Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
|
|
☒
|
immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
|
|
|
||
|
☐
|
on
(date)
pursuant to paragraph (b)
|
|
|
|
|
|
☐
|
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
☐
|
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
|
||||
|
☐
|
75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
|
|
|||
|
☐
|
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485.
|
|
|
|
|
☐
|
this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
|
Ordinary Shares
|
Institutional Shares
|
|
U.S. EQUITY FUNDS
|
||
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund
|
USBNX
|
QBNAX
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund
|
USBOX
|
QGIAX
|
INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUNDS
|
||
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund*
|
QFFOX
|
QEMAX
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund
|
RPEMX
|
EMRPX
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund
|
QFVOX
|
QFVIX
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
QUSOX
|
QUSIX
|
Summary Information About Pear Tree Funds
|
|
|
3
|
|
|||
Additional Information About Investment, Objectives, Strategies and Risks
|
|
|
39
|
||||
Management of the Pear Tree Funds
|
|
|
57
|
||||
How to Purchase
|
|
|
68
|
||||
How to Exchange
|
|
|
70
|
||||
How to Redeem
|
|
|
70
|
||||
Calculation of Net Asset Value
|
|
|
72
|
||||
Shareholder Account Policies
|
|
|
74
|
||||
Other Policies
|
|
|
76
|
||||
Dividends, Distributions and Federal Taxation
|
|
|
76
|
||||
Financial Highlights
|
|
|
79
|
||||
Obtaining Additional Information
|
92
|
Ordinary Shares
|
Institutional Shares
|
|
Management Fees
|
0.80%
|
0.80%
|
Distribution (12b-1) Fees
|
0.25%
|
None
|
Other Expenses
|
0
.30%
|
0
.30%
|
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
|
0
.12%
|
0
.12%
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
|
1
.47%
|
1
.22%
|
1 year
|
3 years
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
|
Ordinary Class
|
$149
|
$463
|
$800
|
$1,753
|
Institutional Class
|
$124
|
$386
|
$668
|
$1,472
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
21.03%
|
0.18%
|
(49.30
)%
|
33.35%
|
26.93%
|
(4.53)%
|
13.39%
|
40.21%
|
(6.81)%
|
(1.48)%
|
Best Quarter:
|
Q3 2009
|
17.75%
|
Worst Quarter:
|
Q4 2008
|
(33.47)%
|
|
|
1 Year
|
|
5 Years
|
|
10 Years
|
||||||
Ordinary Shares Before Taxes
|
|
|
(1.48)
|
%
|
|
6.86
|
%
|
|
|
3.78
|
%
|
|
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions
|
|
(3.10)
|
%
|
|
5.95
|
%
|
|
|
3.15
|
%
|
||
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
|
|
0.44
|
%
|
|
5.57
|
%
|
|
|
3.28
|
%
|
||
Institutional Shares Before Taxes
|
|
(1.25)
|
%
|
|
7.13
|
%
|
|
|
4.08
|
%
|
||
Russell 2000 Index
(Reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
(4.41)
|
%
|
|
9.19
|
%
|
|
|
6.80
|
%
|
Investment Team
|
Position at Polaris
|
Manager of the Fund Since
|
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
President and Chief Investment Officer
|
2015
|
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager
|
2015
|
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
Assistant Portfolio Manager
|
2015
|
Jason Crawshaw
|
Assistant Portfolio Manager
|
2016
|
Initial Investment Minimum
Ordinary Class: $2,500 or
Ordinary Class Retirement Accounts: $1,000
Institutional Class: $1,000,000
|
Contact Information
Mail:
Pear Tree Funds
Attention: Transfer Agent
55 Old Bedford Road, Suite 202
Lincoln, MA 01773
Telephone:
1-800-326-2151
Website:
www.peartreefunds.com
|
Ongoing Investment Minimum
Both Classes: 50 shares
|
Ordinary Shares
|
Institutional Shares
|
|
Management Fees
|
1.00%
|
1.00%
|
Distribution (12b-1) Fees
|
0.25%
|
None
|
Other Expenses
|
0
.30%
|
0
.30%
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
|
1
.55%
|
1
.30%
|
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement*
|
0.25%
|
0.25%
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement*
|
1
.30%
|
1
.05%
|
1 year
|
3 years
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
|
Ordinary Class
|
$132
|
$465
|
$821
|
$1,824
|
Institutional Class
|
$107
|
$387
|
$689
|
$1,546
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
16.38%
|
(2.09)%
|
(41.52)%
|
20.75%
|
7.10%
|
12.78%
|
10.84%
|
24.54%
|
11.01%
|
2.52%
|
Best Quarter:
|
Q2 2009
|
15.53%
|
Worst Quarter:
|
Q4 2008
|
(23.84)%
|
|
|
1 Year
|
|
5 Years
|
|
10 Years
|
||||||
Ordinary Shares Before Taxes
|
|
|
2.52
|
%
|
|
12.12
|
%
|
|
|
4.32
|
%
|
|
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions
|
|
(0.29)
|
%
|
|
10.74
|
%
|
|
|
3.60
|
%
|
||
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
|
|
3.69
|
%
|
|
9.64
|
%
|
|
|
3.43
|
%
|
||
Institutional Shares Before Taxes
|
|
2.70
|
%
|
|
12.49
|
%
|
|
|
4.55
|
%
|
||
S&P 500 Index
(Reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)
|
|
1.38
|
%
|
|
12.57
|
%
|
|
|
7.31
|
%
|
Investment Team
|
Position at Columbia
|
Manager of the Fund Since
|
Robert A. von Pentz, CFA
|
Chairman of the Firm's Management Committee, Senior Equity Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst
|
2011
|
Initial Investment Minimum
Ordinary Class: $2,500 or
Ordinary Class Retirement Accounts: $1,000
Institutional Class: $1,000,000
|
Contact Information
Mail:
Pear Tree Funds
Attention: Transfer Agent
55 Old Bedford Road, Suite 202
Lincoln, MA 01773
Telephone:
1-800-326-2151
Website:
www.peartreefunds.com
|
Ongoing Investment Minimum
Both Classes: 50 shares
|
Ordinary Shares
|
Institutional Shares
|
|
Management Fees*
|
1.00%
|
1.00%
|
Distribution (12b-1) Fees
|
0.25%
|
None
|
Other Expenses
|
0
.07%
|
0
.07%
|
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses**
|
0
.42%
|
0
.42%
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
|
1
.74%
|
1
.49%
|
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement*
|
0
.22%
|
0
.22%
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement*
|
1
.52%
|
1
.27%
|
1 year
|
3 years
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
|
Ordinary Class
|
$155
|
$526
|
$923
|
$2,033
|
Institutional Class
|
$129
|
$449
|
$792
|
$1,760
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
31.50%
|
45.44%
|
(59.20)%
|
70.37%
|
19.76%
|
(18.00)%
|
21.82%
|
(4.59)%
|
(0.74)%
|
(16.37)%
|
Best Quarter:
|
Q2 2009
|
30.76%
|
Worst Quarter:
|
Q4 2008
|
(32.62)%
|
|
|
1 Year
|
|
5 Years
|
|
10 Years
|
||||||
Ordinary Shares Before Taxes
|
|
|
(16.37)
|
%
|
|
(4.58)
|
%
|
|
|
2.33
|
%
|
|
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions
|
|
(16.47)
|
%
|
|
(4.65)
|
%
|
|
|
2.12
|
%
|
||
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
|
|
(8.77)
|
%
|
|
(3.08)
|
%
|
|
|
2.13
|
%
|
||
Institutional Shares Before Taxes
|
|
(16.19)
|
%
|
|
(4.35)
|
%
|
|
|
2.59
|
%
|
||
MSCI EM Index
(Reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)
|
|
(14.60)
|
%
|
|
(4.47)
|
%
|
|
|
3.95
|
%
|
Investment Team
|
Position at PanAgora
|
Manager of the Fund Since
|
Edward Qian
, Ph.D.,CFA
Mark Barnes, Ph.D.
|
Chief Investment Officer, Head of Research, Multi Asset
Director,
Multi Asset
Investments
|
2016
2016
|
Nick Alonso, CFA
|
Portfolio Manager, Multi Asset
Investments
|
2016
|
Initial Investment Minimum
Ordinary Class: $2,500 or
Ordinary Class Retirement Accounts: $1,000
Institutional Class: $1,000,000
|
Contact Information
Mail:
Pear Tree Funds
Attention: Transfer Agent
55 Old Bedford Road, Suite 202
Lincoln, MA 01773
Telephone:
1-800-326-2151
Website:
www.peartreefunds.com
|
Ongoing Investment Minimum
Both Classes: 50 shares
|
Ordinary Shares
|
Institutional Shares
|
|
Management Fees
|
0.60%
|
0.60%
|
Distribution (12b-1) Fees
|
0.25%
|
None
|
Other Expenses
|
0
.59%
|
0
.59%
|
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
|
0
.05%
|
0
.05%
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
|
1
.49%
|
1
.24%
|
1 year
|
3 years
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
|
Ordinary Class
|
$152
|
$472
|
$815
|
$1,782
|
Institutional Class
|
$127
|
$394
|
$682
|
$1,503
|
2014
|
2015
|
(3.48)%
|
(18.00)%
|
Best Quarter:
|
Q1 2016
|
9.71%
|
Worst Quarter:
|
Q3 2015
|
(15.41)%
|
|
|
1 Year
|
Life of the Fund
Since June 27, 2013
|
|||||
Ordinary Shares Before Taxes
|
|
|
(18.00)
|
%
|
(7.85)
|
%
|
||
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions
|
|
(18.04)
|
%
|
(7.94)
|
%
|
|||
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
|
|
(9.88)
|
%
|
(5.74)
|
%
|
|||
Institutional Shares Before Taxes
|
|
(17.76)
|
%
|
(7.52)
|
%
|
|||
MSCI EM Index
(Reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)
|
|
(14.60)
|
%
|
(3.05)
|
%
|
Investment Team
|
Position at PanAgora
|
Manager of the Fund Since
|
Edward Qian, Ph.D., CFA
|
Chief Investment Officer and Head of Research, Multi-Asset
|
2013
|
Mark Barnes
|
Director, Multi-Asset
|
2013
|
Nicholas Alonso
|
Portfolio Manager, Multi-Asset
|
2013
|
Initial Investment Minimum
Ordinary Class: $2,500 or
Ordinary Class Retirement Accounts: $1,000
Institutional Class: $1,000,000
|
Contact Information
Mail:
Pear Tree Funds
Attention: Transfer Agent
55 Old Bedford Road, Suite 202
Lincoln, MA 01773
Telephone:
1-800-326-2151
Website:
www.peartreefunds.com
|
Ongoing Investment Minimum
Both Classes: 50 shares
|
Ordinary Shares
|
Institutional Shares
|
|
Management Fees
|
1.00%
|
1.00%
|
Distribution (12b-1) Fees
|
0.25%
|
None
|
Other Expenses
|
0
.27%
|
0
.27%
|
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
|
0.01%
|
0.01%
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
|
1
.53%
|
1
.28%
|
1 year
|
3 years
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
|
Ordinary Class
|
$155
|
$482
|
$833
|
$1,820
|
Institutional Class
|
$130
|
$405
|
$701
|
$1,542
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
31.03%
|
(1.85)%
|
(52.40)%
|
58.04%
|
20.01%
|
(15.52)%
|
26.92%
|
27.57%
|
(5.23)%
|
(0.67)%
|
Best Quarter:
|
Q2 2009
|
36.87%
|
Worst Quarter:
|
Q4 2008
|
(26.53)%
|
|
|
1 Year
|
|
5 Years
|
|
10 Years
|
|||||||||||
Ordinary Shares Before Taxes
|
|
|
(0.67)
|
%
|
|
5.18
|
%
|
|
|
4.10
|
%
|
||||||
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions
|
|
(0.85)
|
%
|
|
5.12
|
%
|
|
|
3.54
|
%
|
|||||||
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
|
|
0.12
|
%
|
|
4.20
|
%
|
|
|
3.34
|
%
|
|||||||
Institutional Shares Before Taxes
|
|
(0.37)
|
%
|
|
5.45
|
%
|
|
|
4.34
|
%
|
|||||||
MSCI EAFE Index
(Reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)
|
|
(0.39)
|
%
|
|
4.07
|
%
|
|
|
3.50
|
%
|
Investment Team
|
Position at Polaris
|
Manager of the Fund Since
|
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
President and Chief Investment Officer
|
1998
|
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager
|
2004
|
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
Assistant Portfolio Manager
|
2012
|
Initial Investment Minimum
Ordinary Class: $2,500 or
Ordinary Class Retirement Accounts: $1,000
Institutional Class: $1,000,000
|
Contact Information
Mail:
Pear Tree Funds
Attention: Transfer Agent
55 Old Bedford Road, Suite 202
Lincoln, MA 01773
Telephone:
1-800-326-2151
Website:
www.peartreefunds.com
|
Ongoing Investment Minimum
Both Classes: 50 shares
|
Ordinary Shares
|
Institutional Shares
|
|
Management Fees
|
1.00%
|
1.00%
|
Distribution (12b-1) Fees
|
0.25%
|
None
|
Other Expenses
|
0
.31%
|
0
.30%
|
Acquired Fund Fees Expenses
|
0
.01%
|
0
.01%
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
|
1
.56%
|
1
.30%
|
1 year
|
3 years
|
5 years
|
10 years
|
|
Ordinary Class
|
$160
|
$497
|
$857
|
$1,871
|
Institutional Class
|
$134
|
$416
|
$720
|
$1,583
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
83.13%
|
20.70%
|
(20.02)%
|
27.11%
|
24.95%
|
6.54%
|
(1.49)%
|
Best Quarter:
|
Q2 2009
|
53.73%
|
Worst Quarter:
|
Q4 2008
|
(28.49)%
|
|
|
1 Year
|
|
5 Year
|
Life of the Fund
Since May 1, 2008
|
|
||||||
Ordinary Shares Before Taxes
|
|
|
(1.49)
|
%
|
5.92
|
%
|
6.04
|
%
|
||||
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions
|
|
(1.76)
|
%
|
5.42
|
%
|
5.61
|
%
|
|||||
Ordinary Shares After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
|
|
(0.28)
|
%
|
4.80
|
%
|
4.93
|
%
|
|||||
Institutional Shares Before Taxes
|
|
(1.27)
|
%
|
6.18
|
%
|
6.28
|
%
|
|||||
MSCI ACWI (ex US Small Cap) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
|
2.95
|
%
|
2.99
|
%
|
3.06
|
%
|
Investment Team
|
Position at Polaris
|
Manager of the Fund Since
|
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
President and Chief Investment Officer
|
2008
|
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager
|
2008
|
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
Assistant Portfolio Manager
|
2012
|
Initial Investment Minimum
Ordinary Class: $2,500 or
Ordinary Class Retirement Accounts: $1,000
Institutional Class: $1,000,000
|
Contact Information
Mail:
Pear Tree Funds
Attention: Transfer Agent
55 Old Bedford Road, Suite 202
Lincoln, MA 01773
Telephone:
1-800-326-2151
Website:
www.peartreefunds.com
|
Ongoing Investment Minimum
Both Classes: 50 shares
|
·
|
Invest principally in stocks of large U.S. companies;
|
·
|
Be required to disclose publicly within 60 days of its quarter end its portfolio holdings as of the end of the quarter;
|
·
|
Be managed by an investment adviser that is unaffiliated with Quality Fund's investment manager or sub-adviser; and
|
·
|
Typically, allow only very large institutional investors to invest directly in the target portfolio.
|
·
|
Target portfolio may easily be replicated by Quality Fund;
|
·
|
Quality Fund's purchases and sales of portfolio securities may potentially impact the management of the target portfolio;
|
·
|
Target portfolio's investment objective and investment policies are compatible with Quality Fund's investment objective and investment policies;
|
·
|
Target portfolio historically has a low rate of turnover;
|
·
|
Target portfolio historically has had strong performance;
|
·
|
Target portfolio's investment adviser has a solid reputation within the financial services industry; and
|
·
|
Target portfolio's investment adviser generally uses a quantitative investment approach to manage the target portfolio.
|
·
|
Market, Industry and Specific Holdings.
The share price of a Pear Tree Fund may fall because of weakness in the stock markets, generally, weakness with respect to a particular industry in which the Pear Tree Fund has significant holdings, or weaknesses associated with one or more specific companies in which the Pear Tree Fund may have substantial investments. The stock markets generally may decline because of adverse economic and financial developments in the U.S. and abroad. Industry or company earnings may deteriorate because of a variety of factors, including maturing product lines, changes in technologies, new competition and changes in management. Such weaknesses typically lead to changes in investor expectations of future earnings and a lack of confidence in current stock prices. Downward pressures on stock prices accelerate if institutional investors, who comprise a substantial portion of the market, also lose confidence in current prices.
|
·
|
Liquidity.
Some Pear Tree Fund holdings may be subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, making them difficult to sell, especially in a timely manner. Adverse market or economic conditions may result in limited or no trading market for other securities held by a Pear Tree Fund. Under any of these conditions, it may be difficult for a Pear Tree Fund selling one of these securities to receive a sales price comparable to the value assigned to the security by the Pear Tree Fund, or if the Pear Tree Fund continues to hold the security in its portfolio, to determine the value of the security.
|
·
|
Investment Strategies
. Each Pear Tree Fund pursues its investment objective using a specific investment strategy or, in the case of Emerging Markets Fund, two investment strategies. An investment strategy generally is a set of principles or rules that are designed to assist the Fund in selecting its portfolio securities. For the most part, the principles or rules comprising a Fund's investment strategy involve a tradeoff between principles or rules that are intended to help the Fund consistently increase the value of its portfolio, and principles or rules that are intended to prevent the Fund from losing all or substantially all of its value. For all Pear Tree Fund investment strategies, there are risks that a strategy will not perform as anticipated, or that market and other conditions under which the investment strategy is expected to perform as anticipated, will not occur.
|
Portfolio manager
|
Portfolio manager experience in this Fund
|
Primary title(s) with Sub-Adviser,
primary role and investment experience |
Robert A. von Pentz, CFA
|
Since 2011
|
Chairman of the Firm's Management Committee, Senior Equity Portfolio Manager
Investment professional since 1984
|
Portfolio manager
|
Portfolio manager experience in this Fund
|
Primary title(s) with Sub-Adviser,
primary role and investment experience |
Edward Qian
, Ph.D., CFA
|
Since
2016
|
Chief Investment Manager and Head of Research, Multi Asset Investment professional since 1998; Dr. Qian joined PanAgora in 2007.
|
Mark Barnes
, Ph.D.
|
Since
2016
|
Director,
Multi-Asset. Mr. Barnes
joined PanAgora in
1998.
|
Nicholas Alonso
, CFA
|
Since
2016
|
Portfolio Manager, Multi-Asset.
Mr.
Alonso
joined PanAgora in
2010. Prior to joining PanAgora, Mr. Alonso worked for Mellon Capital
Management
(2007-2010) where he was a Quantitative Analyst primarily responsible for
research
and management
.
|
Portfolio manager
|
Portfolio manager experience in this Fund
|
Primary title(s) with Sub-Adviser,
primary role and investment experience |
Edward Qian, Ph.D., CFA
|
Since 2013
|
Chief Investment Manager and Head of Research, Multi Asset Investment professional since 1998; Dr. Qian joined PanAgora in 2007.
|
Mark Barnes
. Ph.D.
|
Since 2013
|
Director, Multi-Asset. Mr. Barnes joined PanAgora in 1998.
|
Nicholas Alonso
, CFA
|
Since 2013
|
Portfolio Manager, Multi-Asset. Mr. Alonso joined PanAgora in 2010. Prior to joining PanAgora, Mr. Alonso worked for Mellon Capital Management (2007-2010) where he was a Quantitative Analyst primarily responsible for research and management.
|
Portfolio
manager
|
Portfolio manager
experience in this Fund
|
Primary title(s) with Sub-Adviser,
primary role and investment experience
|
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
Lead Portfolio Manager since 2015
|
President and Chief Investment Officer since 1998.
Founder and Portfolio Manager since 1995.
Investment professional since 1980.
|
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
Since 2015
|
Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager since 2004.
Investment professional since 1996; 1996 to 2000 as an officer for the Securities and Exchange Board of India; in 2001 as an intern for Delta Partners; 2002 to 2004 as an Analyst for Polaris.
|
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
Since 2015
|
Assistant Portfolio Manager since 2012
Analyst with Polaris since 2006.
Internship at HSBC Global Investment Banking in 2005, internship at Polaris in 2004/2005. 2002 to 2004 as a software architect and project manager at PNC Financial Service Group (PFPC), following positions as an information systems engineer and software engineer at Vanguard Group and RIT Research Corporation respectively.
MBA MIT's Sloan School of Management 2006; M.S. degree computer science Rochester Institute of Technology 2000; undergraduate degree Beijing Institute of Technology in China in 1998.
|
Jason Crawshaw
|
Since 2016
|
Assistant Portfolio Manager since 2015.
Analyst with Polaris since 2014.
Investment professional since 1994; 1994 to 1996, First Corp Merchant Bank, Equity Analyst for internal, hedge fund; 1996 to 1997, Coronation Securities, Equity Analyst/Assistant Portfolio Manager for internal hedge fund; 1998 to 2001, Equinox Holdings, Portfolio Manager for long/short small cap equity portfolio; 2002 to 2006, Brait Specialized Funds, Portfolio Manager for long/short small cap equity portfolio; 2007 to 2013, Liberty Square Asset Management, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager for boutique international hedge fund/asset manager.
|
Portfolio manager
|
Portfolio manager experience in this Fund
|
Primary title(s) with Sub-Adviser,
primary role and investment experience |
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
Since 1998 (Fund inception) Lead Portfolio Manager
|
President and Chief Investment Officer since 1998.
Founder and Portfolio Manager since 1995.
Investment professional since 1980.
|
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
Since 2004
|
Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager since 2004.
Investment professional since 1996; 1996 to 2000 as an officer for the Securities and Exchange Board of India; in 2001 as an intern for Delta Partners; 2002 to 2004 as an Analyst for Polaris.
|
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
Since 2008
|
Assistant Portfolio Manager since 2012
Analyst with Polaris since 2006.
Internship at HSBC Global Investment Banking in 2005, internship at Polaris in 2004/2005. 2002 to 2004 as a software architect and project manager at PNC Financial Service Group (PFPC), following positions as an information systems engineer and software engineer at Vanguard Group and RIT Research Corporation respectively.
MBA MIT's Sloan School of Management 2006; M.S. degree computer science Rochester Institute of Technology 2000; undergraduate degree Beijing Institute of Technology in China in 1998.
|
Portfolio manager
|
Portfolio manager experience in this Fund
|
Primary title(s) with Sub-Adviser,
primary role and investment experience |
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
Lead Portfolio Manager since 2008 (Fund inception)
|
President and Chief Investment Officer since 1998.
Founder and Portfolio Manager since 1995.
Investment professional since 1980.
|
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
Since 2008 (Fund inception) Assistant Portfolio Manager
|
Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager since 2004.
Investment professional since 1996; 1996 to 2000 as an officer for the Securities and Exchange Board of India; in 2001 as an intern for Delta Partners; 2002 to 2004 as an Analyst for Polaris.
|
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
Since 2008
|
Assistant Portfolio Manager since 2012
Analyst with Polaris since 2006.
Internship at HSBC Global Investment Banking in 2005, internship at Polaris in 2004/2005. 2002 to 2004 as a software architect and project manager at PNC Financial Service Group (PFPC), following positions as an information systems engineer and software engineer at Vanguard Group and RIT Research Corporation respectively.
MBA MIT's Sloan School of Management 2006; M.S. degree computer science Rochester Institute of Technology 2000; undergraduate degree Beijing Institute of Technology in China in 1998.
|
|
Average Daily
Net Assets of the Fund
|
Contractual Investment Advisory Fee (%)
(annual rate)
|
Actual Advisory
Fee Rate
|
All Funds (excluding Small Cap Fund and Risk Parity Fund)
|
All
|
1.00%
|
1.00%
|
|
|||
Small Cap Fund
Risk Parity Fund
|
All
$0 – 300 Million
$300 – 600 Million
$600 Million or more
|
0.80%
0.60%
0.65%
0.70%
|
0.95%*
0.60%
|
• | Participate in the Pear Tree Funds' Automatic Investment Plan; |
• | Open a Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors account; or |
•
|
Open an Individual Retirement Account ("IRA") or an account under a similar plan established under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or for any pension, profit sharing or other employee benefit plan or participant therein, whether or not the plan is qualified under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any plan established under the Self-Employed Individuals Tax Retirement Act of 1962 (HR-10).
|
Eligible Classes of Institutional Share Investors
|
|
$1 million or more
|
(i)
benefit plans with at least $10,000,000 in plan assets and 200 participants, that either have a separate trustee vested with investment discretion and certain limitations on the ability of plan beneficiaries to access their plan investments without incurring adverse tax consequences or which allow their participants to select among one or more investment options, including the Pear Tree Fund;
(ii)
banks and insurance companies purchasing shares for their own account;
(iii)
an insurance company separate account; or
(iv)
a bank, trust company, credit union, savings institution or other depository institution, its trust departments or common trust funds purchasing for non-discretionary customers or accounts.
|
$1 million or more in the aggregate
|
If an account or group of accounts is (a) not represented by a broker/dealer, (b) the minimum initial investment is at least $1 million in the aggregate at the plan, group or organization level and (c) the investment is made by:
(1)
A private foundation that meets the requirements of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
(2)
An endowment or organization that meets the requirements of Section 509(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code; or
(3)
A group of accounts related through a family trust, testamentary trust or other similar arrangement purchasing Institutional Shares through or upon the advice of a single fee-paid financial intermediary other than the Manager or Distributor.
|
None
|
Investments made for an individual account or a group of accounts:
(i)
through an eligible mutual fund wrap program. To be eligible, a mutual fund wrap program must offer allocation services, charge an asset-based fee to its participants for asset allocation and/or offer advisory services, and meet trading and operational requirements under an appropriate agreement with the Distributor or clearing entity; or
(ii)
by registered investment Sub-Advisers who are (a) charging an asset based fee for their advisory services and (b) purchasing on behalf of their clients.
You should ask your investment firm if it offers and you are eligible to participate in such a mutual fund program and whether participation in the program is consistent with your investment goals. The intermediaries sponsoring or participating in these mutual fund programs also may offer their clients other classes of shares of the Pear Tree Funds and investors may receive different levels of services or pay different fees depending upon the class of shares included in the program. Investors should consider carefully any separate transaction and other fees charged by these programs in connection with investing in each available share class before selecting a share class. Neither the Pear Tree Fund, nor the Manager, nor the Distributor receives any part of the separate fees charged to clients of such intermediaries.
|
Minimum Initial
Investment |
Eligible Classes of Institutional Share Investors
|
None
|
(i)
any state, county, city, or any instrumentality, department, authority, or agency of these entities or any trust, pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for the benefit of the employees of these entities which is prohibited by applicable investment laws from paying a sales charge or commission when it purchases shares of any registered investment management company; or
(ii)
officers, partners, trustees or directors and employees of the Pear Tree Funds, the Pear Tree Funds' affiliated corporations, or of the Pear Tree Funds' Sub-Advisers and their affiliated corporations (a "Fund Employee"), the spouse or child of a Pear Tree Fund Employee, a Pear Tree Fund Employee acting as custodian for a minor child, any trust, pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for the benefit of a Pear Tree Fund Employee or spouse and maintained by one of the above entities, the employee of a broker-dealer with whom the Distributor has a sales agreement or the spouse or child of such employee.
To qualify for the purchase of Institutional Shares, Fund Employees and other persons listed in section (ii) must provide Pear Tree Institutional Services, a division of the Manager ("Transfer Agent"), with a letter stating that the purchase is for their own investment purposes only and that the shares will not be resold except to the Pear Tree Funds. |
• | You have provided adequate instructions |
• | There are no outstanding claims against your account |
• | There are no transaction limitations on your account |
• | Requesting certain types of transfers or exchanges or sales of fund shares in excess of $100,000 |
• | Requesting a redemption within 30 days of changing your account registration or address |
• | Requesting a redemption, exchange or transfer to someone other than the account owner(s). |
• | You sell shares within a short period of time after the shares were purchased; |
• | You make two or more purchases and redemptions within a short period of time; |
• | You enter into a series of transactions that is indicative of a timing pattern or strategy; or |
• | We reasonably believe that you have engaged in such practices in connection with other mutual funds. |
• | Charge a fee for exchanges or to modify, limit or suspend the exchange privilege at any time without notice. A Pear Tree Fund will provide 60 days' notice of material amendments to or termination of the exchange privilege. |
• | Revise, suspend, limit or terminate the account options or services available to shareholders at any time, except as required by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission; |
• | Charge a fee for wire transfers of redemption proceeds or other similar transaction processing fees; and |
• | Suspend transactions in Pear Tree Fund shares when trading on the NYSE is closed or restricted, when the Securities and Exchange Commission determines an emergency or other circumstances exist that make it impracticable for the Pear Tree Funds to sell or value their portfolio securities. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
By Mail:
|
|
Pear Tree Institutional Services
55 Old Bedford Road
Suite 202
Lincoln, MA 01773 |
|
By Telephone: 800-326-2151
On the Internet: www.peartreefunds.com |
|
Ordinary Shares
|
Institutional Shares
|
|
U.S. EQUITY FUNDS
|
||
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund
|
USBNX
|
QBNAX
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund
|
USBOX
|
QGIAX
|
INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUNDS
|
||
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund
|
QFFOX
|
QEMAX
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund
|
RPEMX
|
EMRPX
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund
|
QFVOX
|
QFVIX
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
QUSOX
|
QUSIX
|
Current Fund Name
|
Former Fund Name(s)
|
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund
|
Pear Tree Columbia Small Cap Fund; Quant Small Cap Fund
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund
|
Quant Quality Fund; Quant Long/Short Fund
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Dynamic Emerging Markets Fund; Pear Tree Emerging Markets Fund; Quant Emerging Markets Fund
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund
|
Quant Foreign Value Fund
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
Quant Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
·
|
Interest Rate Risk -
the risk that rates will rise causing the value of the instrument to fall, credit risk, that is, the risk that an issuer, guarantor or liquidity provider of an instrument held by the fund will fail to make scheduled interest or principal payments, which may reduce the Pear Tree Fund's income and the market value of, the instrument.
|
·
|
Credit Risk.
The risk that the issuer of the fixed income security, and if guaranteed, the guarantor of the security, will default on its obligation to pay principal, interest or both. Generally, lower rated securities have a higher likelihood of defaulting than a higher rated security.
|
·
|
Prepayment Risk
(when repayment of principal occurs before scheduled maturity) and Extension Risk (when rates of repayment of principal are slower than expected) – the risk that the holder may have to invest repayment proceeds in, or continue to hold, lower yielding securities, as the case may be.
|
·
|
Liquidity Risk
- the risk that the Pear Tree Fund may not be able to sell some or all of its securities at desired prices or may be unable to sell the securities at all, because of a lack of demand in the market for such securities, or a liquidity provider defaults on its obligation to purchase the securities when properly tendered by the holder.
|
Fiscal Years Ended March 31,
|
||
2016
|
2015
|
|
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund
|
17%
|
94%
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund
|
35%
|
49%
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund
|
82%
|
35%
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund
|
24%
|
34%
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund
|
13%
|
2%
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
8%
|
11%
|
NAME AND AGE
|
POSITION HELD WITH TRUST
|
TERM OF OFFICE / LENGTH OF TIME SERVED
|
PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING PAST FIVE YEARS
1
|
NUMBER OF PORTFOLIOS IN FUND COMPLEX OVERSEEN
|
OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD BY TRUSTEE
|
Robert M. Armstrong (Born: March 1939)
|
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term (1985 to present)
|
Independent Director and Consultant Services (1998 – Present); Director, NewPage Corporation, NewPage Holding Corporation and NewPage Group, Inc. (2006-2012)
|
6
|
NewPage Corporation (2006- 2012); NewPage Holding Corporation(2006- 2012); NewPage Group, Inc. (2006- 2012)
|
John M. Bulbrook
(Born: July 1942)
|
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term (1985 to present)
|
CEO and Treasurer, John M. Bulbrook Insurance Agency, Inc. (d/b/a Bulbrook/Drislane Brokerage) (distributor of financial products, including insurance) (1984 – Present);
|
6
|
None
|
William H. Dunlap (Born: March 1951)
|
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term (October 2006 to present)
|
Executive Director, New Hampshire Historical Society, (Feb. 2010 – Present); Principal, William H. Dunlap & Company (consulting firm)(2005 – Present); President, EQ Rider, Inc., (equestrian clothing sales) (1998 – 2008);
Director, Merrimack County Savings Bank (2005 – Present); Director, Merrimack Bank Corp. (2005 – Present)
|
6
|
None
|
Clinton S. Marshall (Born: May 1957)
|
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term (April 2003 to present)
|
Owner, Coastal CFO Solutions, outsource firm offering CFO solutions to businesses (1998 – Present);
CFO, Fore River Company (2002 – Present)
|
6
|
None
|
NAME AND AGE
|
POSITION HELD WITH TRUST
|
TERM OF OFFICE / LENGTH OF TIME SERVED
|
PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING PAST FIVE YEARS
1
|
NUMBER OF PORTFOLIOS IN FUND COMPLEX OVERSEEN
|
OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD BY TRUSTEE/OFFICER
|
Willard L. Umphrey (Born: July 1941)
|
Trustee, President, Chairman (1985 to present)
|
Indefinite Term
(1985 to present)
|
Director, U.S. Boston Capital Corporation; President, Pear Tree Advisors, Inc.
|
6
|
U.S. Boston Corporation; U.S. Boston Asset Management Corporation; Pear Tree Advisors, Inc.; Pear Tree Partners Management LLC; Unidine Corporation;USB Corporation; U.S. Boston Insurance Agency, Inc.; U.S. Boston Capital Corporation; Woundcheck Laboratories
|
Leon Okurowski (Born: December 1942)
|
Vice President, Treasurer
(1985 to present)
|
(1985 to present)
|
Director and Vice President, U.S. Boston Capital Corporation; Treasurer, Pear Tree Advisors, Inc.; Trustee, Pear Tree Funds (4/17/1985 – 9/30/2004)
|
N/A
|
Everest USB Canadian
Storage, Inc.; Pear Tree Advisors, Inc.; U.S. Boston Corporation; U.S. Boston Asset Management Corporation; MedCool, Inc., USB Corporation; USB Everest Management, LLC; USB Everest Storage LLC; U.S. Boston Insurance Agency, Inc.; U.S. Boston Capital Corporation; Woundcheck Laboratories
|
Deborah A. Kessinger (Born: May 1963)
|
Assistant Clerk and
Chief Compliance Officer
|
(April 2005 to Present)
|
Senior Counsel (since 9/04), President (since 8/07) and Chief Compliance Officer (since 12/05), U.S. Boston Capital Corporation; Senior Counsel (since 9/2004) and Chief Compliance Officer (since 10/2006), Pear Tree Advisors, Inc.; Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel, Wainwright Investment Counsel, LLC (investment management firm) (2000-2004); Compliance Attorney, Broadridge Financial Solutions (formerly Forefield, Inc.) (software provider) (2001-2004) and Compliance Consultant (2007 to present)
|
N/A
|
None
|
Diane Hunt (Born: February 1962)
|
Assistant Treasurer
|
(June 2010 to Present)
|
Controller (Since 3/2010) Pear Tree Advisors, Inc.; Accountant (Since 1984) U.S. Boston Capital Corporation
|
N/A
|
None
|
Lori Wessels (Born: May 1970)
|
Clerk
|
July 2014 to Present)
|
Senior Legal Product Manager (since June 2014) Pear Tree Advisors, Inc.; Senior Paralegal, Global Partners LP (8/2012 – 6/2014); Senior Paralegal, John Hancock (9/2007 – 5/2012)
|
N/A
|
None
|
1. | The principal occupations of the Trustees and officers of the Trust for the last five years have been with the employers shown above, although in some cases they have held different positions with such employers. |
2. | Mr. Umphrey is an "interested person" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust. Mr. Umphrey has been determined to be an "Interested Trustee" by virtue of, among other things, his affiliation with the Manager and the Pear Tree Funds' distributor, U.S. Boston Capital Corporation (" Distributor "). |
Name of Trustee
|
Aggregate Compensation from
the Trust
|
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As
Part of Fund Expenses
|
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon
Retirement
|
Total Compensation From the Trust and Fund Complex
Paid to Trustee
|
Robert M. Armstrong
|
$31,500
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
$31,500
|
John M. Bulbrook
|
$34,500
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
$34,500
|
William H. Dunlap
|
$31,500
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
$31,500
|
Clinton S. Marshall
|
$34,500
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
$34,500
|
Ordinary Shares
|
Institutional Shares
|
|
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund
|
0.48%
|
42.83%
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund
|
0.76%
|
11.08%
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund
|
0.60%
|
15.94%
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund
|
0.00%
|
0.37%
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund
|
0.12%
|
0.56%
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
0.35%
|
2.21%
|
Name of Trustee
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Small
Cap
Fund
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Quality
Fund
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Emerging Markets
Fund
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Foreign
Value
Fund
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Foreign Value Small Cap
Fund
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Risk Parity
Fund
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Pear Tree Fund
Complex
|
Robert M. Armstrong
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
None
|
$50,001 - $100,000
|
$50,001 - $100,000
|
John M. Bulbrook
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
William H. Dunlap
|
None
|
None
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
None
|
None
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
Clinton S. Marshall
|
None
|
None
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
$50,001 - $100,000
|
Name of Trustee
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Small
Cap
Fund
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Quality
Fund
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Emerging
Markets Fund
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Foreign
Value
Fund
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Foreign Value Small
Cap
Fund
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Risk Parity
Fund
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Pear Tree Fund
Complex
|
Willard L. Umphrey
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
$50,001 - $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Fiscal Years Ended March 31,
|
|||
Fund Name
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund
|
$1,188,645
|
$1,000,132
|
$775,441
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund
|
$852,998*
|
$951,388*
|
$915,599*
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund
|
$1,256,893
|
$1,130,322
|
$861,631**
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund
|
$118,092
|
$240,221
|
$243,591
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund
|
$11,310,328
|
$15,840,294
|
$16,433,175
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
$1,286,369
|
$2,767,592
|
$5,558,706
|
Advisory Fee Rates
|
|
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund
|
0.25% of the first $100 million,
0.30% of the next $100 million,
0.325% of amounts in excess of $200 million.
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund
|
0.10% of the first $100 million,
0.08% of the next $150 million, and
0.06% of amounts in excess of $250 million, with a $100,000 annual minimum.
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund
|
0.25% of the first $300 million
0.30% of amounts in excess of $ $300 million but less than $600 million and
0.35% of assets in excess of $600 million of average daily net assets
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund
|
0.25% of the first $300 million
0.30% of amounts in excess of $ $300 million but less than $600 million and
0.35% of assets in excess of $600 million of average daily net assets
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund
|
0.35% of the first $35 million,
0.40% of amounts in excess of $35 million but less than $200 million and
0.50% of assets in excess of $200 million of average daily total net assets
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
0.35% of the first $35 million and
0.40% of amounts in excess of $35 million but less than $200 million and
0.50% of amounts in excess of $200 million.
|
Fiscal Years Ended March 31,
|
||||
Sub-Adviser
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
|
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund
|
Polaris*
|
$558,663
|
$439,248
|
$242,750
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund
|
Columbia
|
$112,035
|
$122,334
|
$117,884
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund
|
PanAgora
|
$590,740
|
$531,246
|
$391,288
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund
|
PanAgora
|
$49,201
|
$100,092
|
$101,496
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund
|
Polaris
|
$5,437,664
|
$7,702,647
|
$7,999,088
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
Polaris
|
$497,048
|
$1,166,829
|
$2,561,853
|
Portfolio Manager:
|
Category
|
Number of All Accounts
|
Total Assets of All Accounts*
|
Number of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Total Assets of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
|||||
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
7
|
3.5 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
9
|
1.0 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
26
|
2.4 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
|||||
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
7
|
3.5 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
9
|
1.0 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
26
|
2.4 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
|||||
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
7
|
3.5 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
9
|
1.0 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
26
|
2.4 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Jason Crawshaw
|
|||||
Registered Investment Companies
|
7
|
3.5 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
9
|
1.0 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
26
|
2.4 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
Portfolio Manager:
|
Category
|
Number of All Accounts
|
Total Assets of All Accounts*
|
Number of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Total Assets of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Robert A. von Pentz, CFA
|
|||||
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
1
|
$122.0 million
|
None
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
None
|
$0
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
43
|
$430.6 million
|
None
|
$0
|
Portfolio Manager:
|
Category
|
Number of All Accounts
|
Total Assets of All Accounts*
|
Number of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Total Assets of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Edward Qian
, Ph.D., CFA
|
|||||
Registered Investment Companies
|
4
|
$781.9 million
|
-
|
-
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
13
|
$1,622 million
|
1
|
$412.3M
|
|
Other Accounts
|
81
|
$7,545 million
|
8
|
$439.3
|
|
Mark Barnes
, Ph.D.
|
|||||
Registered Investment Companies
|
2
|
$122.0 million
|
-
|
-
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
2
|
$473.6 million
|
1
|
$412.3M
|
|
Other Accounts
|
7
|
$574.9 million
|
1
|
$344.1M
|
|
Nicholas Alonso, CFA
|
|||||
Registered Investment Companies
|
2
|
$122.0 million
|
-
|
-
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
1
|
$61.4 million
|
-
|
-
|
|
Other Accounts
|
6
|
$316.4 million
|
-
|
-
|
Portfolio Manager:
|
Category
|
Number of All Accounts
|
Total Assets of All Accounts*
|
Number of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Total Assets of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Edward Qian
, Ph.D., CFA
|
|||||
Registered Investment Companies
|
4
|
$781.9 million
|
-
|
-
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
13
|
$1,622 million
|
1
|
$412.3M
|
|
Other Accounts
|
81
|
$7,545 million
|
8
|
$439.3
|
|
Mark Barnes
, Ph.D.
|
|||||
Registered Investment Companies
|
2
|
$122.0 million
|
-
|
-
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
2
|
$473.6 million
|
1
|
$412.3M
|
|
Other Accounts
|
7
|
$574.9 million
|
1
|
$344.1M
|
|
Nicholas Alonso
, CFA
|
|||||
Registered Investment Companies
|
2
|
$122.0 million
|
-
|
-
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
1
|
$61.4 million
|
-
|
-
|
|
Other Accounts
|
6
|
$316.4 million
|
-
|
-
|
Portfolio Manager:
|
Category
|
Number of All Accounts
|
Total Assets of All Accounts*
|
Number of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Total Assets of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
|||||
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
7
|
3.5 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
9
|
1.0 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
26
|
2.4 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
|||||
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
7
|
3.5 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
9
|
1.0 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
26
|
2.4 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
|||||
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
7
|
3.5 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
9
|
1.0 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
26
|
2.4 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Portfolio Manager:
|
Category
|
Number of All Accounts
|
Total Assets of All Accounts*
|
Number of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Total Assets of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
|
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
|||||
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
7
|
3.5 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
9
|
1.0 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
26
|
2.4 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
|||||
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
7
|
3.5 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
9
|
1.0 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
26
|
2.4 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
|||||
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
7
|
3.5 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
9
|
1.0 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
26
|
2.4 billion
|
None
|
$0
|
|
Pear Tree Fund (Portfolio Manager)
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities Owned
|
||||||
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund (Polaris)
|
None
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$10,001 -
$50,000
|
$50,001 - $100,000
|
$100,001 - $500,000
|
$500,001-$1,000,000
|
Over $1,000,000
|
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
X
|
||||||
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
X
|
||||||
Bin Xiao, CPA
|
X
|
||||||
Jason Crawshaw
|
X
|
||||||
Pear Tree Quality Fund (Columbia)
|
None
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$10,001 -
$50,000
|
$50,001 - $100,000
|
$100,001 - $500,000
|
$500,001-$1,000,000
|
Over $1,000,000
|
Robert A. von Pentz
, CFA
|
X
|
||||||
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund
(PanAgora)
|
None
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$10,001 -
$50,000
|
$50,001 - $100,000
|
$100,001 - $500,000
|
$500,001-$1,000,000
|
Over $1,000,000
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Edward Qian
|
|||||||
Mark Barnes
|
X
|
X
|
|||||
Nicholas Alonso
|
X
|
X
|
|||||
Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund
(PanAgora)
|
None
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$10,001 -
$50,000
|
$50,001 - $100,000
|
$100,001 - $500,000
|
$500,001-$1,000,000
|
Over $1,000,000
|
Edward Qian
|
X
|
||||||
Mark Barnes
|
X
|
||||||
Nicholas Alonso
|
X
|
||||||
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund (Polaris)
|
None
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$10,001 -
$50,000
|
$50,001 - $100,000
|
$100,001 - $500,000
|
$500,001-$1,000,000
|
Over $1,000,000
|
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
X
|
||||||
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
X
|
||||||
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
X
|
||||||
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund (Polaris)
|
None
|
$1 - $10,000
|
$10,001 -
$50,000
|
$50,001 - $100,000
|
$100,001 - $500,000
|
$500,001-$1,000,000
|
Over $1,000,000
|
Bernard R. Horn, Jr.
|
X
|
||||||
Sumanta Biswas, CFA
|
X
|
||||||
Bin Xiao, CFA
|
X
|
Ordinary Shares
|
|
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund
|
$232,220
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund
|
$280,825
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund
|
$282,145
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund
|
$3,594
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund
|
$2,519,058
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
$772,504
|
Fiscal Year Ended March 31,
|
|||
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
|
Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund
|
$290,947
|
$325,783
|
$37,110
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund
|
$63,289
|
$79,541
|
$59,534
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund
|
$64,727
|
$49,690
|
$92,435
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund*
|
$38,175*
|
$25,437
|
$28,012
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund
|
$542,770
|
$385,541
|
$586,187
|
Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund
|
$82,511
|
$401,867
|
$435,994
|
·
|
The Manager or a Sub-Adviser may disclose the Pear Tree Funds' portfolio holdings information to unaffiliated parties prior to the time such information has been disclosed to the public through a filing with the SEC only if an Authorized Person (as defined below) determines that:
|
o
|
there is a legitimate business purpose for the disclosure; and
|
o
|
the recipient is subject to a confidentiality agreement or a duty not to trade on or disclose the nonpublic information.
|
·
|
A legitimate business purpose
includes disseminating or providing access to portfolio information to:
|
o
|
the Trust's service providers (e.g., custodian, counsel, independent auditors) in order for the service providers to fulfill their contractual duties to the Trust;
|
o
|
a newly hired sub-adviser prior to the sub-adviser commencing its duties;
|
o
|
the sub-adviser of a Pear Tree Fund that will be the surviving Pear Tree Fund in a merger; and
|
o
|
firms that provide pricing services, proxy voting services and research and trading services.
|
·
|
The confidentiality agreement must contain the following provisions:
|
o
|
The Pear Tree Fund's portfolio information is the confidential property of the Pear Tree Fund and may not be used for any purpose except in connection with the provision of services to the Pear Tree Fund;
|
o
|
The information may not be traded upon; and
|
o
|
The recipient agrees to limit access to the information to its employees and agents who shall be subject to a duty to keep and treat such information as confidential.
|
Name of Entity
|
Type of Service
|
Frequency
|
Lag Time
|
State Street Bank & Trust Company
|
Custodian, Pricing Agent
|
Daily
|
None
|
Tait, Weller & Baker LLP
|
Audit
|
As needed
|
None
|
Sullivan & Worcester LLP
|
Legal
|
As needed
|
None
|
Securities Finance Trust Company
|
Securities Lending
|
Daily
|
None
|
ISS Governance
|
Proxy Voting
|
Daily
|
None
|
Proxy Edge
|
Proxy Voting
|
Daily
|
None
|
Advent
|
Portfolio Reconciliation
|
Daily
|
None
|
Omgeo Tradesuite System
|
Portfolio Reconciliation
|
Daily
|
None
|
Brown Brothers Harriman
|
Trade Communication with Custodians
|
Daily
|
None
|
·
|
The information that may be disseminated to such outside parties is limited to information that the Sub-Adviser believes is reasonably necessary in connection with the services to be provided by the recipient.
|
·
|
Non-public portfolio information may not be disseminated for compensation or other consideration.
|
·
|
The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel, principal executive or principal accounting officer, or persons designated by such officers, (each, an "
Authorized Person
") is authorized to disseminate nonpublic portfolio information, but only in accordance with these procedures.
|
·
|
Any exceptions to these procedures may be made only if approved by the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer as in the best interests of the Trust, and only if such exceptions are reported to the Trustees at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
|
·
|
Dissemination of nonpublic portfolio information to employees of the Manager and Sub-Advisers shall be limited to those persons:
|
o
|
who are subject to a duty to keep such information confidential; and
|
o
|
who need to receive the information as part of their duties.
|
·
|
As a general matter, the Trust disseminates portfolio holdings to shareholders only in the Annual or Semiannual Reports or in other formats that are generally available on a contemporaneous basis to all such shareholders or the general public.
|
1. | You may make additional investments in a Pear Tree Fund by sending a check in U.S. dollars (made payable to "Pear Tree Funds") to the Pear Tree Funds, by wire, or by online ACH transactions, as described under HOW TO PURCHASE in the Prospectus. |
2. | You may select one of the following distribution options which best fits your needs. |
| Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) |
| Roth IRAs |
| Simplified Employee Pension Plans (SEP-IRAs) |
I.
|
Pear Tree Funds' Policy Statement
|
·
|
fully disclose the nature of the conflict to the Funds and obtain the Funds' consent as to how Pear Tree Advisors shall vote on the proposal (or otherwise obtain instructions from the Funds as to how the proxy should be voted); OR
|
·
|
contact an independent third party to recommend how to vote on the proposal and vote in accordance with the recommendation of such third party (or have the third party vote such proxy); OR
|
·
|
vote on the proposal and, in consultation with the Compliance Officer, detail how Pear Tree Advisors' material conflict did not influence the decision-making process.
|
·
|
a copy of these proxy voting policies and procedures, including all amendments hereto;
|
·
|
a copy of each proxy statement received regarding Fund securities, provided, however, that Pear Tree Advisors may rely on the proxy statement filed on EDGAR as its record;
|
·
|
a record of each vote Pear Tree Advisors casts on behalf of the Funds;
|
·
|
a copy of any document created by Pear Tree Advisors that was material its making a decision on how to vote proxies on behalf of the Funds or that memorializes the basis for that decision;
|
·
|
a copy of each written Fund request for information on how Pear Tree Advisors voted proxies on behalf of the Funds; and
|
·
|
a copy of any written response by Pear Tree Advisors to any Fund request for information on how Pear Tree Advisors voted proxies on behalf of the requesting Fund.
|
·
|
Lack of
board and key board
committee independence (fully independent audit, compensation, and nominating
committees
);
|
·
|
Lack of a
board
that is at least two-thirds (67 percent) independent – i.e. where the composition of non-independent board members is in excess of 33 percent of the entire board;
|
·
|
Lack of an independent board chair;
|
·
|
Lack of independence on key board committees (i.e. audit, compensation, and nominating committees); or
|
·
|
Failure to establish any key board committees (i.e. audit, compensation, or nominating).
|
·
|
Attendance of director nominees at board and committee meetings of less than 75 percent in one year without valid reason or explanation; or
|
·
|
Directors serving on an excessive number of other boards which could compromise their primary duties of care and loyalty.
|
·
|
Problematic Takeover Defenses
|
o
|
The board lacks accountability and oversight due to the presence of
problematic governance provisions,
coupled with long-term poor corporate performance relative to peers;
|
o
|
If the company has a classified board and a continuing director is responsible for a problematic governance issue at the board/committee level that would warrant a withhold/against vote, in addition to potential future withhold/against votes on that director, Columbia Partners may vote against or withhold votes from any or all of the nominees up for election, with the exception of new nominees;
|
o
|
The company's poison pill has a "dead-hand" or "modified dead-hand" feature; or
|
o
|
The board adopts a pill or makes a material adverse change to an existing pill without shareholder approval.
|
·
|
Governance Failures
|
o
|
The presence of problematic governance practices including interlocking directorships, multiple related-party transactions, excessive risk-taking,
imprudent use of corporate assets, etc
.;
|
o
|
Inadequate CEO succession planning, including
the
absence of an emergency and non-emergency/orderly CEO succession plan;
|
o
|
Material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight2, or fiduciary responsibilities at the company, failure
to
replace management as appropriate, flagrant or egregious actions related
to
the director(s)' service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company;
|
o
|
Chapter 7 bankruptcy, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) violations or fines, and criminal investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Government Accounting Office (GAO) or any other federal agency.
|
·
|
The board's rationale for adopting the bylaw/charter amendment without shareholder ratification;
|
·
|
Disclosure by the company of any significant engagement with shareholders regarding the amendment;
|
·
|
The level of impairment of shareholders' rights caused by the board's unilateral amendment
to
the bylaws/charter;
|
·
|
The board's track record with regard
to
unilateral board action on bylaw/charter amendments or other entrenchment provisions;
|
·
|
The company's ownership structure;
|
·
|
The company's existing governance provisions;
|
·
|
Whether the amendment was made prior to or in connection with the company's initial public offering;
|
·
|
The timing of the board's amendment to the bylaws/charter in connection with a significant business development;
|
·
|
Other factors, as deemed appropriate, that may be relevant to determine the impact of the amendment
on
shareholders.
|
·
|
Classified the board;
|
·
|
Adopted supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter; or
|
·
|
Eliminated shareholders' ability to amend bylaws.
|
·
|
The level of impairment of shareholders' rights caused by the provision;
|
·
|
The company's or the board's rationale for adopting the provision;
|
·
|
The provision's impact on the ability to change the governance structure in the future (e.g., limitations on shareholder right to amend the bylaws or charter, or supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter);
|
·
|
The ability of shareholders to hold directors accountable through annual director elections, or whether the company has a classified board structure; and,
|
·
|
A public commitment to put the provision to a shareholder vote within three years of the date of the initial public offering.
|
|
Problematic
|
|
|
·
|
There is a
misalignment
between
CEO
pay and company performance
(see Pay-for-Performance policy);
|
|
|
·
|
The company maintains problematic pay practices including options backdating, excessive perks and overly generous employment contracts etc.;
|
·
|
The company fails to submit one-time transfers of stock options to a shareholder vote;
|
·
|
The company fails to fulfill the terms of a burn rate commitment they made to shareholders;
or
|
|
|
·
|
There is evidence that management/board members are using company stock in hedging activities
. |
·
|
The company's previous say-on-pay proposal received low levels of investor support, taking into account:
|
o
|
The company's response, including: a) disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors regarding the issues that contributed to the low level of support; b) specific actions taken to address the issues that contributed to the low level of support; c) other recent compensation actions taken by the company;
|
·
|
Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated;
|
·
|
The company's ownership structure; and
|
·
|
Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness.
|
|
|
·
|
Consulting (i.e. non-audit) fees paid to the auditor are excessive;
|
·
|
Auditor ratification is not included on the proxy ballot;
|
·
|
The company receives
an
adverse opinion on the
company's
financial statements from its auditor;
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
There is evidence that the audit committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm
; or
|
·
|
Poor accounting practices such as: fraud; misapplication of GAAP; and material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures, exist. Poor accounting practices may warrant voting against or withholding votes from the full board.
|
·
|
Vote against or withhold from individual directors, committee members, or the entire board of directors as appropriate if:
|
·
|
At
the previous board election, any director received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the underlying issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against
votes;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of the shareholders tendered their shares;
|
·
|
The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received approval by a majority of the shares cast the previous year; or
|
·
|
The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the majority of votes cast at the most recent shareholder meeting at which shareholders voted on the say-on-pay frequency.
|
·
|
The board's rationale for selecting a frequency that is different from the frequency that received a plurality;
|
·
|
The company's ownership structure and vote results;
|
·
|
Whether
there are compensation concerns or a history of problematic compensation practices; and
|
·
|
The previous year's support level on the company's say-on-pay proposal.
|
·
|
The board's rationale for adopting the bylaw/charter amendment without shareholder ratification;
|
·
|
Disclosure by the company of any significant engagement with shareholders regarding the amendment;
|
·
|
The level of impairment of shareholders' rights caused by the board's unilateral amendment to the bylaws/charter;
|
·
|
The board's track record with regard to unilateral board action on bylaw/charter amendments or other entrenchment provisions;
|
·
|
The company's ownership structure;
|
·
|
The company's existing governance provisions;
|
·
|
Whether the amendment was made prior to or in connection with the company's initial public offering;
|
·
|
The timing of the board's amendment to the bylaws/charter in connection with a significant business development;
|
·
|
Other factors, as deemed appropriate, that may be relevant to determine the impact of the amendment on shareholders.
|
·
|
board chairman
.
|
·
|
Generally vote against or withhold votes from a CEO who is also serving in the role of chairman at the same
company
.
|
·
|
Generally support shareholder proposals calling for the separation
of
the CEO and chairman positions.
|
·
|
Generally support shareholder proposals calling for a non-executive
director
to serve as chairman who is not a former CEO or senior-level executive of the company.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
o
|
sit on more than five public company boards; and
|
o
|
are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than two public companies besides their own -- withhold only at their outside boards.
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
·
|
A classified board structure;
|
·
|
A supermajority vote requirement;
|
·
|
Either a plurality vote standard in uncontested director elections or a majority vote standard with no plurality carve-out for contested elections;
|
·
|
The inability for shareholders to call special meetings;
|
·
|
The inability for shareholders to act by written consent;
|
·
|
A dual-class structure; and/or
|
·
|
A non-shareholder approved poison pill
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
gender
and
racial minority representation of
the
company's
board is
reasonably
inclusive
|
·
|
in relation to companies of similar size
and
business; and
|
·
|
The
board
already
reports on its
nominating procedures and gender and racial minority
initiatives
on
the board
and
within the company.
|
|
|
·
|
The degree of existing gender and racial minority diversity
on the company's
board
and
among its executive officers;
|
|
|
·
|
The level of gender and racial minority representation that exists at the company's industry peers;
|
·
|
The company's established process for addressing gender and racial minority board representation;
|
·
|
Whether the proposal includes an overly prescriptive request to amend nominating committee charter language;
|
·
|
The independence of the company's nominating committee;
|
·
|
Whether the company uses an outside search firm to identify potential director nominees; and
|
·
|
Whether the company has had recent controversies, fines, or litigation regarding equal employment practices.
|
o
|
Generally vote FOR proposals to restore or provide for cumulative voting unless:
The company has proxy access to allow shareholders to nominate directors to the company's ballot; and |
o
|
The company has adopted a majority vote standard, with a carve-out for plurality voting in situations where there are more nominees than seats, and a director resignation policy to address failed elections.
|
·
|
Votes Against or Withholds from Directors for Shareholder Rights Plan (i.e. Poison Pills)
|
·
|
The date of the pill's adoption relative to the date of the next meeting of shareholders- i.e. whether the company had time to put the pill on ballot for shareholder ratification given the circumstances;
|
·
|
The issuer's rationale;
|
·
|
The issuer's governance structure and practices; and
|
·
|
The issuer's track record of accountability to shareholders.
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
Ownership threshold:
maximum
requirement not more than three percent (3%)
of
the voting power;
|
·
|
Ownership duration: maximum requirement not longer than three (3) years of continuous ownership for each member of the nominating group;
|
·
|
Aggregation: minimal or no limits on the number of
shareholders
permitted to form a nominating group;
|
|
|
·
|
Cap: cap on nominees of generally twenty-five percent (25%) of the board.
|
o
|
The company's board committee structure, existing subject matter expertise, and board nomination provisions relative to that of its peers;
|
o
|
The company's existing board and management oversight mechanisms regarding the issue for which board oversight is sought;
|
o
|
The company disclosure and performance relating to the issue for which board oversight is sought and any significant related controversies; and
|
o
|
The scope and structure of the proposal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
Dilution: Vote
against
plans in which the potential voting power dilution (VPD) of all shares outstanding exceeds ten percent
.
|
·
|
Full Market Value: Awards must be granted at 100 percent of fair market value on the date of grant. However, in instances when a plan is open to broad-based employee participation and excludes the five most highly compensated employees,
Columbia Partners
accept a 15 percent discount
.
|
·
|
Burn Rate: Vote against plans where
the company's three
year burn rate exceeds
the greater of: (1) the mean (μ) plus
one standard deviation
(σ) of
the
company's GICS group segmented by Russell 3000 index
and
non-Russell 3000 index; and (
2
) two
percent of
weighted
common shares outstanding.
|
·
|
Liberal Definition of Change-in-Control: Vote against
equity plans if the
plan provides for the accelerated vesting of equity awards even though an actual change in control may not occur. Examples of such a definition could include,
but
are not limited to, announcement or commencement of a tender offer, provisions for acceleration upon
a
"potential" takeover, shareholder approval of
a
merger or
other
transactions, or similar language.
|
·
|
Problematic Pay Practices: Vote against equity plans if the plan is a vehicle for problematic pay practices (e.g. if
the plan
allows for change-in-control payouts that are single triggered). |
·
|
Executive Concentration Ratio: Vote
against
plans where the annual grant rate to the top five executives ("named officers") exceeds one percent of shares outstanding
.
|
·
|
Pay-For-Performance: Vote
against
plans where
there is a misalignment between
CEO pay and the company's performance, or if performance criteria
are
not disclosed
.
|
·
|
Evergreen Features: Vote
against
plans that reserve a specified percentage of outstanding shares for award each year instead of having a termination date
.
|
|
Vote
against
plans
if
the
company's policy permits
repricing of
"
underwater
"
options
|
·
|
or
if the company has a history of repricing
past
options
.
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
Loans: Vote
against
the plan if the plan administrator may provide loans to officers to assist in exercising the awards.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
There is a misalignment between CEO pay and company performance (pay for performance);
|
·
|
The company maintains problematic pay practices;
|
·
|
The board exhibits poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders;
or
|
·
|
The board has failed to demonstrate good stewardship of investors' interests regarding executive compensation practices.
|
·
|
There is no MSOP on the ballot, and an against vote on an MSOP is warranted due to pay for performance misalignment, problematic pay practices, or the lack of adequate responsiveness on compensation issues raised previously, or a combination thereof;
|
·
|
The board fails to respond adequately to a previous MSOP proposal that received low levels of shareholder support;
|
·
|
The company has practiced or approved problematic pay practices, including option repricing or option backdating; or
|
·
|
The situation is egregious.
|
·
|
A pay for performance misalignment exists, and a significant portion of the CEO's misaligned pay is attributed to non-performance-based equity awards, taking into consideration:
|
o
|
Magnitude of pay misalignment;
|
o
|
Contribution of non-performance-based equity grants to overall pay; and
|
o
|
The proportion of equity awards granted in the last three fiscal years concentrated at the named executive officer (NEO) level.
|
·
|
Agreements that include excise tax gross-up provisions;
|
·
|
Single- or modified-single-trigger cash severance;
|
·
|
Single
trigger acceleration of unvested equity
, including acceleration of performance-based equity despite the failure to achieve performance measures
;
|
·
|
Single-trigger vesting of equity based on a definition of change in control that requires only shareholder approval of the transaction (rather than consummation);
|
|
Potentially excessive
severance
|
|
|
·
|
payments
;
|
·
|
Recent amendments
or
actions that may make packages so attractive as to influence merger agreements that may not be in the best interests of shareholders;
and
|
·
|
The company's assertion that a proposed transaction is conditioned on shareholder approval of the golden parachute advisory vote.
Such a construction is problematic from a corporate governance perspective.
|
·
|
Whether the triggering mechanism is beyond the control of management;
|
·
|
Whether the payout amount is based on an excessive severance multiple; and
|
·
|
Whether the change-in-control payments are double-triggered, i.e., (1) after a change in control has taken place, and (2) termination of the executive as a result of the change in control. Change in control is defined as a change in the company ownership structure .
|
·
|
Generally vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting to put extraordinary benefits contained in SERP agreements to a shareholder vote unless the company's executive pension plans do not contain excessive benefits beyond what is offered under employee-wide plans.
|
·
|
Vote case-by-case on all other shareholder proposals that seek to limit executive and director pay. This includes shareholder proposals that seek to link executive compensation to customer, employee, or stakeholder satisfaction.
|
o
|
Is only to include administrative features;
|
o
|
Places a cap on the annual grants any one participant may receive to comply with the provisions of Section 162(m);
|
o
|
Adds performance goals to existing compensation plans to comply with the provisions of Section 162(m) unless they are clearly inappropriate; or
|
o
|
Covers cash or cash and stock bonus plans that are submitted to shareholders for the purpose of exempting compensation from taxes under the provisions of Section 162(m) if no increase in shares is requested.
|
o
|
The compensation committee does not fully consist of independent outsiders, per ISS' director classification; or
|
o
|
The plan contains excessive problematic provisions.
|
o
|
In addition to seeking 162(m) tax treatment, the amendment may cause the transfer of additional shareholder value to employees (e.g., by requesting additional shares, extending the option term, or expanding the pool of plan participants). Evaluate the Shareholder Value Transfer in comparison with the company's allowable cap; or
|
o
|
A company is presenting the plan to shareholders for Section 162(m) favorable tax treatment for the first time after the company's initial public offering (IPO). Perform a full equity plan analysis, including consideration of total shareholder value transfer, burn rate (if applicable), repricing, and liberal change in control. Other factors such as pay-for-performance or problematic pay practices as related to Management Say-on-Pay may be considered if appropriate.
|
1.
|
Director stock ownership guidelines with a minimum of three times the annual cash retainer.
|
2.
|
Vesting schedule or mandatory holding/deferral period:
|
a.
|
A minimum vesting of three years for stock options or restricted stock; or
|
b.
|
Deferred stock payable at the end of a three-year deferral period.
|
3.
|
Mix between cash and equity:
|
a.
|
A balanced mix of cash and equity, for example 40% cash/60% equity or 50% cash/50% equity; or
|
b.
|
If the mix is heavier on the equity component, the vesting schedule or deferral period should be more stringent, with the lesser of five years or the term of directorship.
|
·
|
Purchase price is at least 85 percent of fair market value;
|
·
|
Offering period is 27 months or less; and
|
·
|
The number of shares allocated to the plan is five percent or less of the outstanding shares.
|
·
|
Broad-based participation (i.e. all employees with the exclusion of individuals with 5 percent or more of beneficial ownership of the company);
|
·
|
Limits on
employee
contribution (a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of base salary);
|
·
|
Company
matching contribution
up to
25 percent of employee's contribution,
which is effectively a discount of 20 percent from market value; and
|
·
|
No discount on the stock price on the date of purchase since there is a company matching contribution.
|
a)
|
Executive officers and non-employee directors are excluded from participating;
|
b)
|
Stock options are purchased by third-party financial institutions at a discount to their fair value using option pricing models such as Black-Scholes or a Binomial Option Valuation or other appropriate financial models;
|
c)
|
There is a two-year minimum holding period for sale proceeds (cash or stock) for all participants.
|
·
|
If the company has adopted a formal recoupment policy; |
·
|
The rigor of the recoupment policy focusing on how and under what circumstances the company may recoup incentive or stock compensation;
|
·
|
Whether
the company has chronic restatement history or material financial problems
;
|
·
|
Whether the company's policy substantially addresses the concerns raised by the proponent;
|
·
|
Disclosure of recoupment of incentive or stock compensation from senior executives or lack thereof; or
|
·
|
Any other relevant factors.
|
·
|
Vote
for proposals
to ratify auditors
when the amount of audit fees is equal to or greater than three times (75 percent) the amount paid for consulting
, unless
:
i)
An
auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company, and is therefore not independent;
or
ii)
There
is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion which is neither accurate nor indicative of the company's financial position
.
|
·
|
Vote
against
proposals to ratify auditors when the amount of non-audit consulting fees exceeds a quarter of all fees paid to the auditor
.
|
·
|
Generally support shareholder proposals seeking to limit companies from buying consulting services from their auditor
.
|
·
|
Vote
for
shareholder proposals that ask a company to submit its poison pill for shareholder ratification
.
|
·
|
Vote case-by-case on
shareholder proposals to redeem a company's poison pill
.
|
·
|
Vote
case
-by-
case
on management proposals
to ratify a
poison pill
.
|
·
|
these
lethal protective devices should be held fully accountable
.
|
o
|
The ownership threshold to transfer (NOL pills generally have a trigger slightly below 5% and NOL protective amendments generally prohibit stock ownership transfers that would result in a new 5-percent holder or increase the stock ownership percentage of an existing five-percent holder);
|
o
|
The value of the NOLs;
|
o
|
Shareholder protection mechanisms (sunset provision or commitment to cause expiration of the pill/protective amendment upon exhaustion or expiration of the NOL);
|
o
|
The company's existing governance structure including: board independence, existing takeover defenses, track record of responsiveness to shareholders, and any other problematic governance concerns; and
|
o
|
Any other factors that may be applicable.
|
·
|
Vote
for
proposals
that seek
to fix the
size of the
board
within an acceptable
range
.
|
·
|
Vote
against
proposals that give management the ability to alter the size of the board without shareholder approval.
|
·
|
Vote FOR resolutions that seek to maintain or convert to a one-share-one-vote capital structure;
|
·
|
shares . |
·
|
Vote AGAINST management proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote to approve charter and bylaw amendments;
|
·
|
Vote AGAINST management proposals seeking to lower supermajority shareholder vote requirements when they accompany management sponsored proposals to also change certain charter or bylaw amendments;
|
·
|
Vote FOR management or shareholder proposals to reduce supermajority vote requirements for charter and bylaw amendments. However, for companies with shareholders who have significant ownership levels, vote CASE-BY-CASE, taking into account i) ownership structure, ii) quorum requirements, and iii) supermajority vote requirements.
|
·
|
Vote AGAINST management proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote to approve mergers and other significant business combinations;
|
·
|
Vote FOR shareholder proposals to lower supermajority shareholder vote requirements for mergers and other significant business combinations.
|
·
|
The company's stated rationale for adopting such a provision;
|
·
|
Disclosure of past harm from
shareholder
lawsuits in which plaintiffs were unsuccessful or shareholder lawsuits
outside
the
jurisdiction of incorporation
;
|
·
|
The breadth of application of
the
bylaw, including the types of lawsuits to which it would apply and the definition of key terms
; and
|
|
Governance features such as shareholders' ability to repeal
the
provision at a later date (including
the
|
|
|
·
|
vote standard applied when shareholders attempt to amend the bylaws) and their ability to hold directors accountable through annual director elections and a
majority vote standard in uncontested elections
.
|
|
|
Vote case-by-case on mergers and acquisitions. Review and evaluate the merits and drawbacks of the proposed transaction, balancing various and sometimes countervailing factors including:
|
o
|
Valuation - Is the value to be received by the target shareholders (or paid by the acquirer) reasonable? While the fairness opinion may provide an initial starting point for assessing valuation reasonableness, emphasis is placed on the offer premium, market reaction and strategic rationale.
|
o
|
Market reaction - How has the market responded to the proposed deal? A negative market reaction should cause closer scrutiny of a deal.
|
o
|
Strategic rationale - Does the deal make sense strategically? From where is the value derived? Cost and revenue synergies should not be overly aggressive or optimistic, but reasonably achievable. Management should also have a favorable track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions.
|
o
|
Negotiations and process - Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arm's-length? Was the process fair and equitable? A fair process helps to ensure the best price for shareholders. Significant negotiation "wins" can also signify the deal makers' competency. The comprehensiveness of the sales process (e.g., full auction, partial auction, no auction) can also affect shareholder value.
|
o
|
Conflicts of interest - Are insiders benefiting from the transaction disproportionately and inappropriately as compared to non-insider shareholders? As the result of potential conflicts, the directors and officers of the company may be more likely to vote to approve a merger than if they did not hold these interests. Consider whether these interests may have influenced these directors and officers to support or recommend the merger. The CIC figure presented in the "ISS Transaction Summary" section of this report is an aggregate figure that can in certain cases be a misleading indicator of the true value transfer from shareholders to insiders. Where such figure appears to be excessive, analyze the underlying assumptions to determine whether a potential conflict exists.
|
o
|
Governance - Will the combined company have a better or worse governance profile than the current governance profiles of the respective parties to the transaction? If the governance profile is to change for the worse, the burden is on the company to prove that other issues (such as valuation) outweigh any deterioration in governance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
Vote for
fair price
proposals as long as the
shareholder vote
requirement embedded in the provision is no more
than a majority of disinterested shares.
|
·
|
Vote
for
shareholder proposals to lower the shareholder vote requirement in existing fair price provisions.
|
|
depending on the tax
and regulatory advantages
|
|
, planned
use of
sale proceeds
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
impact
on the balance sheet/working capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
o
|
Purchase price;
|
o
|
Fairness opinion;
|
o
|
Financial and strategic benefits;
|
o
|
How the deal was negotiated;
|
o
|
Conflicts of interest;
|
o
|
Other alternatives for the business;
|
o
|
Non-completion risk.
|
o
|
The reasons for the change;
|
o
|
Any financial or tax benefits;
|
o
|
Regulatory benefits;
|
o
|
Increases in capital structure;
|
o
|
Changes to the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the company.
|
o
|
Percentage of assets/business contributed;
|
o
|
Percentage ownership;
|
o
|
Financial and strategic benefits;
|
o
|
Governance structure;
|
o
|
Conflicts of interest;
|
o
|
Other alternatives;
|
o
|
Noncompletion risk.
|
o
|
Dilution to existing shareholders' position;
|
o
|
Terms of the offer;
|
o
|
Financial issues;
|
o
|
Management's efforts to pursue other alternatives;
|
o
|
Control issues;
|
o
|
Conflicts of interest.
|
o
|
Prolonged poor performance with no turnaround in sight;
|
o
|
Signs of entrenched board and management;
|
o
|
Strategic plan in place for improving value;
|
o
|
Likelihood of receiving reasonable value in a sale or dissolution; and
|
o
|
Whether company is actively exploring its strategic options, including retaining a financial advisor.
|
o
|
Past Board Performance: the company's historical use of authorized shares in the previous three years;
|
o
|
The Current Request: i) disclosure on specific reasons/rationale for the proposed increase; ii) the dilutive impact of the request; and iii) disclosure of specific risks to shareholders of not approving the request.
|
o
|
Past Board Performance: the company's historical use of authorized preferred shares over the previous three years;
|
o
|
The Current Request: i) disclosure on specific reasons/rationale for the proposed increase; ii) the dilutive impact of the request; and iii) disclosure of specific risks to shareholders of not approving the request;
|
o
|
Whether the shares requested are blank check preferred shares that can be used for antitakeover purposes.
|
o
|
The company discloses a compelling rationale for the dual-class capital structure, such as:
|
·
|
The company's auditor has concluded that there is substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern; or
|
·
|
The new class of shares will be transitory;
|
o
|
The new class is intended for financing purposes with minimal or no dilution to current shareholders in both the short term and long term; and
|
o
|
The new class is not designed to preserve or increase the voting power of an insider or significant shareholder.
|
·
|
Dilution
—
How much will
the
ownership
interest
of existing shareholders be reduced
,
and how extreme will dilution to any future earnings be?
|
·
|
Change in Control
—
Will the transaction result in a change
in
control of the company?
Are board and committee seats guaranteed? Do standstill provisions and voting agreements exist?
|
·
|
Financial Issues— company's financial situation, degree
of
need for capital, use of proceeds, and effect of
the
financing on
the
company's cost of capital;
|
·
|
Terms of
the
offer—discount/premium
in
purchase price
to
investor including any fairness opinion, termination penalties and exit strategy;
|
·
|
Conflict of interest—arm's length transactions and managerial incentives; and
|
·
|
Management's efforts to pursue other alternatives.
|
o
|
More simplified capital structure;
|
o
|
Enhanced liquidity;
|
o
|
Fairness of conversion terms;
|
o
|
Impact on voting power and dividends;
|
o
|
Reasons for the reclassification;
|
o
|
Conflicts of interest; and
|
o
|
Other alternatives considered.
|
o
|
Adverse governance changes;
|
o
|
Excessive increases in authorized capital stock;
|
o
|
Unfair method of distribution;
|
o
|
Diminution of voting rights;
|
o
|
Adverse conversion features;
|
o
|
Negative impact on stock option plans; and
|
o
|
Alternatives such as spin-off.
|
·
|
The
potential impact of such labeling on the
company's business;
|
·
|
The quality of the
company's
disclosure on GE product labeling, related voluntary initiatives, and how this disclosure compares with industry peer disclosure; and
|
·
|
Company's current disclosure on the feasibility of GE product labeling
.
|
·
|
Whether the
company already provides current, publicly-available information on the impacts that climate change may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities;
|
·
|
The company's level of disclosure is at least comparable to that of industry peers; and
|
·
|
There are no significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company's environmental performance.
|
·
|
The company already discloses current, publicly-available information on the impacts that GHG emissions may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities;
|
·
|
The company's level of disclosure is comparable to that of industry peers; and
|
·
|
There are no significant, controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company's GHG emissions.
|
·
|
Whether the company provides disclosure of year-over-year GHG emissions performance data;
|
·
|
Whether company disclosure lags behind industry peers;
|
·
|
The company's actual GHG emissions performance;
|
·
|
The company's current GHG emission policies, oversight mechanisms, and related initiatives; and
|
·
|
The company has publicly disclosed its environmental management policies for its corporate and contract farming operations, including compliance monitoring; and
|
·
|
The company publicly discloses company and supplier farm environmental performance data; or
|
·
|
The company does not have company-owned CAFOs and does not directly source from contract farm CAFOs
|
·
|
regulations
and laws, and discloses its participation in energy efficiency policies and programs, including disclosure of benchmark data, targets, and performance measures; or
|
·
|
The proponent requests adoption of specific energy efficiency goals within specific timelines.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
o
|
The nature of the company's business;
|
o
|
The current level of disclosure of the company's existing related programs;
|
o
|
The timetable prescribed by the proposal and the costs and methods of program implementation;
|
o
|
The ability of the company to address the issues raised in the proposal; and
|
o
|
The company's recycling programs compared
to
similar programs of its industry peers.
|
o
|
The company's current level of disclosure of relevant policies and oversight mechanisms;
|
o
|
The company's current level of such disclosure relative to its industry peers;
|
o
|
Potential relevant local, state, or national regulatory developments; and
|
o
|
Controversies, fines, or litigation related to the company's hydraulic fracturing operations.
|
o
|
The company's current disclosure of relevant policies, initiatives, oversight mechanisms, and water usage metrics;
|
o
|
Whether or not the company's existing water-related policies and practices are consistent with relevant internationally recognized standards and national/local regulations;
|
o
|
The potential financial impact or risk to the company associated with water-related concerns or issues; and
|
o
|
Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding water use by the company and its suppliers.
|
o
|
Whether the company has significant and persistent controversies or violations regarding social and/or environmental issues;
|
o
|
Whether the company has management systems and oversight mechanisms in place regarding its social and environmental performance;
|
o
|
The degree to which industry peers have incorporated similar non-financial performance criteria in their executive compensation practices; and
|
o
|
The company's current level of disclosure regarding its environmental and social performance.
|
o
|
The company's current level
of
disclosure of its executive compensation setting process, including how
the
company considers pay disparity;
|
o
|
If any problematic pay practices or pay-for-performance concerns have been identified at the company; and
|
o
|
The level of shareholder support for the company's pay programs.
|
·
|
The company is conducting animal testing programs that are unnecessary or not required by regulation;
|
·
|
The company is conducting animal testing when suitable alternatives are commonly accepted and used at industry peers; or
|
·
|
There are recent, significant fines or litigation related to the company's treatment of animals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
The nature, purpose, and scope of the operations and business involved that could be affected by social or political disruption;
|
·
|
Current disclosure of applicable risk assessment(s) and risk management procedures;
|
·
|
Compliance with U.S. sanctions and laws;
|
·
|
Consideration of other international policies, standards, and laws; and
|
|
Whether the company has been recently involved in
recent,
significant
controversies
, fines
or
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
litigation
related to its
operations in
"high-risk" markets.
|
1.
|
The level of disclosure of policies and procedures relating to privacy, freedom of speech, Internet censorship, and government monitoring of the Internet;
|
2.
|
Engagement in dialogue with governments and/or relevant groups with respect to the Internet and the free flow of information;
|
3.
|
The scope of business involvement and of investment in markets that maintain government censorship or monitoring of the Internet;
|
4.
|
The market-specific laws or regulations applicable to Internet censorship or monitoring that may be imposed on the company; and,
|
5.
|
The level of controversy or litigation related to the company's international human rights policies and procedures.
|
·
|
Controversies surrounding operations in the relevant market(s);
|
·
|
The
value
of
the requested
report to shareholders;
|
·
|
The company's current level of disclosure of relevant information on outsourcing and plant closure procedures; and
|
·
|
The company's existing human rights standards relative to industry peers.
|
·
|
Removal of shareholder approval requirement to reorganize or terminate the trust or any of its series;
|
·
|
Removal of shareholder approval requirement for amendments to the new declaration of trust;
|
·
|
Removal of shareholder approval requirement to amend the fund's management contract, allowing the contract to be modified by the investment manager and the trust management, as permitted by the 1940 Act;
|
·
|
Allow the trustees to impose other fees in addition to sales charges on investment in a fund, such as deferred sales charges and redemption fees that may be imposed upon redemption of a fund's shares;
|
·
|
Removal of shareholder approval requirement to engage in and terminate subadvisory arrangements;
|
·
|
Removal of shareholder approval requirement to change the domicile of the fund.
|
·
|
Regulations of both states;
|
·
|
Required fundamental policies of both states;
|
·
|
The increased flexibility available.
|
·
|
Resulting fee structure;
|
·
|
Performance of both funds;
|
·
|
Continuity of management personnel;
|
·
|
Changes in corporate governance and their impact on shareholder rights.
|
·
|
Performance of the fund's Net Asset Value (NAV);
|
·
|
The fund's history of shareholder relations;
|
·
|
The performance of other funds under the advisor's management.
|
o
|
Vote FOR proposals authorizing the board to issue shares below Net Asset Value (NAV) if:
|
o
|
The proposal to allow share issuances below NAV has an expiration date that is less than one year from the date shareholders approve the underlying proposal, as required under the Investment Company Act of 1940;
|
o
|
A majority of the independent directors who have no financial interest in the sale have made a determination as to whether such sale would be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders prior to selling shares below NAV; and
|
o
|
The company has demonstrated responsible past use of share issuances by either:
|
·
|
Outperforming peers in its 8-digit GICS group as measured by one- and three-year median TSRs; or
|
·
|
Providing disclosure that its past share issuances were priced at levels that resulted in only small or moderate discounts to NAV and economic dilution to existing non-participating shareholders.
|
·
|
There are concerns about the accounts presented or audit procedures used; or
|
·
|
The company is not responsive to shareholder questions about specific items that should be publicly disclosed.
|
·
|
Director Remuneration (including Severance Packages and Pension Benefits)
|
·
|
Consulting Services
|
·
|
Liability Coverage
|
·
|
Certain Business Transactions
|
·
|
Adequate disclosure of terms under listed transactions (including individual details of any severance, consulting, or other remuneration agreements with directors and for any asset sales and/or acquisitions);
|
·
|
Sufficient justification on transactions that appear to be unrelated to operations and/or not in shareholders' best interests;
|
·
|
Fairness opinion (if applicable in special business transactions); and
|
·
|
Any other relevant information that may affect or impair shareholder value, rights, and/or judgment.
|
·
|
The parties on either side of the transaction;
|
·
|
The nature of the asset to be transferred/service to be provided;
|
·
|
The pricing of the transaction (and any associated professional valuation);
|
·
|
The views of independent directors (where provided);
|
·
|
The views of an independent financial adviser (where appointed);
|
·
|
Whether any entities party to the transaction (including advisers) is conflicted; and
|
·
|
The stated rationale for the transaction, including discussions of timing.
|
·
|
There are serious concerns about the statutory reports presented or the audit procedures used; or
|
·
|
Questions exist concerning any of the statutory auditors being appointed (questionable actions could include but are not limited to attendance issues, mismanagement or shareholder-unfriendly behavior, or egregious behavior on other boards); or
|
·
|
The dividend payout ratio has been consistently below 30 percent without adequate explanation; or
|
·
|
Shareholder rights are protected;
|
·
|
There is negligible or positive impact on shareholder value;
|
·
|
Management provides adequate reasons for the amendments; and/or
|
·
|
The company made explicit donations to political parties or election candidates during the year under review;
|
·
|
The duration of the authority sought exceeds one year and the company has not clarified that separate authorization will be sought at the following AGM should the authority be used; or
|
·
|
No cap is set on the level of donations.
|
·
|
Composition of the board and key board committees;
|
·
|
Long-term company performance relative to a market index;
|
·
|
Corporate governance provisions and takeover activity; and
|
·
|
Company practices and corporate governance codes.
|
·
|
Adequate disclosure has not been provided in a timely manner;
|
·
|
There are clear concerns over questionable finances or restatements;
|
·
|
There have been questionable transactions with conflicts of interest;
|
·
|
There are any records of abuses against minority shareholder interests;
|
·
|
The board fails to meet minimum corporate governance standards;
|
·
|
There are specific concerns about the individual, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities;
|
·
|
Material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight, or fiduciary responsibilities at the company;
|
·
|
Failure to replace management as appropriate; or
|
·
|
Egregious actions related to the director(s)' service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company.
|
·
|
A lack of oversight or actions by board members which invoke shareholder distrust related to malfeasance or poor supervision, such as operating in private or company interest rather than in shareholder interest;
|
·
|
Any legal issues (e.g. civil/criminal) aiming to hold the board responsible for breach of trust in the past or related to currently alleged action yet to be confirmed (and not only in the fiscal year in question) such as price fixing, insider trading, bribery, fraud, and other illegal actions;
|
·
|
Other egregious governance issues where shareholders will bring legal action against the company or its directors; or
|
·
|
Failure to take action to opt out of laws providing for double voting rights.
|
·
|
A repurchase limit of up to 10 percent of outstanding issued share capital;
|
·
|
A holding limit of up to 10 percent of a company's issued share capital in treasury ("on the shelf"); and
|
·
|
Duration of no more than 5 years, or such lower threshold as may be set by applicable law, regulation, or code of governance best practice.
|
·
|
A holding limit of up to 10 percent of a company's issued share capital in treasury ("on the shelf");, and
|
·
|
Duration of no more than 18 months.
|
·
|
A holding limit of up to 10 percent of a company's issued share capital in treasury ("on the shelf"); and
|
·
|
Duration of no more than 18 months.
|
·
|
The repurchase can be used for takeover defenses;
|
·
|
There is clear evidence of abuse;
|
·
|
There is no safeguard against selective buybacks;
|
·
|
Pricing provisions and safeguards are deemed to be unreasonable in light of market practice.
|
·
|
The duration of the authorization is limited in time to no more than 18 months;
|
·
|
The total number of shares covered by the authorization is disclosed;
|
·
|
The number of shares that would be purchased with call options and/or sold with put options is limited to a maximum of 5 percent of currently outstanding capital;
|
·
|
A financial institution, with experience conducting sophisticated transactions, is indicated as the party responsible for the trading; and
|
·
|
The shares reserved for all share plans may not exceed 5 percent of a company's issued share capital, except in the case of high-growth companies or particularly well-designed plans, in which case we allow dilution of between 5 and 10 percent: in this case, we will need to have performance conditions attached to the plans which should be acceptable under Columbia Partners criteria (challenging criteria);
|
·
|
The plan(s) must be sufficiently long-term in nature/structure: the minimum vesting period must be no less than three years from date of grant;
|
·
|
The awards must be granted at market price. Discounts, if any, must be mitigated by performance criteria or other features that justify such discount.
|
·
|
If applicable, performance standards must be fully disclosed, quantified, and long-term, with relative performance measures preferred.
|
·
|
Documents (including general meeting documents, annual report) provided prior to the general meeting do not disclose fees paid to non-executive directors.
|
·
|
Proposed amounts are excessive relative to other companies in the country or industry.
|
·
|
The company intends to increase the fees excessively in comparison with market/sector practices, without stating compelling reasons that justify the increase.
|
·
|
Proposals introduce retirement benefits for non-executive directors.
|
·
|
Proposals provide for the granting of stock options, or similarly structured equity-based compensation, to non-executive directors.
|
·
|
Proposals include both cash and share-based components to non-executive directors.
|
·
|
Recipients include outsiders; or
|
·
|
Neither the individual payments nor the aggregate amount of the payments is disclosed; or
|
4.
|
Proxy Voting Procedures of PanAgora Asset Management, Inc. (Emerging Markets Fund and Risk Parity Fund)
|
1)
|
describes its proxy voting procedures to its clients in Part
2A
of its Form ADV;
|
2)
|
provides the client with this written proxy policy, upon request;
|
3)
|
discloses to its clients how they may obtain information on how PanAgora voted the client's proxies;
|
4)
|
generally applies its proxy voting policy consistently and keeps records of votes for each client
in order to verify the consistency of such voting
;
|
5)
|
documents the reason(s) for voting for all non-routine items; and
|
6)
|
keeps records of such proxy votes.
|
1)
|
PanAgora's Proxy Voting Policy and any additional procedures created pursuant to such Policy;
|
2)
|
a copy of each proxy statement PanAgora receives regarding securities held by its clients (note: this requirement may be satisfied by a third party who has agreed in writing to do);
|
3)
|
a record of each vote cast by PanAgora (note: this requirement may be satisfied by a third party who has agreed in writing to do so);
|
4)
|
a copy of any document created by PanAgora that was material in making its voting decision or that memorializes the basis for such decision; and
|
5)
|
a copy of each written request from a client, and response to the client, for information on how PanAgora voted the client's proxies.
|
5.
|
Proxy Voting Policies of
Polaris Capital Management, Inc.
(Small Cap Fund, Foreign Value Fund and Foreign Value Small Cap Fund)
|
(a) | Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of U.S. Boston Investment Company (later changed to Quantitative Group of Funds and currently Pear Tree Funds, the " Trust ") dated April 2, 1990 (i) |
(1) | Amendment No. 1 dated July 18, 1993, to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust dated April 2, 1990(i) |
(2) | Establishment and Designation of Class A Shares (action by written consent of the Trustees of the Trust) dated July 26, 2005 (vii) |
(3) | Establishment and Designation of Quant Foreign Value Small Cap Fund (action by written consent of the Trustees of the Trust) dated April 29, 2008(x). |
(4) | Change in the Names of the Quantitative Small Cap Fund, Quantitative Long/Short Fund, Quantitative Emerging Markets Fund, Quantitative Foreign Value Fund (action by written consent of the Trustees of the Trust) dated April 29, 2008 (x) |
(5) | Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Trust dated May 26, 2011 (xvi) |
(6) | Certificate of the Clerk of the Trust dated May 26, 2011 certifying to resolutions adopted by the Trustees of the Trust designating the separate series of beneficial interests of the Trust (the " Funds ") and the separate classes of beneficial interests of each such series. (xvi) |
(7) | Certificate of the Clerk of the Trust dated July 29, 2011 certifying to resolutions adopted by the Trustees of the Trust designating Pear Tree Columbia Micro Cap Fund (the " Micro Cap Fund ") as a separate series of beneficial interests of the Trust and the separate classes of beneficial interests of the Micro Cap Fund (xvii) |
(8) | Certificate of the Clerk of the Trust dated July 30, 2014 certifying to resolutions adopted by the Trustees of the Trust terminating Micro Cap Fund as a separate series of beneficial interests of the Trust and the separate classes of beneficial interests of the Micro Cap Fund (xxiv) |
(9) | Certificate of the Clerk of the Trust dated May 31, 2013 certifying to resolutions adopted by the Trustees of the Trust designating the creation of a new series of shares of beneficial interests in the Trust, such series to be called Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund (the " Risk Parity Fund ") (xxiv) |
(10) | Certificate of the Clerk of the Trust dated January 1, 2015 (xxv) |
(11) | Certificate of the Clerk of the Trust dated March 4, 2016* |
(b) | Amended and Restated By-Laws, Dated October 22, 2008 (xiii) |
(c) | (1) | Portions of Agreement and Declaration of Trust Relating to Shareholders' Rights (i) |
(2) | Portions of By Laws Relating to Shareholders' Rights (i) |
(d) | (1) | Amended and Restated Management Contract between the Trust and Quantitative Investment Advisors, Inc. (currently Pear Tree Advisors, Inc., the " Manager ") dated May 1, 2008 (x) |
a.
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund Management Fee Waiver dated May 17, 2012 (xix)
|
b.
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement Agreement dated May 17, 2012 (xix)
|
c.
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund Fee Waiver dated as of August 1, 2013 (xxii)
|
d.
|
Amended and Restated Pear Tree Quality Fund Management Fee Waiver dated as of December 1, 2013 (xxiv)
|
e.
|
Second Amended and Restated Pear Tree Quality Fund Management Fee Waiver dated as of February 6, 2014 (xxiv)
|
f.
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund Third Amended and Restated Management Fee Waiver as of July 24, 2014 (xxiv)
|
g.
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund Fourth Amended and Restated Management Fee Waiver as of May 13, 2015 (xxv)
|
h.
|
Pear Tree Quality Fund Fifth Amended and Restated Management Fee Waiver as of May 11, 2016
(xxvii)
|
i.
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Management Fee Waiver as of February 4, 2016*
|
j.
|
Pear Tree PanAgora Amended and Restated Management Fee Waiver as of May 11, 2016
(xxvii)
|
(2) | Amended and Restated Advisory Contract between the Manager and Columbia Partners, L.L.C., Investment Management dated January 1, 2009 relating to Quantitative Small Cap Fund (currently, Pear Tree Columbia Small Cap Fund) (xiii) |
(3) | Advisory Contract between the Manager and PanAgora Asset Management, Inc. dated August 3, 2007 relating to Quantitative Emerging Markets Fund (currently, Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund) (ix) |
(4) | Advisory Contract between the Manager and Polaris Capital Management, Inc. dated January 31, 1999 relating to Quantitative Foreign Value Fund (currently, Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund) (i) |
(5)
|
Advisory Contract between the Manager and Analytic Investors, LLC dated January 2, 2008 relating to Quantitative Long/Short Fund (currently Pear Tree Quality Fund) (ix)
|
(6)
|
Advisory Contract between Quantitative Advisors and Polaris Capital Management, LLC, dated May 1, 2008 relating to Quantitative Foreign Value Small Cap Fund (currently, Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Small Cap Fund) (xiii)
|
(7)
|
Amendment to Advisory Contract between the Manager and Analytic Investors, LLC, dated January 1, 2009 relating to Quantitative Long/Short Fund (currently Pear Tree Quality Fund) (xiii)
|
(8)
|
Amendment to Advisory Contract between the Manager and Polaris Capital Management, LLC dated January 1, 2009 (xiii)
|
(9)
|
Advisory Contract between the Manager and Columbia Partners, L.L.C., Investment Management relating to Pear Tree Columbia Micro Cap Fund dated August 1, 2011 (xix)
|
(10)
|
Advisory Contract between the Manager and Columbia Partners, L.L.C., Investment Management dated January 27, 2011 relating to Quant Quality Fund (currently, Pear Tree Quality Fund) (xvi)
|
(11)
|
Advisory Contract between the Manager and Polaris Capital Management, Inc. dated October 5, 1999 relating to Quantitative Foreign Value Fund (currently, Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund) (xvi)
|
(12)
|
Amendment dated January 1, 2009 to Advisory Contract dated October 5, 1999 between the Manager and Polaris Capital Management, LLC (relating to Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund) (xvi)
|
(13)
|
Amendment dated November 10, 2009 to Advisory Contract dated October 5, 1999 between the Manager and Polaris Capital Management, LLC (relating to Pear Tree Polaris Foreign Value Fund) (xvi)
|
(14)
|
Amended and Restated Advisory Contract between the Manager and PanAgora Asset Management, Inc. relating to Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund dated February 1, 2012 (xix)
|
(15)
|
Advisory Contract between the Manager and PanAgora Asset Management, Inc. relating to Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund dated June 4, 2013 (xxi)
|
(16)
|
Interim Advisory Contract between the Manager and PanAgora Asset Management, Inc. relating to Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund dated October 22, 2013 (xxiv)
|
(17)
|
Interim Sub-Advisory Contract between the Manager and PanAgora Asset Management, Inc. relating to Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund dated October 22, 2013 (xxiv)
|
(18)
|
Advisory Contact between the Manager and PanAgora Asset Management, Inc. relating to Pear Tree PanAgora Emerging Markets Fund dated November 7, 2013 (xxiv)
|
(19)
|
Sub-Advisory Contract between the Manager and PanAgora Asset Management, Inc. relating to Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund dated November 7, 2013 (xxiv)
|
(20)
|
Sub-Advisory Contract between the Manager and Polaris Capital Management, LLC relating to Pear Tree Polaris Small Cap Fund dated October 30, 2014 (xxv)
|
(e) | (1) | Restated Distribution Agreement Dated May 1, 2008, (includes 12b-1 Plan) (x) |
(2) | Form of Specimen Selling Group Agreement (viii) |
(3) | Form of Specimen Selling Group Agreement (xxiv) |
(g) | (1) | Custodian Contract between the Trust and State Street Bank and Trust Company and the Trust Company, dated May 1, 2008 (xi) |
(2) | Investment Accounting Agreement between the Trust and State Street Bank and Trust Company and the Trust Company, dated May 1, 2008 (xi) |
(h) | (1) | Amended and Restated Transfer Agent and Service Agreement, dated May 1, 2008 (x) |
(2) | Amendment to Transfer Agent and Service Agreement, effective November 1, 2008 (xiii) |
(4) | Amendment dated January 27, 2011 to Administration Agreement dated November 1, 2008 (xvi) |
(5) | Amendment and Restated Administration Agreement dated May 17, 2012 (xix) |
(6) | Amendment dated January 27, 2011 to Amended and Restated Transfer Agent and Service Agreement (xix) |
(7) | Amendment dated August 1, 2011 to Amended and Restated Transfer Agent and Service Agreement (xix) |
(i) | (6) | Opinion of McLaughlin & Hunt LLP dated July 31, 2012 (Pear Tree Columbia Micro Cap Fund) (xx) |
(7) | Opinion of Nutter, McClennen & Fish, LLP dated June 5, 2013 (Pear Tree PanAgora Risk Parity Emerging Markets Fund) (xxi) |
(8) | Consent of Nutter, McClennen & Fish, LLP dated June 5, 2013 (485(b) filing) (xxi) |
(9) | Consent of Nutter, McClennen and Fish, LLP dated July 31, 2013 (485(b) filing) (xxii) |
(10) | Consent of Nutter, McClennen and Fish, LLP dated July 31, 2014 (485(b) filing) (xxiv) |
(11) | Consent of Nutter, McClennen and Fish, LLP dated July 31, 2015 (485(b) filing) (xxvi) |
(12) | Consent of Sullivan & Worcester LLP dated July 29, 2016 (485(b) filing)* |
(m) | (1) Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 is included in the Distribution Agreement (xiv) |
(2) | Form of Specimen Selling Group Agreement (viii) |
(n) | Multiple Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 (xx) |
(2) | Code of Ethics - Columbia Partners Dated July 12, 2011 (xviii) |
(3) | Code of Ethics - PanAgora Asset Management, Inc. Dated December 31, 2011 (xix) |
(4)
|
Code of Ethics - Polaris Capital Management Inc. Dated March 25, 2009 (xiii)
|
(a)
|
Code of Ethics – Polaris Capital Management Inc. Dated April 2013 (xxiv)
|
(5)
|
Code of Ethics - Analytic Investors, LLC Dated September 30, 2005 (ix)
|
(i) | Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to the Registration Statement on July 30, 1999 and incorporated by reference herein |
(ii) | Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registration Statement on July 31, 2000 and incorporated by reference herein |
(iii) | Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 24 to the Registration Statement on July 31, 2003 |
(iv) | Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 to the Registration Statement on July 29, 2004 |
(v) | Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to the Registration Statement on May 31, 2005 |
(vi) | Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to the Registration Statement on July 29, 2005 |
(vii) | Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 to the Registration Statement on August 10, 2005 |
(viii)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 36 to the Registration Statement on July 27, 2007 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(ix)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 37 to the Registration Statement on February 14, 2008 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(x)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to the Registration Statement on April 30, 2008 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xi)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 39 to the Registration Statement on May 30, 2008 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xii)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 to the Registration Statement on August 1, 2008 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xiii)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 41 to the Registration Statement on August 1, 2009 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xiv)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 42 to the Registration Statement on May 25, 2010 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xv)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No.43 to the Registration Statement on July 29, 2010 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xvi)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registration Statement on June 1, 2011 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xvii)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the Registration Statement July 29, 2011 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xviii)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 47 to the Registration Statement August 1, 2011 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xix)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registration Statement June 1, 2012 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xx)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to the Registration Statement August 1, 2012 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xxi)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 to the Registration Statement June 5, 2013 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xxii)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 to the Registration Statement August 1, 2013 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xxiii)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 53 to the Registration Statement August 20, 2013 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xxiv)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 54 to the Registration Statement July 31, 2014 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xxv)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 to the Registration Statement May 29, 2015 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xxvi)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No.
56
to the Registration Statement July 31, 2015 and incorporated by reference herein
|
(xxvii)
|
Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 to the Registration Statement June 2, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein
|
Willard L. Umphrey: | President/Treasurer/Clerk/Director, U.S. Boston Insurance Agency, |
Director/President | Inc.; Director, U.S. Boston Capital Corporation; President/Director, USB Atlantic Associates, Inc.; Director/Treasurer, USB Corporation and U.S. Boston Corporation; Director, Pear Tree Partners Management LLC; Director, U.S. Boston Asset Management Corporation,; Partner, U.S. Boston Company, U.S. Boston Company II; President/Chairman/Trustee, Pear Tree Funds; Director, Woundcheck Laboratories; Director, Unidine. |
Director/Vice President | Treasurer/Vice President, Pear Tree Funds; Directors, Everest USB Canadian Storage, Inc.; Director, U.S. Boston Corporation; Director, U.S. Boston Asset Management Corporation; Director, MedCool, Inc.; Director, USB Corporation; Director, USB Everest Management, LLC; Director, USB Everest Storage LLC; Director, U.S. Boston Insurance Agency, Inc.; Director, Woundcheck Laboratories. |
Deborah A. Kessinger: | President and Chief Compliance Officer, U.S. Boston Capital |
Chief Compliance Officer | Corporation; Chief Compliance Officer, Pear Tree Funds; Assistant Clerk, Pear Tree Funds. |
(a) | Not applicable |
(b) | The directors and officer of the Registrant's principal underwriter are: |
(c)
|
Not applicable
|
By: | _ /s/ Leon Okurowski |
(a)(11) | Certificate of the Clerk of the Trust dated March 4, 2016 |
(d)(
|
i ) | Pear Tree PanAgora Management Fee Waiver dated as of February 4, 2016 |
(i)(12) Consent of Sullivan & Worcester LLP dated July 29, 2016 (485(b) filing) |
(j)(6) | Consent of Tait, Weller & Baker LLP dated July 29, 2016 |
(q)(3) | Power of Attorney dated October 29, 2015 |
/s/ Robert M. Armstrong
Robert M. Armstrong
|
/s/ Clinton S. Marshall
Clinton S. Marshall
|
/s/ John M. Bulbrook
John M. Bulbrook
|
/s/ Leon Okurowski
Leon Okurowski
|
/s/ Willard L. Umphrey
Willard L. Umphrey
|
/s/ Lori Wessels
Lori Wessels
|
/s/ William H. Dunlap
William H. Dunlap
|