Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF Celebrates Its One-Year Anniversary with the Best 12-Month ETF Performance in Canada

HMMJ remains the world’s largest Marijuana ETF

TORONTO – April 9, 2018 – Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. (“Horizons ETFs”) is proud to announce that the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF (“HMMJ”) has reached its one-year anniversary. HMMJ generated a one-year return for the period ending April 4, 2018, of 58.6% – making it the best-performing Canadian-listed ETF during this timeframe.

Since its inception on April 4, 2017, HMMJ – the world’s first and largest Marijuana ETF – has brought in significant assets under management (“AUM”). Its AUM peaked at approximately $863 million on January 23, 2018 before market pull-backs. Its AUM now stands at over $622 million (as at April 6, 2018).

HMMJ is an index (or passively managed) ETF, which seeks to replicate, to the extent possible, the performance of the North American Marijuana Index (the “Index”), net of expenses. The Index is designed to provide exposure to the performance of a basket of North American publicly listed life sciences companies with significant business activities in the marijuana industry. The Index selects from a current universe of companies that have operations that may include one or more of biopharmaceuticals, medical manufacturing, distribution, bio-products and other ancillary businesses related to the marijuana industry. Stocks within the Index generally must have a market capitalization greater than $75 million for initial inclusion.

The Cannabis sector in Canada continues to rapidly grow. When HMMJ launched last spring, there were less than 45 companies with Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (“ACMPR”) licenses in Canada. As at March 31, 2018, almost 100 companies had such licenses – more than double the previous year. By 2021, it is anticipated that the North American marijuana market will grow to a value of USD $24.5 billion* in sales.

“HMMJ was launched at a time when there was a lot of skepticism about the viability of the Marijuana industry as a long-term investment. The growth in both the size of the marijuana industry and price performance of these stocks over the last year is a testament to the legitimacy of this sector,” said Steve Hawkins, President and Co-CEO of Horizons ETFs.

In addition, Horizons ETFs was recently awarded for its efforts in marketing HMMJ – receiving a Gramercy Financial Marketing Strategy Award for ‘Best Strategy: Domestic & Single Country’ for the ‘World’s First Marijuana ETF’ – under the ‘Business-to-Consumer’ category. Based in New York, the Gramercy Institute is a global network of senior marketers from the world’s leading financial institutions.

“It has also been incredibly exciting and rewarding to watch HMMJ receive accolades like the Gramercy Award, which speaks to the success of the ETF’s launch,” added Mr. Hawkins.

This past February, Horizons ETFs expanded its line-up of marijuana ETFs to include the Horizons Emerging Marijuana Growers Index ETF (“HMJR”). Units of the ETF trade on the Aequitas NEO Exchange (“NEO Exchange”) under the ticker symbol HMJR.

HMJR seeks to replicate, to the extent possible, the performance of the Emerging Marijuana Growers Index, net of expenses. The Emerging Marijuana Growers Index is designed to provide exposure to the performance of a basket of primarily North American publicly-listed, smallcapitalization companies, primarily focused on the cultivation, production and/or distribution of marijuana. Stocks within the Index generally must have a market capitalization greater than $50 million but less than $500 million for initial inclusion.

The holdings of HMMJ and its current portfolio weights are regularly updated on our website at www.HorizonsETFs.com/HMMJ.

Annualized Performance¹

¹ As at April 4, 2018.
² Since inception on April 4, 2017.

The indicated rates of return are the historical annual compounded total returns including changes in per unit value and reinvestment of all dividends or distributions and do not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income taxes payable by any securityholder that would have reduced returns. The rates of return shown in the table are not intended to reflect future values of the ETF or returns on investment in the ETF.

About Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc.
Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. is an innovative financial services company and offers one of the largest suites of exchange traded funds in Canada. The Horizons ETFs product suite includes a broadly diversified range of solutions for investors of all experience levels to meet their investment objectives in a variety of market conditions. Horizons ETFs currently has approximately $10 billion of assets under management and 81 ETFs listed on major Canadian stock exchanges. Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. is a member of the Mirae Asset Global Investments Group.

For investor inquiries:
1-866-641-5739 (toll-free) or (416) 933-5745
[email protected]

For media inquiries:
Olivia Fazekas
Manager, Content Marketing, PR and Social
Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc.
(416) 601-2502
[email protected]

*Source: Arcview Market Research, a leading publisher of cannabis market research, 2017.

HMMJ is not sponsored, promoted, sold or supported in any other manner by Solactive AG nor does Solactive AG offer any express or implicit guarantee or assurance either with regard to the results of using the Index and/or Index trade name or the Index Price at any time or in any other respect. The Index is calculated and published by Solactive AG. Solactive AG uses its best efforts to ensure that the Index is calculated correctly. Irrespective of its obligations towards the Issuer, Solactive AG has no obligation to point out errors in the Index to third parties including but not limited to investors and/or financial intermediaries of the financial instrument. Neither publication of the Index by Solactive AG nor the licensing of the Index or Index trade name for the purpose of use in connection with the financial instrument constitutes a recommendation by Solactive AG to invest capital in HMMJ nor does it in any way represent an assurance or opinion of Solactive AG with regard to any investment in HMMJ