreciation when the Securities are sold. If we fail to act
under the Indenture, the Trustee may do so, and the Trustee will not be
liable for any action it takes in good faith under the Indenture.
The Trustee will not be liable for any taxes or other governmental
charges or interest on the Securities which the Trustee may be required
to pay under any present or future law of the United States or of any
other taxing authority with jurisdiction. Also, the Indenture states
other provisions regarding the liability of the Trustee.
If we do not perform any of our duties under the Indenture or are not
able to act or become bankrupt, or if our affairs are taken over by
public authorities, then the Trustee may:
- - Appoint a successor Sponsor, paying them a reasonable rate not more
than that stated by the SEC,
- - Terminate the Indenture and liquidate the Trust, or
- - Continue to act as Trustee without terminating the Indenture.
The Evaluator.
The Evaluator is First Trust Advisors L.P., an Illinois limited
partnership formed in 1991 and an affiliate of the Sponsor. The
Evaluator's address is 1001 Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois 60532.
The Trustee, Sponsor and Unit holders may rely on the accuracy of any
evaluation prepared by the Evaluator. The Evaluator will make
determinations in good faith based upon the best available information.
However, the Evaluator will not be liable to the Trustee, Sponsor or
Unit holders for errors in judgment.
Other Information
Legal Opinions.
Our counsel is Chapman and Cutler, 111 W. Monroe St., Chicago, Illinois,
60603. They have passed upon the legality of the Units offered hereby
and certain matters relating to federal tax law. Carter, Ledyard &
Milburn acts as the Trustee's counsel, as well as special New York tax
counsel for the Trust.
Experts.
Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors, have audited the Trust's
statement of net assets, including the schedule of investments, at the
opening of business on the Initial Date of Deposit, as set forth in
their report. We've included the Trust's statement of net assets,
including the schedule of investments, in the prospectus and elsewhere
in the registration statement in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP's report,
given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
Supplemental Information.
If you write or call the Trustee, you will receive free of charge
supplemental information about this Series, which has been filed with
the SEC and to which we have referred throughout. This information
states more specific risk information about the Trust.
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Page 27
FIRST TRUST (registered trademark)
Dow Jones Internet Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series
FT 340
Sponsor:
Nike Securities L.P.
1001 Warrenville Road, Suite 300
Lisle, Illinois 60532
1-630-241-4141
Trustee:
THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
4 New York Plaza, 6th floor
New York, New York 10004-2413
1-800-682-7520
24-Hour Pricing Line:
1-800-446-0132
This prospectus contains information relating to Dow Jones Internet
Index (sm) Securities Portfolio Series , but does not contain all of
the information about this investment company as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. under the:
- Securities Act of 1933 (file no. 333-75285) and
- Investment Company Act of 1940 (file no. 811-05903)
To obtain copies at prescribed rates -
Write: Public Reference Section of the Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549-6009
Call: 1-800-SEC-0330
Visit: http://www.sec.gov
April 9, 1999
As Amended April 15, 1999
PLEASE RETAIN THIS PROSPECTUS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
Page 28
First Trust (registered trademark)
The FT Series
Information Supplement
This Information Supplement provides additional information concerning
the structure, operations and risks of the unit investment trust
contained in FT 340 not found in the prospectus for the Trust. This
Information Supplement is not a prospectus and does not include all of
the information you should consider before investing in the Trust. This
Information Supplement should be read in conjunction with the prospectus
for the Trust in which you are considering investing ("Prospectus").
This Information Supplement is dated April 9, 1999. Capitalized terms
have been defined in the Prospectus.
Table of Contents
Risk Factors
Securities 1
Dividends 1
Concentrations 1
Technology Companies 1
Risk Factors
Securities. An investment in Units should be made with an understanding
of the risks which an investment in common stocks entails, including the
risk that the financial condition of the issuers of the Securities or
the general condition of the relevant stock market may worsen, and the
value of the Securities and therefore the value of the Units may
decline. Common stocks are especially susceptible to general stock
market movements and to volatile increases and decreases of value, as
market confidence in and perceptions of the issuers change. These
perceptions are based on 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 or banking crises. Both U.S. and foreign
markets have experienced substantial volatility and significant declines
recently as a result of certain or all of these factors.
Dividends. Shareholders of common stocks have rights to receive payments
from the issuers of those common stocks that are generally subordinate
to those of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred
stocks of, such issuers. Common stocks do not represent an obligation of
the issuer and, therefore, do not offer any assurance of income or
provide the same degree of protection of capital as do debt securities.
The issuance of additional debt securities or preferred stock will
create prior claims for payment of principal, interest and dividends
which could adversely affect the ability and inclination of the issuer
to declare or pay dividends on its common stock or the rights of holders
of common stock with respect to assets of the issuer upon liquidation or
bankruptcy.
Concentrations
Technology Companies. An investment in Units of the Trust should be made
with an understanding of the characteristics of the technology industry
and the risks which such an investment may entail.
Technology companies generally include companies involved in the
development, design, manufacture and sale of computers and peripherals,
software and services, data networking/communications equipment,
internet access/information providers, semiconductors and semiconductor
equipment and other related products, systems and services. The market
for these products, especially those specifically related to the
Internet, is characterized by rapidly changing technology, rapid product
obsolescence, cyclical market patterns, evolving industry standards and
frequent new product introductions. The success of the issuers of the
Securities depends in substantial part on the timely and successful
introduction of new products. An unexpected change in one or more of the
technologies affecting an issuer's products or in the market for
products based on a particular technology could have a material adverse
affect on an issuer's operating results. Furthermore, there can be no
assurance that the issuers of the Securities will be able to respond in
a timely manner to compete in the rapidly developing marketplace.
Based on trading history of common stock, factors such as announcements
of new products or development of new technologies and general
conditions of the industry have caused and are likely to cause the
market price of high-technology common stocks to fluctuate
substantially. In addition, technology company stocks have experienced
extreme price and volume fluctuations that often have been unrelated to
the operating performance of such companies. This market volatility may
adversely affect the market price of the Securities and therefore the
ability of a Unit holder to redeem Units at a price equal to or greater
than the original price paid for such Units.
Page 1
Some key components of certain products of technology issuers are
currently available only from single sources. There can be no assurance
that in the future suppliers will be able to meet the demand for
components in a timely and cost effective manner. Accordingly, an
issuer's operating results and customer relationships could be adversely
affected by either an increase in price for, or an interruption or
reduction in supply of, any key components. Additionally, many
technology issuers are characterized by a highly concentrated customer
base consisting of a limited number of large customers who may require
product vendors to comply with rigorous industry standards. Any failure
to comply with such standards may result in a significant loss or
reduction of sales. Because many products and technologies of technology
companies are incorporated into other related products, such companies
are often highly dependent on the performance of the personal computer,
electronics and telecommunications industries. There can be no assurance
that these customers will place additional orders, or that an issuer of
Securities will obtain orders of similar magnitude as past orders from
other customers. Similarly, the success of certain technology companies
is tied to a relatively small concentration of products or technologies.
Accordingly, a decline in demand of such products, technologies or from
such customers could have a material adverse impact on issuers of the
Securities.
Many technology companies rely on a combination of patents, copyrights,
trademarks and trade secret laws to establish and protect their
proprietary rights in their products and technologies. There can be no
assurance that the steps taken by the issuers of the Securities to
protect their proprietary rights will be adequate to prevent
misappropriation of their technology or that competitors will not
independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or
superior to such issuers' technology. In addition, due to the increasing
public use of the Internet, it is possible that other laws and
regulations may be adopted to address issues such as privacy, pricing,
characteristics, and quality of Internet products and services. For
example, recent proposals would prohibit the distribution of obscene,
lascivious or indecent communications on the Internet. The adoption of
any such laws could have a material adverse impact on the Securities in
the Trust.
Like many areas of technology, the semiconductor business environment is
highly competitive, notoriously cyclical and subject to rapid and often
unanticipated change. Recent industry downturns have resulted, in part,
from weak pricing, persistent overcapacity, slowdown in Asian demand and
a shift in retail personal computer sales toward the low end, or "sub-
$1,000" segment. Industry growth is dependent upon several factors,
including: the rate of global economic expansion; demand for products
such as personal computers and networking and communications equipment;
excess productive capacity and the resultant effect on pricing; and the
rate of growth in the market for low-priced personal computers.
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