Investment Objective
The investment objective of each Fund is to seek long-term capital growth.
Diversification
The Funds are diversified. Under applicable federal laws, to qualify as a diversified fund, a Fund, with respect to at least 75% of its total assets, may not invest more than 5% of its assets in any one issuer and may not hold more than 10% of the securities of one issuer. The remaining 25% of a Fund’s total assets does not need to be “diversified” and may be invested in the securities of a single issuer, subject to other applicable laws. The diversification of a Fund’s holdings is measured at the time the Fund purchases a security. However, if a Fund purchases a security and holds it for a period of time, the security may become a larger percentage of the Fund’s total assets due to movements in the financial markets. If the market affects several securities held by a Fund, that Fund may have a greater percentage of its assets invested in securities of fewer issuers. Because the Funds are diversified, the Funds are less subject to the risk that its performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few securities.
Investment Strategies and Related Risks
There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. The following discussion supplements the description of the Funds’ investment objective and principal investment strategies set forth in the Prospectus. Except for the fundamental investment restrictions listed below (see “Investment Restrictions”), the Funds’ investment strategies and policies are not fundamental and may be changed by sole action of the Board of Trustees, without shareholder approval. While the Funds are permitted to hold securities and engage in various strategies as described hereafter, they are not obligated to do so. Each Fund’s investment objective and investment strategies may be changed without the approval of each Fund’s shareholders upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
Whenever an investment policy or investment restriction states a maximum percentage of a Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security, or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of a Fund’s acquisition or sale of such security or other asset. Accordingly, except with respect to borrowing and illiquid securities, any subsequent change in values, net assets or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether an investment complies with a Fund’s investment policies and investment restrictions set forth herein or in the Prospectus. In addition, if a bankruptcy or other extraordinary event occurs concerning a particular investment by a Fund, that Fund may receive stock, real estate or other investments that the Fund would not, or could not, buy. If this happens, that Fund will sell such investments as soon as practicable while trying to maximize the return to its shareholders. Please note, however, that the guidance referenced in the first two sentences of this paragraph does not apply to a Fund’s investments in illiquid securities or a Fund’s borrowing of money.
General Market Risks
U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent years. The securities markets have experienced substantially lower valuations, reduced liquidity, price volatility, credit downgrades, increased likelihood of default and valuation difficulties, all of which may increase the risk of investing in securities held by the Funds.
Equity Securities
An equity security (such as a stock, partnership interest or other beneficial interest in an issuer) represents a proportionate share of the ownership of a company. Its value is based on the success of the company’s business, any income paid to stockholders, the value of its assets and general market conditions. Common stocks and preferred stocks are examples of equity securities. Preferred stocks are equity securities that often pay dividends at a specific rate and have a preference over common stocks in dividend payments and liquidation of assets. Some preferred stocks may be convertible into common stock. Convertible securities are securities (such as debt securities or preferred stock) that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of common stock of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. Convertible securities are senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure, but are subordinated to any senior debt securities. Consequently, the issuer’s convertible securities may be viewed as having more risk than its senior debt securities, but less risk than its common stock.
The Core Plus Fund invests in medium and large market capitalization companies as a principal investment strategy. The Opportunities Fund invests in small and medium capitalization companies as a principal investment strategy. The risks of investing in companies in general include business failure and reliance on erroneous reports. Small- and medium-size companies often have narrower markets for their goods and/or services and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. Furthermore, those companies often have limited product lines or services, markets, or financial resources, or are dependent on a small management group. In addition, because these securities are not well-known to the investing public, they do not have significant institutional ownership, and are followed by relatively few security analysts, there will normally be less publicly available information concerning these securities compared to what is available for the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, can decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by a fund. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of a Fund’s portfolio. The Funds may also invest in the securities of micro-size companies, which are subject to substantially the same risks as those of the securities of small-size companies.
Larger, more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in consumer tastes or innovative smaller competitors. Also, large-size companies are sometimes unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Common Stock
.
A common stock represents a proportionate share of the ownership of a company and its value is based on the success of the company’s business, any income paid to stockholders, the value of its assets and general market conditions. In addition to the general risks set forth above, investments in common stocks are subject to the risk that in the event a company in which a Fund invests is liquidated, the holders of preferred stock and creditors of that company will be paid in full before any payments are made to a Fund as a holder of common stock. It is possible that all assets of that company will be exhausted before any payments are made to a Fund.
Preferred Stock
.
Preferred stocks are equity securities that often pay dividends at a specific rate and have a preference over common stocks in dividend payments and liquidation of assets. A preferred stock is a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Although the dividend is set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer.
Convertible Securities.
Convertible securities include fixed income securities that may be exchanged or converted into a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s underlying common stock or other equity security at the option of the holder during a specified period. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, units consisting of “usable” bonds and warrants or a combination of the features of several of these securities. The investment characteristics of each convertible security vary widely, which allows convertible securities to be employed for a variety of investment strategies. The Funds will exchange or convert convertible securities into shares of underlying common stock when, in the opinion of the Adviser, the investment characteristics of the underlying common stock or other equity security will assist the Funds in achieving their investment objectives. The Funds may also elect to hold or trade convertible securities. In selecting convertible securities, the Adviser evaluates the investment characteristics of the convertible security as a fixed income instrument, and the investment potential of the underlying equity security for capital appreciation. In evaluating these matters with respect to a particular convertible security, the Adviser considers numerous factors, including the economic and political outlook, the value of the security relative to other investment alternatives, trends in the determinants of the issuer’s profits and the issuer’s management capability and practices.
Warrants.
Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
Foreign Investments and Currencies
As a principal investment strategy, the Funds will invest in securities of foreign issuers that are not publicly traded in the United States. The Funds may also invest in American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and foreign securities traded on a national securities market, purchase and sell foreign currency on a spot basis and enter into forward currency contracts (see “Forward Currency Contracts,” below).
Depositary Receipts
. The Funds may invest its assets in securities of foreign issuers in the form of depositary receipts, such as ADRs, EDRs and GDRs, which are securities representing securities of foreign issuers. A purchaser of unsponsored depositary receipts may not have unlimited voting rights and may not receive as much information about the issuer of the underlying securities as with a sponsored depositary receipt. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, while EDRs and GDRs, in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in capital markets around the world. ADRs,
EDRs and GDRs
are
depositary
receipts typically issued by a U.S.
or foreign
bank or trust company
that give their holders the right to receive securities issued by a foreign company
.
Such depositary receipts are denominated in the currency of the country of the bank or trust company that issues them.
For purposes of a Fund’s investment policies, ADRs, EDRs and GDRs are deemed to have the same classification as the underlying securities they represent. Thus, an ADR, EDR or GDR representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock.
Risks of Investing in Foreign Securities
. Investments in foreign securities involve certain inherent risks, including the following:
Political and Economic Factors
. Individual foreign economies of certain countries may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, diversification and balance of payments position. The internal politics of certain foreign countries may not be as stable as those of the United States. Governments in certain foreign countries also continue to participate to a significant degree, through ownership interest or regulation, in their respective economies. Action by these governments could include restrictions on foreign investment, nationalization, expropriation of goods or imposition of taxes, and could have a significant effect on market prices of securities and payment of interest. The economies of many foreign countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by the trade policies and economic conditions of their trading partners. Enactment by these trading partners of protectionist trade legislation could have a significant adverse effect upon the securities markets of such countries.
Currency Fluctuations
. The Funds may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Accordingly, a change in the value of any such currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in the U.S. dollar value of a Fund’s assets denominated in that currency. Such changes will also affect a Fund’s income. The value of a Fund’s assets may also be affected significantly by currency restrictions and exchange control regulations enacted from time to time.
Market Characteristics
. The Adviser expects that many foreign securities in which the Funds invest will be purchased in over-the-counter markets or on exchanges located in the countries in which the principal offices of the issuers of the various securities are located, if that is the best available market. Foreign exchanges and markets may be more volatile than those in the United States. While growing in volume, they usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets, and a Fund’s foreign securities may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. securities. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in United States markets, and may include delays beyond periods customary in the United States. Foreign security trading practices, including those involving securities settlement where Fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment or securities, may expose the Funds to increased risk in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of a foreign broker-dealer.
Legal and Regulatory Matters
. Certain foreign countries may have less supervision of securities markets, brokers and issuers of securities, and less financial information available from issuers, than is available in the United States.
Taxes
. The interest and dividends payable on certain of the Funds’ foreign portfolio securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thus reducing the net amount of income available for distribution to Fund shareholders.
Costs
. To the extent that a Fund invests in foreign securities, its expense ratio is likely to be higher than those of investment companies investing only in domestic securities, since the cost of maintaining the custody of foreign securities is higher.
Emerging Markets
. Some of the companies in which the Funds may invest may be located in developing or emerging markets, which entail additional risks, including: less social, political and economic stability; smaller securities markets and lower trading volume, which may result in less liquidity and greater price volatility; national policies that may restrict a Fund’s investment opportunities, including restrictions on investments in issuers or industries, or expropriation or confiscation of assets or property; and less developed legal structures governing private or foreign investment.
In considering whether to invest in the securities of a foreign company, the Adviser considers such factors as the characteristics of the particular company, differences between economic trends and the performance of securities markets within the U.S. and those within other countries, and also factors relating to the general economic, governmental and social conditions of the country or countries where the company is located. The extent to which the Funds will be invested in foreign companies and countries and depositary receipts will fluctuate from time to time within the limitations described in the Prospectus, depending on the Adviser’s assessment of prevailing market, economic and other conditions.
Forward Currency Contracts
. The Funds may enter into forward currency contracts in anticipation of changes in currency exchange rates. A forward currency contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. For example, a Fund might purchase a particular currency or enter into a forward currency contract to preserve the U.S. dollar price of securities it intends to or has contracted to purchase. Alternatively, it might sell a particular currency on either a spot or forward basis to hedge against an anticipated decline in the dollar value of securities it intends to or has contracted to sell. Although this strategy could minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, it could also limit any potential gain from an increase in the value of the currency.
Short Sales
As a principal investment strategy, the Funds may seek to hedge investments or realize additional gains through short sales. Short sales are transactions in which a Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the value of that security relative to the long positions held by the Fund. To complete such a transaction, a Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. A Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at or prior to the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by a Fund. Until the security is replaced, a Fund is required to repay the lender any dividends or interest that accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, a Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker (or by a Fund’s custodian in a special custody account), to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. The Funds also will incur transaction costs in effecting short sales.
The Funds will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which a Fund replaces the borrowed security. Short sales may, however, protect a Fund against the risk of losses in the value of its portfolio securities because any unrealized losses with respect to such portfolio securities should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. However, any potential gains in such portfolio securities would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. The extent to which such gains or losses are offset will depend upon the amount of securities sold short relative to the amount a Fund owns, either directly or indirectly, and, in the case where the Fund owns convertible securities, changes in the conversion premium. There can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to close out a short position at any particular time or at an acceptable price.
The Funds also must segregate liquid assets equal to the difference between (a) the market value of the securities sold short at the time they were sold short and (b) the value of the collateral deposited with the broker in connection with the short sale (not including the proceeds from the short sale). While the short position is open, the Funds must maintain segregated assets at such a level that the amount segregated plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral equal the current market value of the securities sold short.
U.S. Government Obligations
As a non-principal investment strategy, the Funds may invest in U.S. Government obligations. U.S. Government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. Treasury obligations differ mainly in the length of their maturity. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government securities, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis. U.S. Government obligations also include securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or instrumentalities, including government-sponsored enterprises.
Payment of principal and interest on U.S. Government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises) where it is not obligated to do so. See “Agency Obligations,” below. As a result, there is a risk that these entities will default on a financial obligation.
In addition, U.S. Government obligations are subject to fluctuations in market value due to fluctuations in market interest rates. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. Government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. Government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms.
Agency Obligations
As a non-principal investment strategy, the Funds may make short-term investments in agency obligations, such as the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Tennessee Valley Authority, Resolution Funding Corporation, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, Federal Housing Administration, Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), commonly known as “Ginnie Mae,” the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), commonly known as “Fannie Mae,” the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), commonly known as “Freddie Mac” and the Student Loan Marketing Association (“SLMA”). Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies, including Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Some, such as those of the Export-Import Bank of United States, are supported only by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury. Others, such as those of the FNMA and FHLMC, are supported by only the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency’s obligations. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities
because they are not obligated by law to do so. As a result, there is a risk that these entities will default on a financial obligation. In September 2008, at the direction of the U.S. Treasury, FNMA and FHLMC were placed into conservatorship under the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a newly created independent regulator. The U.S. government also took steps to provide additional financial support to FNMA and FHLMC. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives with respect to FNMA and FHLMC will be successful.
Fixed-Income Securities
As a non-principal investment strategy, the Funds may invest in a wide range of fixed-income securities, which may include obligations of any rating or maturity.
The Funds may invest in investment grade corporate debt securities and lower-rated corporate debt securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”). Lower-rated or high yield debt securities include corporate high yield debt securities, zero-coupon securities, payment-in kind securities and strips. Investment grade corporate bonds are those rated as “investment grade” by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization. The Funds may also invest in unrated securities.
Junk Bonds
. Junk bonds generally offer a higher current yield than that available for higher-grade issues. However, lower-rated securities involve higher risks, in that they are especially subject to adverse changes in general economic conditions and in the industries in which the issuers are engaged, to changes in the financial condition of the issuers and to price fluctuations in response to changes in interest rates. During periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to make payments of interest and principal and increase the possibility of default. In addition, the market for lower-rated debt securities has expanded rapidly in recent years, and its growth paralleled a long economic expansion. At times in recent years, the prices of many lower-rated debt securities declined substantially, reflecting an expectation that many issuers of such securities might experience financial difficulties. As a result, the yields on lower-rated debt securities rose dramatically, but such higher yields did not reflect the value of the income stream that holders of such securities expected, but rather, the risk that holders of such securities could lose a substantial portion of their value as a result of the issuers’ financial restructuring or default. There can be no assurance that such declines will not recur. The market for lower-rated debt issues generally is thinner and less active than that for higher quality securities, which may limit a Fund’s ability to sell such securities at fair value in response to changes in the economy or financial markets. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may also decrease the values and liquidity of lower-rated securities, especially in a thinly traded market. Changes by recognized rating services in their rating of a fixed-income security may affect the value of these investments. The Funds will not necessarily dispose of a security when its rating is reduced below its rating at the time of purchase. However, the Adviser will monitor the investment to determine whether continued investment in the security will assist in meeting a Fund’s investment objective.
Corporate Debt Securities
. Corporate debt securities are fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their operations, although corporate debt instruments may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured.
The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest.
Because of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt securities have widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated investment-grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a relatively high degree of risk.
Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that a Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment-grade are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuer’s debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms.
Zero-Coupon Securities
. Zero-coupon securities make no periodic interest payments, but are sold at a deep discount from their face value. The buyer recognizes a rate of return determined by the gradual appreciation of the security, which is redeemed at face value on a specified maturity date. The discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity, as well as market interest rates, liquidity of the security and the issuer’s perceived credit quality. If the issuer defaults, the holder may not receive any return on its investment. Because zero-coupon securities bear no interest and compound semiannually at the rate fixed at the time of issuance, their value generally is more volatile than the value of other fixed-income securities. Since zero-coupon bondholders do not receive interest payments, when interest rates rise, zero-coupon securities fall more dramatically in value than bonds paying interest on a current basis. When interest rates fall, zero-coupon securities rise more rapidly in value because the bonds reflect a fixed rate of return. An investment in zero-coupon and delayed interest securities may cause a Fund to recognize income regardless of whether the Fund receives cash payments, and therefore the Fund may be required to make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on its investment. As a result, a Fund may have to dispose of its portfolio investments under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate sufficient cash to satisfy the distribution requirements for maintaining its status as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
Unrated Debt Securities
. Unrated debt, while not necessarily lower in quality than rated securities, may not have as broad a market. Because of the size and perceived demand for the issue, among other factors, certain issuers may decide not to pay the cost of getting a rating for their bonds. The creditworthiness of the issuer, as well as any financial institution or other party responsible for payments on the security, will be analyzed to determine whether to purchase unrated bonds.
Securities of Other Investment Companies
As a non-principal investment strategy, each Fund may invest its assets in shares of other investment companies, including money market funds, other mutual funds or exchange traded funds (“ETFs”). The Fund’s investments in money market funds may be used for cash management purposes and to maintain liquidity in order to satisfy redemption requests or pay unanticipated expenses. The Funds limit their investments in securities issued by other investment companies in accordance with the 1940 Act. Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act precludes the Funds from acquiring: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding shares of another investment company; (ii) shares of another investment company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of a Fund; or (iii) shares of another registered investment company and all other investment companies having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of a Fund. However, Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act provides that the provisions of Section 12(d)(1) shall not apply to securities purchased or otherwise acquired by a Fund if: (i) immediately after such purchase or acquisition not more than 3% of the total outstanding shares of such investment company is owned by a Fund and all affiliated persons of a Fund; and (ii) a Fund has not offered or sold, and is not proposing to offer or sell its shares through a principal underwriter or otherwise at a public or offering price that includes a sales load of more than 1 1/2%.
If a Fund invests in investment companies, including ETFs, pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(F), it must comply with the following voting restrictions: when such Fund exercises voting rights, by proxy or otherwise, with respect to investment companies owned by that Fund, the Fund will either seek instruction from the Fund’s shareholders with regard to the voting of all proxies and vote in accordance with such instructions, or vote the shares held by the Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such security. In addition, an investment company purchased by a Fund pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(F) shall not be required to redeem its shares in an amount exceeding 1% of such investment company’s total outstanding shares in any period of less than thirty days. In addition to the advisory and operational fees the Funds bear directly in connection with their own operation, the Funds also bear their pro rata portion of the advisory and operational expenses of each other investment company.
Exchange-Traded Funds
An ETF generally is an open-end investment company, unit investment trust or a portfolio of securities deposited with a depository in exchange for depository receipts. The portfolios of ETFs generally consist of common stocks that closely track the performance and dividend yield of specific securities indices, either broad market, sector or international. ETFs provide investors the opportunity to buy or sell throughout the day an entire portfolio of stocks in a single security. Although index mutual funds are similar, they are generally sold and redeemed only once per day at market close. Broad securities market index ETFs include Standard & Poor’s Depository Receipts (“SPDRs”), which are interests in a unit investment trust representing an undivided interest in a portfolio of all of the common stocks of the S&P 500 Index. The ETFs in which the Funds invest are subject to liquidity risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing the sale of the security at an advantageous time or price. To the extent that the ETFs in which the Funds invest hold securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations or securities with substantial market risk, they will have a greater exposure to liquidity risk.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
As a non-principal investment strategy, the Funds may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). Equity REITs invest primarily in real property and earn rental income from leasing those properties. They also may realize gains or losses from the sale of properties. Equity REITs generally exercise some degree of control over the operational aspects of their real estate investments, lease terms and property maintenance and repair. Mortgage REITs invest primarily in mortgages and similar real estate interests and receive interest payments from the owners of the mortgaged properties and are paid interest by the owners of the financed properties. Hybrid REITs invest both in real property and in mortgages.
A REIT generally is not taxed on income distributed to its shareholders if it complies with certain federal income tax requirements relating primarily to its organization, ownership, assets and income and, further, if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to shareholders each year. Consequently, REITs tend to focus on income-producing real estate investments.
A Fund’s investments in REITs may be adversely affected by deteriorations of the real estate rental market, in the case of REITs that primarily own real estate, or by deteriorations in the creditworthiness of property owners and changes in interest rates in the case of REITs that primarily hold mortgages. Equity and mortgage REITs also are dependent upon specialized management skills, may not be diversified in their holdings and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs also may be subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. Under certain circumstances, a REIT may fail to qualify for pass-through of its income, which would subject the REIT to federal income taxes at the REIT level and adversely affect the value of a Fund’s investment in such REIT.
Derivatives
The Funds may invest in derivative securities as a non-principal investment strategy. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is based on an underlying asset, such as a stock or a bond, an underlying economic factor, such as an interest rate or a market benchmark, such as an index. Unless otherwise stated in the Funds’ prospectus, the Funds may use derivatives for risk management purposes, including to gain exposure to various markets in a cost efficient manner, to reduce transaction costs, alter duration or to remain fully invested. They may also invest in derivatives to protect it from broad fluctuations in market prices, interest rates or foreign currency exchange rates (a practice known as “hedging”). When hedging is successful, the Funds will have offset any depreciation in the value of its portfolio securities by the appreciation in the value of the derivative position. Although techniques other than the sale and purchase of derivatives could be used to control the exposure of the Funds to market fluctuations, the use of derivatives may be a more effective means of hedging this exposure. To the extent that the Funds engage in hedging, there can be no assurance that any hedge will be effective or that there will be a hedge in place at any given time.
Options, Futures and Other Strategies
General
. The Funds may use certain options (both traded on an exchange and over-the-counter (“OTC”)), futures contracts (sometimes referred to as “futures”) and options on futures contracts (collectively, “Financial Instruments”) as a substitute for a comparable market position in the underlying security, to attempt to hedge or limit the exposure of a Fund’s position, to create a synthetic money market position, for certain tax-related purposes and to effect closing transactions.
The use of Financial Instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the several exchanges upon which they are traded and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”). In addition, the Funds’ ability to use Financial Instruments will be limited by tax considerations. Pursuant to a claim for exemption filed with the National Futures Association on behalf of the Funds, the Funds are not deemed to be commodity pool operators or commodity pools under the Commodity Exchange Act and are not subject to registration or regulation as such under the Commodity Exchange Act. In addition to the instruments, strategies and risks described below and in the Prospectus, the Adviser may discover additional opportunities in connection with Financial Instruments and other similar or related techniques. These new opportunities may become available as the Adviser develops new techniques, as regulatory authorities broaden the range of permitted transactions and as new Financial Instruments or other techniques are developed. The Adviser may utilize these opportunities to the extent that they are consistent with the Funds’ investment objectives and permitted by the Funds’ investment limitations and applicable regulatory authorities. The Prospectus or this SAI will be supplemented to the extent that new products or techniques involve materially different risks than those described below or in the Prospectus.
Special Risks
. The use of Financial Instruments involves special considerations and risks, certain of which are described below. Risks pertaining to particular Financial Instruments are described in the sections that follow.
(1) Successful use of most Financial Instruments depends upon the Adviser’s ability to predict movements of the overall securities markets, which requires different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets, due to the differences in the natures of those markets, are subject to distortion. Due to the possibility of distortion, a correct forecast of stock market trends by the Adviser may still not result in a successful transaction. The Adviser may be incorrect in its expectations as to the extent of market movements or the time span within which the movements take place, which, thus, may result in the strategy being unsuccessful.
(2) Options and futures prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments. Options and futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect or no correlation also may result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are traded, and from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts.
(3) As described below, the Funds might be required to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts or make margin payments when it takes positions in Financial Instruments involving obligations to third parties (e.g
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, Financial Instruments other than purchased options). If a Fund were unable to close out its positions in such Financial Instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expired or matured. These requirements might impair a Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment when it would otherwise be favorable to do so or require that a Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. A Fund’s ability to close out a position in a Financial Instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the other party to the transaction (the “counter-party”) to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Therefore, there is no assurance that any position can be closed out at a time and price that is favorable to a Fund.
(4)
Losses may arise due to unanticipated market price movements, lack of a liquid secondary market for any particular instrument at a particular time or due to losses from premiums paid by the Funds on options transactions.
Cover
. Transactions using Financial Instruments, other than purchased options, expose the Funds to an obligation to another party. A Fund will not enter into any such transactions unless it owns either (1) an offsetting (“covered”) position in securities or other options or futures contracts or (2) cash and liquid assets with a value, marked-to-market daily, sufficient to cover its potential obligations to the extent not covered as provided in (1) above. The Funds will comply with SEC guidelines regarding cover for these instruments and will, if the guidelines so require, set aside cash or liquid assets in an account with its custodian, U.S. Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”), in the prescribed amount as determined daily.
Assets used as cover or held in an account cannot be sold while the position in the corresponding Financial Instrument is open, unless they are replaced with other appropriate assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of a Fund’s assets to cover accounts could impede portfolio management or a Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
Options
. The value of an option position will reflect, among other things, the current market value of the underlying investment, the time remaining until expiration, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price of the underlying investment and general market conditions. Options that expire unexercised have no value. Options currently are traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (“CBOE”), the American Stock and Options Exchange (“AMEX”) and other exchanges, as well as the OTC markets.
By buying a call option on a security, a Fund has the right, in return for the premium paid, to buy the security underlying the option at the exercise price. By writing (selling) a call option and receiving a premium, a Fund becomes obligated during the term of the option to deliver securities underlying the option at the exercise price if the option is exercised. By buying a put option, a Fund has the right, in return for the premium, to sell the security underlying the option at the exercise price. By writing a put option, a Fund becomes obligated during the term of the option to purchase the securities underlying the option at the exercise price.
Because options premiums paid or received by a Fund are small in relation to the market value of the investments underlying the options, buying and selling put and call options can be more speculative than investing directly in securities.
A Fund may effectively terminate its right or obligation under an option by entering into a closing transaction. For example, a Fund may terminate its obligation under a call or put option that it had written by purchasing an identical call or put option. This is known as a closing purchase transaction. Conversely, a Fund may terminate a position in a put or call option it had purchased by writing an identical put or call option. This is known as a closing sale transaction. Closing transactions permit a Fund to realize profits or limit losses on an option position prior to its exercise or expiration.
Risks of Options on Commodities, Currencies and Securities
. Exchange-traded options in the United States are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed that, in effect, guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option transaction. In contrast, OTC options are contracts between a Fund and its counter-party (usually a securities dealer or a bank) with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when a Fund purchases an OTC option, it relies on the counter-party from whom it purchased the option to make or take delivery of the underlying investment upon exercise of the option. Failure by the counter-party to do so would result in the loss of any premium paid by a Fund as well as the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction.
A Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions in exchange-traded options depends on the existence of a liquid market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist at any particular time. Closing transactions can be made for OTC options only by negotiating directly with the counter-party or by a transaction in the secondary market if any such market exists. There can be no assurance that a Fund will in fact be able to close out an OTC option position at a favorable price prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counter-party, a Fund might be unable to close out an OTC option position at any time prior to its expiration.
If a Fund were unable to effect a closing transaction for an option it had purchased, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit. The inability to enter into a closing purchase transaction for a covered call option written by a Fund could cause material losses because a Fund would be unable to sell the investment used as cover for the written option until the option expires or is exercised.
Options on Indices
. An index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the securities included in the index. Options on indices give the holder the right to receive an amount of cash upon exercise of the option. Receipt of this cash amount will depend upon the closing level of the index upon which the option is based being greater than (in the case of a call) or less than (in the case of put) the exercise price of the option. Some stock index options are based on a broad market index such as the S&P 500 Index, the NYSE Composite Index or the AMEX Major Market Index or on a narrower index such as the Philadelphia Stock Exchange Over-the-Counter Index.
Each of the exchanges has established limitations governing the maximum number of call or put options on the same index that may be bought or written by a single investor, whether acting alone or in concert with others (regardless of whether such options are written on the same or different exchanges or are held or written on one or more accounts or through one or more brokers). Under these limitations, option positions of all investment companies advised by the Adviser are combined for purposes of these limits. Pursuant to these limitations, an exchange may order the liquidation of positions and may impose other sanctions or restrictions. These position limits may restrict the number of listed options that a Fund may buy or sell.
Puts and calls on indices are similar to puts and calls on securities or futures contracts except that all settlements are in cash and gain or loss depends on changes in the index in question rather than on price movements in individual securities or futures contracts. When a Fund writes a call on an index, it receives a premium and agrees that, prior to the expiration date, the purchaser of the call, upon exercise of the call, will receive from a Fund an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the call is based is greater than the exercise price of the call. The amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the call times a specified multiple (“multiplier”), which determines the total value for each point of such difference. When a Fund buys a call on an index, it pays a premium and has the same rights to such call as are indicated above. When a Fund buys a put on an index, it pays a premium and has the right, prior to the expiration date, to require the seller of the put, upon a Fund’s exercise of the put, to deliver to a Fund an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the put is based is less than the exercise price of the put, which amount of cash is determined by the multiplier, as described above for calls. When a Fund writes a put on an index, it receives a premium and the purchaser of the put has the right, prior to the expiration date, to require a Fund to deliver to it an amount of cash equal to the difference between the closing level of the index and the exercise price times the multiplier if the closing level is less than the exercise price.
Risks of Options on Indices
. If a Fund has purchased an index option and exercises it before the closing index value for that day is available, it runs the risk that the level of the underlying index may subsequently change. If such a change causes the exercised option to fall out-of-the-money, a Fund will be required to pay the difference between the closing index value and the exercise price of the option (times the applicable multiplier) to the assigned writer.
OTC Options
. Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows a Fund great flexibility to tailor the option to its needs, OTC options generally involve greater risk than exchange-traded options, which are guaranteed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts
. A futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take delivery of) the specified security on the expiration date of the contract. An index futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take) an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made. No physical delivery of the underlying securities in the index is made.
When a Fund writes an option on a futures contract, it becomes obligated, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. If a Fund writes a call, it assumes a short futures position. If it writes a put, it assumes a long futures position. When a Fund purchases an option on a futures contract, it acquires the right in return for the premium it pays to assume a position in a futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put).
Whether a Fund realizes a gain or loss from futures activities depends upon movements in the underlying security or index. The extent of a Fund’s loss from an unhedged short position in futures contracts or from writing unhedged call options on futures contracts is potentially unlimited. The Funds only purchase and sell futures contracts and options on futures contracts that are traded on a U.S. exchange or board of trade.
No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Instead, at the inception of a futures contract a Fund is required to deposit “initial margin” in an amount generally equal to 10% or less of the contract value. Margin also must be deposited when writing a call or put option on a futures contract, in accordance with applicable exchange rules. Unlike margin in securities transactions, initial margin does not represent a borrowing, but rather is in the nature of a performance bond or good-faith deposit that is returned to a Fund at the termination of the transaction if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Under certain circumstances, such as periods of high volatility, a Fund may be required by an exchange to increase the level of its initial margin payment, and initial margin requirements might be increased generally in the future by regulatory action.
Subsequent “variation margin” payments are made to and from the futures commission merchant daily as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as “marking-to-market.” Variation margin does not involve borrowing, but rather represents a daily settlement of a Fund’s obligations to or from a futures commission merchant. When a Fund purchases an option on a futures contract, the premium paid plus transaction costs is all that is at risk. In contrast, when a Fund purchases or sells a futures contract or writes a call or put option thereon, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial in the event of adverse price movements. If a Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.
Purchasers and sellers of futures contracts and options on futures can enter into offsetting closing transactions, similar to closing transactions in options, by selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument purchased or sold. Positions in futures and options on futures contracts may be closed only on an exchange or board of trade that provides a secondary market. However, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular contract at a particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures contract or options position.
Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures contract or an option on a futures contract can vary from the previous day’s settlement price. Once that limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. Daily price limits do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of unfavorable positions.
If a Fund were unable to liquidate a futures contract or an option on a futures position due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses. A Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, except in the case of purchased options, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain cash or liquid assets in an account.
Risks of Futures Contracts and Options Thereon
. The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets (including the options on futures markets), due to differences in the natures of those markets, are subject to the following factors, which may create distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions, which could distort the normal relationships between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions.
Combined Positions
. A Fund may purchase and write options in combination with each other. For example, a Fund may purchase a put option and write a call option on the same underlying instrument in order to construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract. Another possible combined position would involve writing a call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, in order to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
Swap Agreements
The Funds may enter into swap agreements as a non-principal strategy. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index.
Most swap agreements entered into by a Fund calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.” Consequently, a Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term.
Swap agreements do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, if a swap is entered into on a net basis, if the other party to a swap agreement defaults, a Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that such Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any.
The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to a swap agreement entered into on a net basis will be accrued daily and an amount of cash or liquid asset having an aggregate net asset value (“NAV”) at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained in an account with the Custodian that satisfies the 1940 Act. The Funds will also establish and maintain such accounts with respect to their total obligations under any swaps that are not entered into on a net basis. Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be “senior securities” for purposes of a Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities.
Because they are two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for a Fund’s illiquid investment limitations. The Funds will not enter into any swap agreement unless the Adviser believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. Each Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.
The Funds may enter into a swap agreement in circumstances where the Adviser believes that it may be more cost effective or practical than buying the underlying securities or a futures contract or an option on such securities. The counterparty to any swap agreement will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker/dealer. The counterparty will generally agree to pay a Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks represented in the index, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. The Funds will agree to pay to the counterparty a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to a Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.
The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments that are traded in the OTC market. The Adviser, under the supervision of the Board, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of Fund transactions in swap agreements.
The use of equity swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.
When-Issued Securities
The Funds may invest in when-issued securities as a non-principal investment strategy. When-issued securities transactions involve a commitment by a Fund to purchase or sell particular securities with payment and delivery taking place at a future date, and permit the Fund to lock in a price or yield on a security it owns or intends to purchase, regardless of future changes in interest rates or market action. No income accrues to the purchaser of a security on a when-issued basis prior to delivery. Such securities are recorded as an asset and are subject to changes in value based upon changes in the general level of interest rates. Purchasing a security on a when-issued basis can involve a risk that the market price at the time of delivery may be lower than the agreed-upon purchase price, in which case there could be an unrealized loss at the time of delivery. The Funds will only make commitments to purchase securities on a when-issued basis with the intention of actually acquiring the securities, but may sell them before the settlement date if it is deemed advisable. The Funds will establish in a segregated account, or earmark as segregated on the books of the Funds or the Funds’ custodian, an amount of liquid assets equal to 102% of the amount of its commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued basis. These assets will be marked-to-market daily, and the Funds will increase the aggregate value of the assets, as necessary, to ensure that the assets are at least equal to 102% of the amount of the Funds’ commitments.
Repurchase Agreements
The Funds may enter into repurchase agreements as a non-principal strategy. Under such agreements, the seller of the security agrees to repurchase it at a mutually agreed upon time and price. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to a Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to a Fund together with the repurchase price on repurchase. In either case, the income to a Fund is unrelated to the interest rate on the security itself. Such repurchase agreements will be made only with banks with assets of $500 million or more that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or with Government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Board and registered as broker-dealers with the SEC or exempt from such registration. The Funds will generally enter into repurchase agreements of short durations, from overnight to one week, although the underlying securities generally have longer maturities. The Funds may not enter into a repurchase agreement with more than seven days to maturity if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of a Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid securities including such repurchase agreements.
For purposes of the 1940 Act, a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan from a Fund to the seller of the U.S. Government security that is subject to the repurchase agreement. It is not clear whether a court would consider the U.S. Government security acquired by a Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller. In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the U.S. Government security before its repurchase under a repurchase agreement, a Fund could encounter delays and incur costs before being able to sell the security. Delays may involve loss of interest or a decline in price of the U.S. Government security. If a court characterizes the transaction as a loan and a Fund has not perfected a security interest in the U.S. Government security, the Fund may be required to return the security to the seller’s estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor, a Fund would be at the risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction. As with any unsecured debt instrument purchased for a Fund, the investment advisor seeks to minimize the risk of loss through repurchase agreements by analyzing the creditworthiness of the other party, in this case the seller of the U.S. Government security.
Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the security. However, each Fund will always receive as collateral for any repurchase agreement to which it is a party securities acceptable to the Adviser, the market value of which is equal to at least 100% of the amount invested by the Fund plus accrued interest, and the Fund will make payment against such securities only upon physical delivery or evidence of book entry transfer to the account of its Custodian. If the market value of the U.S. Government security subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including interest), the Fund will direct the seller of the U.S. Government security to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price. It is possible that the Funds could be unsuccessful in seeking to enforce on the seller a contractual obligation to deliver additional securities.
Restricted Securities
As a non-principal investment strategy, the Funds may invest in securities that are subject to restrictions on resale because they have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). These securities are sometimes referred to as private placements. Although securities that may be resold only to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with the provisions of Rule 144A under the Securities Act are technically considered “restricted securities,” the Funds may purchase Rule 144A securities without regard to the limitation on investments in illiquid securities described below in the “Illiquid Securities” section, provided that a determination is made that such securities have a readily available trading market. The Funds may also purchase certain commercial paper issued in reliance on the exemption from regulations in Section 4(2) of the Securities Act (“4(2) Paper”). The Adviser will determine the liquidity of Rule 144A securities and 4(2) Paper under the supervision of the Board of Trustees. The liquidity of Rule 144A securities and 4(2) Paper will be monitored by the Adviser, and if as a result of changed conditions it is determined that a Rule 144A security or 4(2) Paper is no longer liquid, the Funds’ holdings of illiquid securities will be reviewed to determine what, if any, action is required to assure that a Fund does not exceed its applicable percentage limitation for investments in illiquid securities.
Limitations on the resale of restricted securities may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and the Funds might be unable to dispose of restricted securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemption requirements. The Funds might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them, resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities.
Temporary Strategies; Cash or Similar Investments
For temporary defensive purposes, the Adviser may invest up to 100% of a Fund’s total assets in high-quality, short-term debt securities and money market instruments. These short-term debt securities and money market instruments include shares of other mutual funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, U.S. Government securities and repurchase agreements. Taking a temporary defensive position may result in a Fund not achieving its investment objective.
For longer periods of time, a Fund may hold a substantial cash position. If the market advances during periods when the Fund is holding a large cash position, the Fund may not participate to the extent it would have if the Fund had been more fully invested, and this may result in the Fund not achieving its investment objective during that period. To the extent that a Fund uses a money market fund for its cash position, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund would bear its pro rata portion of such money market fund’s advisory fees and operational expenses.
The Funds may invest in any of the following securities and instruments:
Money Market Mutual Funds
. The Funds may invest in money market mutual funds in connection with their management of daily cash positions or as a temporary defensive measure. Generally, money market mutual funds seek to earn income consistent with the preservation of capital and maintenance of liquidity. They primarily invest in high quality money market obligations, including securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies and instrumentalities, bank obligations and high-grade corporate instruments. These investments generally mature within 397 days from the date of purchase. An investment in a money market mutual fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any government agency. The Funds’ investments in money market mutual funds may be used for cash management purposes and to maintain liquidity in order to satisfy redemption requests or pay unanticipated expenses .
Your cost of investing in the Funds will generally be higher than the cost of investing directly in the underlying money market mutual fund shares. You will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the underlying money market mutual funds in addition to the Funds’ direct fees and expenses. Furthermore, the use of this strategy could affect the timing, amount and character of distributions to you and therefore may increase the amount of taxes payable by you.
Bank Certificates of Deposit, Bankers’ Acceptances and Time Deposits
. The Funds may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against monies deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances acquired by the Funds will be dollar-denominated obligations of domestic or foreign banks or financial institutions which at the time of purchase have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured by the U.S. Government.
Domestic banks and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulations with respect to the amount and types of loans that may be made and interest rates that may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry depends largely upon the availability and cost of funds for the purpose of financing lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions as well as exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties of borrowers play an important part in the operations of the banking industry.
As a result of federal and state laws and regulations, domestic banks are, among other things, required to maintain specified levels of reserves, limited in the amount which they can loan to a single borrower and subject to other regulations designed to promote financial soundness. However, such laws and regulations do not necessarily apply to foreign bank obligations that the Funds may acquire.
In addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, to the extent permitted under the investment objective and policies stated above and in the Prospectus, the Funds may make interest-bearing time or other interest-bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.
Savings Association Obligations
. The Funds may invest in certificates of deposit (interest-bearing time deposits) issued by savings banks or savings and loan associations that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million, based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such obligations is fully insured by the U.S. Government.
Commercial Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations
. The Funds may invest a portion of their assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to one year.
Commercial paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase “A-2” or higher by S&P, “Prime-1” or “Prime-2” by Moody’s, or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, will be determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality.
Corporate obligations include bonds and notes issued by corporations to finance longer-term credit needs than supported by commercial paper. While such obligations generally have maturities of ten years or more, the Funds may purchase corporate obligations that have remaining maturities of one year or less from the date of purchase and that are rated “A” or higher by S&P or “A” or higher by Moody’s.
Securities Lending
Each Fund may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and financial institutions (but not individuals) in order to increase the return on its portfolio. The value of the loaned securities may not exceed one-third of a Fund’s total net assets and loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. The Funds will not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year. The principal risk of portfolio lending is potential default or insolvency of the borrower. In either of these cases, a Fund could experience delays in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of the loaned securities. The Funds may pay reasonable administrative and custodial fees in connection with loans of portfolio securities and may pay a portion of the interest or fee earned thereon to the borrower or a placing broker.
In determining whether or not to lend a security to a particular broker, dealer or financial institution, the Adviser considers all relevant facts and circumstances, including the size, creditworthiness and reputation of the broker, dealer or financial institution. Any loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. Any securities that a Fund may receive as collateral will not become part of the Fund’s investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a default by the borrower, the Fund will, if permitted by law, dispose of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the Fund is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the applicable Fund any accrued income on those securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral and earn income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered cash-equivalent collateral. The Fund will be responsible for the risks associated with the investment of the cash collateral, including the risk that the Fund may lose money on the investment or may fail to earn sufficient income to meet its obligation to the borrower. Any fee income received from a borrower in lieu of a dividend payment on a borrowed security will be taxed as ordinary income and will not constitute “qualified dividend” income for federal income tax purposes, which is generally taxed at the same rate as long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. While a Fund does not have the right to vote securities on loan, it would terminate the loan and regain the right to vote if that were considered important with respect to the investment.
Illiquid Securities
Historically, illiquid securities have included securities subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale because they have not been registered under the Securities Act, securities that are otherwise not readily marketable, and securities such as repurchase agreements having a maturity of longer than seven days. Securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. In recent years, however, a large institutional market has developed for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer’s ability to honor a demand for repayment. The fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity of such investments. The Board of Trustees may determine that such securities are not illiquid securities notwithstanding their legal or contractual restrictions on resale. In all other cases, however, securities subject to restrictions on resale will be deemed illiquid. The Funds will determine a security to be illiquid if it cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at the value at which a Fund has valued the security. Factors considered in determining whether a security is illiquid may include, but are not limited to: the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers willing to purchase and sell the security and the number of potential purchasers; the number of dealers who undertake to make a market in the security; the nature of the security, including whether it is registered or unregistered, and the market place; whether the security has been rated by a NRSRO; the period of time remaining until the maturity of a debt instrument or until the principal amount of a demand instrument can be recovered through demand; the nature of any restrictions on resale; and with respect to municipal lease obligations and certificates of participation, there is reasonable assurance that the obligation will remain liquid throughout the time the obligation is held and, if unrated, an analysis similar to that which would be performed by an NRSRO is performed. Each Fund will not invest more than 15% of the value of its net assets, taken at the time of investment, in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more than seven days after notice, non-negotiable fixed time deposits with maturities over seven days, over-the-counter options and certain restricted securities not determined by the Board of Trustees to be liquid.
Invest
me
nt Restrictions
Fundamental Investment Restrictions
The Trust (on behalf of the Funds) has adopted the following restrictions as fundamental policies, which may not be changed without the favorable vote of the holders of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the applicable Fund, as defined under the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the vote of the holders of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the vote of the holders of the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of a Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of its outstanding shares are represented; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of a Fund.
Each Fund may not:
|
1.
|
issue senior securities, borrow money or pledge its assets, except that (i) a Fund may borrow from banks in amounts not exceeding one-third of its total assets (including the amount borrowed); and (ii) this restriction shall not prohibit a Fund from engaging in options transactions or short sales in accordance with its objectives and strategies;
|
|
2.
|
underwrite the securities of other issuers (except that a Fund may engage in transactions involving the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities under circumstances where it may be considered to be an underwriter under the Securities Act);
|
|
3.
|
purchase or sell real estate or interests in real estate, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities (although a Fund may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies that invest or deal in real estate);
|
|
4.
|
purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and provided that this restriction does not prevent a Fund from engaging in transactions involving currencies and futures contracts and options thereon or investing in securities or other instruments that are secured by commodities;
|
|
5.
|
make loans of money (except for the lending of its portfolio securities and purchases of debt securities consistent with the investment policies of the Funds);
|
|
6.
|
with respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase the securities of any one issuer if, immediately after and as a result of such purchase, (a) the value of a Fund’s holdings in the securities of such issuer exceeds 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, or (b) a Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer; with the exception that these restrictions do not apply to the Fund’s investments in the securities of the U.S. Government, or its agencies or instrumentalities, or other investment companies); or
|
|
7.
|
invest in the securities of any one industry if as a result, 25% or more of a Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of such industry, except that (a) the foregoing does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.
|
Non-Fundamental Investment Restriction
The following non-fundamental investment restriction is applicable to the Funds. This restriction can be changed by the Board of Trustees, but the change will only be effective after prior written notice is given to shareholders of the Funds.
Except as noted, each Fund may not:
|
1.
|
Invest more than 15% of the value of its net assets, computed at the time of investment, in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are those securities without readily available market quotations, including repurchase agreements having a maturity of more than seven days. Illiquid securities may include restricted securities not determined by the Board of Trustees to be liquid, non-negotiable time deposits, over-the-counter options, and repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more than seven days after notice.
|
|
2.
|
Make any change in its investment policy of investing at least 80% of net assets in investments suggested by the Fund’s name without first changing the Fund’s name and providing shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice (this restriction applies only to the Opportunities Fund).
|
The Trustees and the officers of the Trust are listed below with their addresses, present positions with the Trust and principal occupations over at least the last five years.
|
Name, Address and
Age
|
Position(s)
Held with
the Trust
|
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time
Served
|
Number of
Portfolios in
the Trust
Overseen by
Trustee*
|
Principal
Occupation(s)
During the Past Five
Years
|
Other
Directorships
Held by Trustee
During the Past
Five Years
|
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
Michael D. Akers, Ph.D.
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 58
|
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term; Since August 22, 2001
|
35
|
Professor and Chair, Department of Accounting, Marquette University
(2004-present).
|
Independent Trustee, USA MUTUALS (an open-end investment company with two portfolios).
|
|
Gary A. Drska
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 57
|
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term; Since August 22, 2001
|
35
|
Pilot, Frontier/Midwest Airlines, Inc. (airline company) (1986-present).
|
Independent Trustee, USA MUTUALS (an open-end investment company with two portfolios).
|
|
Jonas B. Siegel
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 70
|
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term; Since October 23, 2009
|
35
|
Managing Director, Chief Administrative Officer (“CAO”) and Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), Granite Capital International Group, L.P. (an investment management firm) (1994-2011); Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and CCO
of Granum Series Trust (an open-end investment company) (1997-2007); President, CAO and CCO, Granum Securities, LLC (a broker-dealer) (1997-2007).
|
Independent Trustee,
Gottex Multi-Asset Endowment fund complex (three closed-end investment companies); Independent Trustee, Gottex Multi-Alternatives fund complex (three closed-end investment companies); Independent Manager, Ramius IDF fund complex (two closed-end investment companies).
|
|
Name, Address and
Age
|
Position(s)
Held with
the Trust
|
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time
Served
|
Number of
Portfolios in
the Trust
Overseen by
Trustee*
|
Principal
Occupation(s)
During the Past Five
Years
|
Other
Directorships
Held by Trustee
During the Past
Five Years
|
|
Interested Trustee and Officers
|
|
Joseph C. Neuberger*
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 51
|
Chairperson
and Trustee
|
Indefinite Term; Since August 22, 2001
|
35
|
Executive Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (1994-present).
|
Trustee, Buffalo Funds (an open-end investment company with ten portfolios); Trustee, USA MUTUALS (an open-end investment company with two portfolios).
|
|
John P. Buckel
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 56
|
President and
Principal Executive
Officer
|
Indefinite Term; Since January 24, 2013
|
N/A
|
Mutual Fund Administrator, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2004-present).
|
N/A
|
|
Jennifer A. Lima
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age:
40
|
Vice President,
Treasurer and
Principal Financial
and Accounting
Officer
|
Indefinite Term; Since January 24, 2013
|
N/A
|
Mutual Fund Administrator, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2002-present).
|
N/A
|
|
Rachel A. Spearo
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 34
|
Secretary
|
Indefinite Term; Since November 15, 2005
|
N/A
|
Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (September 2004-present).
|
N/A
|
|
Robert M. Slotky
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 66
|
Chief Compliance
Officer, Vice
President and
Anti-Money
Laundering
Officer
|
Indefinite Term; Since January 26, 2011
|
N/A
|
Senior Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (July 2001–present).
|
N/A
|
|
Jesse J. Schmitting
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 32
|
Assistant Treasurer
|
Indefinite Term; Since July 21, 2011
|
N/A
|
Mutual Fund Administrator, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2008-present).
|
N/A
|
*
Mr. Neuberger is an “interested person” of the Trust as defined by the 1940 Act
by virtue of
the fact that he is an interested person of Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), the Fund’s principal underwriter.
The Board of Trustees provides oversight of the management and operations of the Trust. Like all mutual funds, the day-to-day responsibility for the management and operation of the Trust is the responsibility of various service providers to the Trust and its individual series, such as the Adviser, the Distributor, and the Trust’s administrator, custodian, and transfer agent, each of whom are discussed in greater detail in this SAI. The Board approves all agreements with the Adviser, the Distributor, and the Trust’s administrator, custodian, and transfer agent. The Board has appointed various individuals of certain of these service providers as officers of the Trust, with responsibility to monitor and report to the Board on the Trust’s day-to-day operations. In conducting this oversight, the Board receives regular reports from these officers and service providers regarding the Trust’s operations. The Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer who reports directly to the Board and who administers the Trust’s compliance program and regularly reports to the Board as to compliance matters, including an annual compliance review. Some of these reports are provided as part of formal “Board Meetings,” which are held five times per year, in person, and such other times as the Board determines is necessary, and involve the Board’s review of recent Trust operations. From time to time one or more members of the Board may also meet with Trust officers in less formal settings, between formal Board Meetings to discuss various topics. In all cases, however, the role of the Board and of any individual Trustee is one of oversight and not of management of the day-to-day affairs of the Trust, and its oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Trust’s investments, operations or activities.
Board Lead
ers
hip Structure
The Board has structured itself in a manner that it believes allows it to effectively perform its oversight function. The Board of Trustees is composed of three Independent Trustees – Dr. Michael D. Akers, Mr. Gary A. Drska and Mr. Jonas B. Siegel – and one Interested Trustee – Mr. Joseph C. Neuberger. Accordingly, 75% of the members of the Board are Independent Trustees, that is to say Trustees who are not affiliated with the Adviser or its affiliates, or any other investment adviser or other service provider to the Trust or any underlying fund. The Board of Trustees has established three standing committees, an Audit Committee, a Nominating Committee and a Valuation Committee, which are discussed in greater detail under “Board Committees” below. Each of the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee are composed entirely of Independent Trustees. The Independent Trustees have engaged their own independent counsel to advise them on matters relating to their responsibilities in connection with the Trust.
The Trust’s Chairperson, Mr. Neuberger, is an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined by the 1940 Act, by virtue of the fact that he is an interested person of the Distributor, which acts as principal underwriter to the Funds and many of the Trust’s other underlying funds. Mr. Neuberger also serves as Executive Vice President of U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, the Funds’ administrator (the “Administrator”). The Trust has not appointed a lead Independent Trustee.
In accordance with the fund governance standards prescribed by the SEC under the 1940 Act, the Independent Trustees on the Nominating Committee select and nominate all candidates for Independent Trustee positions. Each Trustee was appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees because of his experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as set forth in the subsection “Trustee Qualifications” below.
The Board reviews its structure regularly in light of the characteristics and circumstances of the Trust, including: the unaffiliated nature of each investment adviser and the fund(s) managed by such adviser; the number of funds that comprise the Trust; the variety of asset classes that those funds reflect; the net assets of the Trust; the committee structure of the Trust; and the independent distribution arrangements of each of the Trust’s underlying funds.
The Board has determined that the function and composition of the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee are appropriate means to address any potential conflicts of interest that may arise from the Chairperson’s status as an Interested Trustee. In addition, the inclusion of all Independent Trustees as members of the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee allows all such Trustees to participate in the full range of the Board’s oversight duties, including oversight of risk management processes discussed below. Given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust as described above, the Trust has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate.
Board Ov
ers
ight of Risk Management
As part of its oversight function, the Board receives and reviews various risk management reports and assessments and discusses these matters with appropriate management and other personnel, including personnel of the Trust’s service providers. Because risk management is a broad concept composed of many elements (such as, for example, investment risk, issuer and counterparty risk, compliance risk, operational risks, business continuity risks, etc.) the oversight of different types of risks is handled in different ways. For example, the Chief Compliance Officer regularly reports to the Board during Board Meetings and meets in executive session with the Independent Trustees and their legal counsel to discuss compliance and operational risks. In addition, the Independent Trustee designated as the Audit Committee’s “audit committee financial expert” meets with the Treasurer and the Trust’s independent public accounting firm to discuss, among other things, the internal control structure of the Trust’s financial reporting function.
The full Board receives reports from the investment advisers to the underlying funds and the portfolio managers as to investment risks as well as other risks that may be discussed during Audit Committee meetings.
The Board believes that each of the Trustees has the qualifications, experience, attributes and skills appropriate to their continued service as Trustees of the Trust in light of the Trust’s business and structure. The Trustees have substantial business and professional backgrounds that indicate they have the ability to critically review, evaluate and assess information provided to them. Certain of these business and professional experiences are set forth in detail in the table above. In addition, the Trustees have substantial board experience and, in their service to the Trust, have gained substantial insight as to the operation of the Trust. The Board annually conducts a “self-assessment” wherein the effectiveness of the Board and the individual Trustees is reviewed.
In addition to the information provided in the table above, below is certain additional information concerning each individual Trustee. The information provided below, and in the table above, is not all-inclusive. Many of the Trustees’ qualifications to serve on the Board involve intangible elements, such as intelligence, integrity, work ethic, the ability to work together, the ability to communicate effectively, the ability to exercise judgment, the ability to ask incisive questions, and commitment to shareholder interests. In conducting its annual self-assessment, the Board has determined that the Trustees have the appropriate attributes and experience to continue to serve effectively as Trustees of the Trust.
Michael D. Akers, Ph.D., CPA
. Dr. Akers has served as a Trustee of the Trust since August 2001. Dr. Akers has also served as an independent trustee of USA Mutuals, an open-end investment company, since 2001. Dr. Akers has been a Professor and Chair of the Department of Accounting of Marquette University since 2004, and was Associate Professor of Accounting of Marquette University from 1996 to 2004. Dr. Akers is a certified public accountant, a certified fraud examiner, a certified internal auditor and a certified management accountant. Through his experience as a trustee of mutual funds and his employment experience, Dr. Akers is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory and investment matters.
Gary A. Drska
. Mr. Drska has served as a Trustee of the Trust since August 2001. Mr. Drska has also served as an independent trustee of USA Mutuals since 2001. Mr. Drska has served as a Pilot of Frontier/Midwest Airlines, Inc., an airline company, since 1986. Through his experience as a trustee of mutual funds, Mr. Drska is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory and investment matters.
Joseph C. Neuberger
. Mr. Neuberger has served as a Trustee of the Trust since August 2001. Mr. Neuberger has also served as a trustee of USA Mutuals since 2001 and Buffalo Funds, an open-end investment company, since 2003. Mr. Neuberger has served as Executive Vice President of the Administrator, a multi-service line service provider to mutual funds, since 1994. Through his experience as a trustee of mutual funds and his employment experience, Mr. Neuberger is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory and investment matters.
Jonas B. Siegel, CPA
. Mr. Siegel has served as a Trustee of the Trust since October 2009. Mr. Siegel has also served, since 2010, as a trustee of the Gottex Multi-Asset Endowment fund complex and the Gottex Multi-Alternatives fund complex, each of which is composed of three closed-end investment companies, and, since 2011, as an Independent Manager of the Ramius IDF fund complex, which is composed of two closed-end investment companies. Mr. Siegel previously served as the Managing Director, CAO and CCO of Granite Capital International Group, L.P., an investment management firm, from 1994 to 2011, as Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and CCO of Granum Series Trust, an open-end investment company, from 1997 to 2007, and as President, CAO and CCO of Granum Securities, LLC, a broker-dealer, from 1997 to 2007. Mr. Siegel is a certified public accountant. Through his experience as a trustee of mutual funds and his employment experience, Mr. Siegel is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory and investment matters.
Trustee Ow
ners
hip of Fund Shares
As of December 31, 2013, no Trustee or officer of the Trust beneficially owned shares of the Funds or any other series of the Trust.
Furthermore, as of December 31, 2013, neither the Trustees who are not “interested” persons of the Funds, nor members of their immediate families, own securities beneficially, or of record, in the Adviser, the Distributor or any of its affiliates. Accordingly, neither the Trustees who are not “interested” persons of the Funds nor members of their immediate families, have a direct or indirect interest, the value of which exceeds $120,000, in the Adviser, the Distributor or any of their affiliates.
In addition, during the past two years ended December 31, 2013, neither the Independent Trustees nor members of their immediate families have conducted any transactions (or series of transactions) in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and to which the Adviser, the Distributor or any affiliate thereof was a party.
Audit Committee
. The Trust has an Audit Committee, which is composed of the Independent Trustees, Dr. Michael D. Akers, Mr. Gary A. Drska and Mr. Jonas B. Siegel. The Audit Committee reviews financial statements and other audit-related matters for the Funds. The Audit Committee also holds discussions with management and with the Funds’ independent auditors concerning the scope of the audit and the auditor’s independence. Dr. Akers is designated as the Audit Committee Chairman and the Audit Committee’s “audit committee financial expert,” as stated in the annual reports relating to the series of the Trust. During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee met twice with respect to the Core Plus Fund.
Nominating Committee
. The Trust has a Nominating Committee, which is composed of the Independent Trustees, Dr. Michael D. Akers, Mr. Gary A. Drska and Mr. Jonas B. Siegel. The Nominating Committee is responsible for seeking and reviewing candidates for consideration as nominees for the position of trustee and meets only as necessary. As part of this process, the Nominating Committee considers criteria for selecting candidates sufficient to identify a diverse group of qualified individuals to serve as trustees.
The Nominating Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders for vacancies on the Board of Trustees. Recommendations for consideration by the Nominating Committee should be sent to the President of the Trust in writing together with the appropriate biographical information concerning each such proposed nominee, and such recommendation must comply with the notice provisions set forth in the Trust’s By-Laws. In general, to comply with such procedures, such nominations, together with all required information, must be delivered to and received by the Secretary of the Trust at the principal executive office of the Trust not later than 60 days prior to the shareholder meeting at which any such nominee would be voted on. Shareholder recommendations for nominations to the Board of Trustees will be accepted on an ongoing basis and such recommendations will be kept on file for consideration when there is a vacancy on the Board of Trustees. The Nominating Committee’s procedures with respect to reviewing shareholder nominations will be disclosed as required by applicable securities laws. The Nominating Committee met once during the Funds’ past fiscal year.
Valuation Committee
. The Trust has a Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee is responsible for the following: (1) monitoring the valuation of Fund securities and other investments; and (2) as required, when the Board of Trustees is not in session, determining the fair value of illiquid securities and other holdings after consideration of all relevant factors, which determinations are reported to the Board. The Valuation Committee is currently composed of Mr. John Buckel, Ms. Jennifer Lima and Mr. Jesse Schmitting, who each serve as an officer of the Trust. The Valuation Committee meets as necessary when a price for a portfolio security is not readily available. During the past fiscal year, the Valuation Committee met once with respect to the Core Plus Fund.
For their service as Trustees, the Independent Trustees receive from the Trust a retainer fee of $45,000 per year, $2,000 for each in-person Board meeting attended and $1,000 for each telephonic Board meeting attended, as well as reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection with attendance at board meetings. Interested Trustees do not receive any compensation for their service as Trustee. For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2013, the Trustees received the following compensation from the Core Plus Fund:
|
Name of
Person/Position
|
Aggregate
Compensation
From the
Core Plus
Fund
1
|
Pension or Retirement
Benefits Accrued as
Part of Fund
Expenses
|
Estimated
Annual Benefits
Upon
Retirement
|
Total Compensation
from the
Core Plus Fund
and the Trust
2
Paid to
Trustees
|
|
Dr. Michael D. Akers,
Independent Trustee
|
$2,014
|
None
|
None
|
$55,500
|
|
Gary A. Drska,
Independent Trustee
|
$2,014
|
None
|
None
|
$55,500
|
|
Jonas B. Siegel,
Independent Trustee
|
$1,975
|
None
|
None
|
$53,500
|
|
Joseph C. Neuberger,
Interested Trustee
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
|
1.
|
Trustees fees and expenses are allocated among the Fund and any other series comprising the Trust.
|
|
2.
|
There are currently thirty-three other portfolios comprising the Trust.
|
Because the Opportunities Fund has recently commenced operations, the following compensation figures represent estimates for the current fiscal year ending November 30, 2014:
|
Name of
Person/Position
|
Aggregate
Compensation
From the
Opportunities Fund
1
|
Pension or Retirement
Benefits Accrued as
Part of Fund
Expenses
|
Estimated
Annual Benefits
Upon
Retirement
|
Total Compensation
from the
Opportunities Fund
and the Trust
2
Paid to
Trustees
|
|
Dr. Michael D. Akers,
Independent Trustee
|
$2,014
|
None
|
None
|
$55,500
|
|
Gary A. Drska,
Independent Trustee
|
$2,014
|
None
|
None
|
$55,500
|
|
Jonas B. Siegel,
Independent Trustee
|
$1,975
|
None
|
None
|
$53,500
|
|
Joseph C. Neuberger,
Interested Trustee
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
|
1.
|
Trustees fees and expenses are allocated among the Fund and any other series comprising the Trust.
|
|
2.
|
There are currently thirty-three other portfolios comprising the Trust.
|
Par
ticip
ation Agreement
Pursuant to an SEC exemptive order (“Aston Funds Exemptive Order”) obtained by Aston Funds, a registered investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust has entered into a participation agreement that permits a series of Aston Funds to invest in the Funds to a greater extent than normally allowed under the 1940 Act. This arrangement is subject to a number of conditions set forth in the Aston Funds Exemptive Order, including a condition that the aggregate investment at the time of investment in a Fund by a series of the Aston Funds must be 25% or less of a Fund’s outstanding shares.
Control P
ers
ons and Principal Shareholders
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund. A control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a Fund or acknowledges the existence of control. As of February 28, 2014, no person was a control person of a Fund, and all Trustees and officers as a group owned beneficially (as the term is defined in Section 13(d) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934) less than 1% of shares of each Fund.
As of February 28, 2014, the following shareholders were considered to be principal shareholders of the Funds:
Core Plus Fund – Investment Class Shares
|
Name and Address
|
%
Ownership
|
Type of
Ownership
|
Parent
Company
|
Jurisdiction
|
|
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
|
54.63%
|
Record
|
The Charles
Schwab Corporation
|
DE
|
|
UBS Financial Services Inc.
FBO Peter C. & Emajean Cook Foundation
2900 Charlevoic Drive SE, Suite 130
Grand Rapids, MI 49546-7049
|
14.49%
|
Beneficial
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
National Financial Services LLC
FBO Various Accounts
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281-1003
|
13.38%
|
Record
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Digby & Company
5140 Main Street
Downers Grove, IL 60515-4610
|
10.88%
|
Beneficial
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Core Plus Fund – Institutional Class Shares
|
Name and Address
|
%
Ownership
|
Type of
Ownership
|
Parent
Company
|
Jurisdiction
|
|
National Financial Services LLC
FBO Various Accounts
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281-1003
|
41.42%
|
Record
|
Fidelity Global
Brokerage Group, Inc.
|
DE
|
|
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
|
29.20%
|
Record
|
The Charles
Schwab Corporation
|
DE
|
|
C/O The Bank of New York Mellon
Wendel & Co.
Mutual Funds Reorg. Department
P.O. Box 1066 Wall Street Station
New York, NY 10268-1066
|
12.54%
|
Record
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Opportunities Fund – Investment Class Shares
|
Name and Address
|
%
Ownership
|
Type of
Ownership
|
Parent
Company
|
Jurisdiction
|
|
National Financial Services LLC
FBO Various Accounts
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281-1003
|
99.95%
|
Record
|
Fidelity Global
Brokerage Group, Inc.
|
DE
|
Opportunities Fund – Institutional Class Shares
|
Name and Address
|
%
Ownership
|
Type of
Ownership
|
Parent
Company
|
Jurisdiction
|
|
National Financial Services LLC
FBO Various Accounts
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281-1003
|
99.95%
|
Record
|
Fidelity Global
Brokerage Group, Inc.
|
DE
|
Additional Pu
rch
ase and Redemption
Information
The information provided below supplements the information contained in the Prospectus regarding the purchase and redemption of Fund shares.
You may purchase shares of the Funds directly from the Funds, or from securities brokers, dealers or other financial intermediaries (collectively, “Financial Intermediaries”). Investors should contact their Financial Intermediary directly for appropriate instructions, as well as information pertaining to accounts and any service or transaction fees that may be charged. The Funds may enter into arrangements with certain Financial Intermediaries whereby such Financial Intermediaries (or other authorized designees) are authorized to accept your order on behalf of the Funds (each an “Authorized Intermediary”). If you transmit your purchase request to an Authorized Intermediary before the close of regular trading (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on a day that the NYSE is open for business, shares will be purchased at the NAV next computed after it is received by the Financial Intermediary. Investors should check with their Financial Intermediary to determine if it is an Authorized Intermediary.
Shares are purchased at the NAV next determined after the Transfer Agent or Authorized Intermediary receives your purchase request in good order. In most cases, in order to receive that day’s NAV, the Transfer Agent must receive your order in good order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).
The Trust reserves the right in its sole discretion: (i) to suspend the continued offering of the Funds’ shares; (ii) to reject purchase orders in whole or in part when in the judgment of the Adviser or the Distributor such rejection is in the best interest of the Funds; and (iii) to reduce or waive the minimum for initial and subsequent investments for certain fiduciary accounts or under circumstances where certain economies can be achieved in sales of the Funds’ shares.
How to R
ede
em Shares and Delivery of Redemption Proceeds
You may redeem your Fund shares any day the NYSE is open for regular trading, either directly with the Funds or through your Financial Intermediary.
Payments to shareholders for shares of the Funds redeemed directly from the Funds will be made as promptly as possible, but no later than seven days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of the written request in proper form, with the appropriate documentation as stated in the Prospectus, except that the Funds may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment during any period when: (a) trading on the NYSE is restricted as determined by the SEC or the NYSE is closed for other than weekends and holidays; (b) an emergency exists as determined by the SEC making disposal of portfolio securities or valuation of net assets of the Funds not reasonably practicable; or (c) for such other period as the SEC may permit for the protection of the Funds’ shareholders. Under unusual circumstances, the Funds may suspend redemptions, or postpone payment for more than seven days, but only as authorized by SEC rules.
The value of shares on redemption or repurchase may be more or less than the investor’s cost, depending upon the market value of the Funds’ portfolio securities at the time of redemption or repurchase.
Shareholders with telephone transaction privileges established on their account may redeem Fund shares by telephone. Upon receipt of any instructions or inquiries by telephone from the shareholder, the Funds or its authorized agents may carry out the instructions and/or respond to the inquiry consistent with the shareholder’s previously established account service options. For joint accounts, instructions or inquiries from either party will be carried out without prior notice to the other account owners. In acting upon telephone instructions, the Funds and their agents use procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that such instructions are genuine. These include recording all telephone calls, requiring pertinent information about the account and sending written confirmation of each transaction to the registered owner.
The Transfer Agent will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. If the Transfer Agent fails to employ reasonable procedures, the Funds and the Transfer Agent may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. If these procedures are followed, however, to the extent permitted by applicable law, neither the Funds nor their agents will be liable for any loss, liability, cost or expense arising out of any redemption request, including any fraudulent or unauthorized request. For additional information, contact the Transfer Agent.
The Funds do not intend to redeem shares in any form except cash. The Trust, however, has filed a notice of election under Rule 18f-1 of the 1940 Act that allows the Funds to redeem in kind redemption requests of a certain amount. Specifically, if the amount you are redeeming during any 90-day period is in excess of the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets of a Fund, valued at the beginning of such period, the Fund has the right to redeem your shares by giving you the amount that exceeds $250,000 or 1% of the net assets of the Funds in securities instead of cash. If a Fund pays your redemption proceeds by a distribution of securities, you could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash, and you will bear any market risks associated with such securities until they are converted into cash. For federal income tax purposes, redemptions made in-kind are taxed in the same manner as redemptions made in cash.
Federal Inc
ome
Tax Matters
Each series of the Trust is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes. Each Fund, as a series of the Trust, intends to qualify and elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, provided it complies with all applicable requirements regarding the source of its income, diversification of its assets and timing and amount of distributions. Each Fund’s policy is to distribute to its shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and any net capital gain for each taxable year in a manner that complies with the distribution requirements of the Code, so that the Funds will not be subject to any federal income or excise taxes. However, the Funds can give no assurances that their anticipated distributions will be sufficient to eliminate all taxes at the Fund level. If a Fund does not qualify as a RIC and is unable to obtain relief from such failure, it would be taxed as a corporation and, in such case, it would be more beneficial for a shareholder to directly own the Fund’s underlying investments rather than indirectly owning the underlying investments through the Fund.
To qualify as a RIC, each Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from “good income,” which includes: (1) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies; and (2) other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies. Some Fund investments may produce income that will not qualify as good income for the purposes of this annual gross income requirement. There can be no assurance that a Fund will satisfy all requirements to be taxed as a RIC.
Each Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax if it fails to distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income for such year, (ii) at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the 12-month period ending on October 31 during such year (reduced by any net ordinary losses, but not below the Fund’s net capital gain for that period) and (iii) any amounts from the prior calendar year that were not distributed and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax.
Investment company taxable income generally consists of interest, dividends, net short-term capital gain, and net gain from foreign currency transactions, less expenses. Net capital gain is the excess of the net long-term gain from a Fund’s sales or exchanges of capital assets over the net short-term loss from such sales or exchanges, taking into account any capital loss carryforward of such Fund. The Funds may elect to defer certain losses for tax purposes .
Distributions of investment company taxable income are taxable to shareholders at ordinary income rates which, for non-corporate shareholders, are currently as high as 39.6%. For non-corporate shareholders, a portion of a Fund’s distributions of investment company taxable income may consist of “qualified dividend income” eligible for taxation at the reduced federal income tax rates applicable to long-term capital gains to the extent that the amount distributed is attributable to and reported as “qualified dividend income” and the shareholder meets certain holding period requirements with respect to its Fund shares. For corporate shareholders, a portion of a Fund’s distributions of investment company taxable income may qualify for the intercorporate dividends-received deduction to the extent such Fund receives dividends directly or indirectly from U.S. corporations, reports the amount distributed as eligible for deduction and the shareholder meets certain holding period requirements with respect to its shares. The aggregate amount so reported to either non-corporate or corporate shareholders cannot, however, exceed the aggregate amount of such dividends received by a Fund for its taxable year.
Distributions of net capital gain are taxable as long-term capital gain regardless of the length of time Fund shares have been held. For non-corporate shareholders, long-term capital gain is currently taxed at a maximum rate of 20%. Distributions of net capital gain are not eligible for “qualified dividend income” treatment or the dividends-received deduction referred to in the previous paragraph.
Distributions of investment company taxable income and net capital gain will be taxable as described above whether received in additional Fund shares or in cash. Shareholders who choose to receive distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the NAV of a share on the reinvestment date. Distributions are generally taxable when received. However, distributions declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record and paid the following January are taxable as if received on December 31. Distributions are generally includable in alternative minimum taxable income in computing a shareholder’s liability for the alternative minimum tax.
Certain individuals, trusts and estates may be subject to a Medicare tax of 3.8% (in addition to the regular income tax). The Medicare tax is imposed on the lesser of: (i) a taxpayer’s investment income, net of deductions properly allocable to such income; or (ii) the amount by which the taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain thresholds ($250,000 for married individuals filing jointly, $200,000 for unmarried individuals and $125,000 for married individuals filing separately). The Funds’ distributions are includable in a shareholder’s investment income for purposes of this Medicare tax. In addition, any capital gain realized by a shareholder upon the sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is includable in such shareholder’s investment income for purposes of this Medicare tax.
A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares, whether for cash or in-kind proceeds, may result in recognition of a taxable capital gain or loss. Gain or loss realized upon a sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year, and, if held for one year or less, as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a sale, redemption or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of net capital gain received or deemed to be received with respect to such shares. In determining the holding period of such shares for this purpose, any period during which the shareholder’s risk of loss is offset by means of options, short sales, or similar transactions is not counted.
Any loss realized upon a sale, redemption or exchange may be disallowed under certain wash sale rules to the extent shares of the same Fund are purchased (through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the sale, redemption or exchange. If a shareholder's loss is disallowed under the wash sale rules, the basis of the new shares will be increased to preserve the loss until a future sale, redemption or exchange of the shares.
Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), the Funds may be required to withhold a generally nonrefundable 30% tax on distributions of investment company taxable income paid after June 30, 2014 and distributions of net capital gain and the gross proceeds of a sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares paid after December 31, 2016 to (i) certain “foreign financial institutions” unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, monitor, and report to the IRS the identity of certain of its accountholders, among other things (unless such entity is deemed compliant under the terms of an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S.), and (ii) certain “non-financial foreign entities” unless such entity certifies to the Funds that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provides the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner, among other things. This FATCA withholding tax could also affect a Fund’s return on its investments in foreign securities or affect a shareholder’s return if the shareholder holds its Fund shares through a foreign intermediary. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding the application of this FATCA withholding tax to your investment in the Funds and the potential certification, compliance, due diligence, reporting, and withholding obligations to which you may become subject in order to avoid this withholding tax.
A Fund’s transactions, if any, in forward contracts, options, futures contracts and hedged investments may be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may accelerate recognition of income to the Fund, defer the Fund’s losses, and affect whether capital gain and loss is characterized as long-term or short-term. These provisions could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a Fund to “mark-to-market” certain positions (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out). This “mark-to-market” requirement may cause a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash, and the Fund may have difficulty making distributions to its shareholders in the amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for maintaining a Fund’s status as a RIC and avoiding any income and excise taxes at the Fund level. Accordingly, a Fund may have to dispose of its investments under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate sufficient cash to satisfy the distribution requirements.
Except in the case of certain exempt shareholders, if a shareholder does not furnish the Funds with its correct Social Security Number or taxpayer identification number and certain certifications or the Funds receive notification from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) requiring backup withholding, the Funds are required by federal law to withhold federal income tax from the shareholder’s distributions and redemption proceeds at a rate of 28% for U.S. residents.
Foreign taxpayers are generally subject to withholding tax at a flat rate of 30% on U.S.-source income. This withholding rate may be lower under the terms of a tax convention.
This section is not intended to be a full discussion of federal income tax laws and the effect of such laws on you. There may be other federal, state, foreign or local tax considerations to a particular shareholder. You are urged to consult your own tax adviser.
Each Fund will receive income primarily in the form of dividends and interest earned on the Fund’s investments in securities. This income, less the expenses incurred in its operations, is a Fund’s net investment income, substantially all of which will be distributed to the Fund’s shareholders.
The amount of a Fund’s distributions is dependent upon the amount of net investment income received by the Fund from its portfolio holdings, is not guaranteed and is subject to the discretion of the Board of Trustees. The Funds do not pay “interest” or guarantee any fixed rate of return on an investment in its shares.
Each Fund also may realize capital gains or losses in connection with sales or other dispositions (either actual or deemed) of its portfolio securities. Any net gain that a Fund may realize from transactions involving investments held less than the period required for long-term capital gain or loss recognition or otherwise producing short-term capital gains and losses (taking into account any capital loss carryforward), will be distributed to shareholders with net investment income. If during any year a Fund realizes a net gain on transactions involving investments held for the period required for long-term capital gain or loss recognition or otherwise producing long-term capital gains and losses, the Fund will generally have a net long-term capital gain. After deduction of the amount of any net short-term capital loss, the balance (to the extent not offset by any capital loss carryforward) will be distributed and treated as long-term capital gains in the hands of the shareholders regardless of the length of time that the shares may have been held by the shareholder. Net capital losses realized by the Funds may be carried forward indefinitely, and will generally retain their character as short-term or long-term capital losses. For more information concerning applicable capital gains tax rates, please consult your tax adviser.
Any distribution paid by a Fund reduces that Fund’s NAV per share on the date paid by the amount of the distribution per share. Accordingly, a distribution paid shortly after a purchase of shares by a shareholder would represent, in substance, a partial return of capital (to the extent it is paid on the shares so purchased), even though it would be subject to federal income taxes.
Distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of a Fund unless the shareholder has otherwise indicated. Shareholders have the right to change their elections with respect to the reinvestment of distributions by notifying the Transfer Agent in writing. However, any such change will be effective only as to distributions for which the record date is five or more business days after the Transfer Agent has received the written request.
The Funds are required to report to certain shareholders and the IRS the cost basis of Fund shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, by certain shareholders (“covered shares”) when such shareholder sells, redeems or exchanges such shares. This reporting requirement does not apply to shares held through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, or to shares held by tax-exempt organizations, financial institutions, corporations (other than S corporations, banks, credit unions, and certain other entities and governmental bodies). Shares acquired before January 1, 2012 (“non-covered shares”) are treated as if held in a separate account from covered shares. The Funds are not required to determine or report a shareholder’s cost basis in non-covered shares and are not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any information provided for non-covered shares.
The cost basis of a share is generally its purchase price adjusted for distributions, returns of capital, and other corporate actions. Cost basis is used to determine whether the sale, redemption or exchange of a share results in a gain or loss. If you sell, redeem or exchange covered shares during any year, then the Funds will report the gain or loss, cost basis, and holding period of such covered shares to the IRS and you on Consolidated Form 1099.
A cost basis method is the method by which a Fund determines which specific covered shares are deemed to be sold, redeemed or exchange when a shareholder sells, redeems or exchanges less than its entire holding of Fund shares and has made multiple purchases of Fund shares on different dates at differing NAVs. If a shareholder does not affirmatively elect a cost basis method, the Funds will use the high cost
method, which deems shares with the highest cost basis to be sold, redeemed or exchanged first. Each shareholder may elect in writing (and not over the telephone) any alternate IRS-approved cost basis method to calculate the cost basis in its covered shares. The default cost basis method applied by the Funds or the alternate method elected by a shareholder may not be changed after the settlement date of a sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares.
If you hold Fund shares through a broker (or another nominee), please contact that broker or nominee with respect to the reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account.
You are encouraged to consult your tax adviser regarding the application of these cost basis reporting rules and, in particular, which cost basis calculation method you should elect.